First-Year Spanish (SPA 1, 2, and 3)
Course Goals
The goal of the first-year Spanish program at UCD is to develop proficiency in Spanish. Students are expected to learn to use Spanish for communication in real, meaningful situations. It is also intended that students develop an understanding of basic grammatical concepts and an appreciation of all the different cultures of the Spanish speaking world.
To attain these goals, the first year courses focus on using Spanish as much as possible for classroom interaction.
Course Content
Spanish 1, 2, and 3 are a first-year Spanish program for students that have not studied Spanish previously. The same textbook, Dos Mundos 7e, will be used in all three levels.
Spanish 1: Paso A, B y C and Capítulos 1-5
Functions include: greetings, descriptions of self and others, daily activities, and preferences. Major grammatical structures presented include: the present indicative and the present progressive tenses, reflexive verbs and stem-changing verbs.
Spanish 2: Capítulos 6-9
Functions include: Communicating about professions, class activities, neighborhood and housing, past experiences, food preferences and family relationships. Major structures presented include object pronouns, and the preterit tense.
Spanish 3: Capítulos 9-15
Functions include: Communicating about childhood experiences, travel plans, clothing, giving instructions to elders or peers, talking about the future. Major structures presented include: imperfect and preterit tense, present subjunctive, the perfect tenses, formal and informal commands and the future tense.
Course Requirements
Attendance
Spanish 1,2 and 3 classes meet five days per week. As students are expected to repeatedly interact in Spanish with both classmates and their instructor attendance is mandatory. More than three unexcused absences will affect a student's grade. Each additional absence after the first three, will lower the Daily Class Work grade. A student missing class twelve or more times will automatically fail the course.
Homework
Reading assignments in the grammatical section are given in the course syllabus. Students are expected to do the readings before going to class and also do the corresponding exercises in the Cuaderno de ejercicios after class. In class pop quizzes may be given on this material on a regular basis.
Testing and grading
In each course students will take three chapter tests and a final exam. Speaking will be evaluated on a day to day basis in the classroom and during the final oral proficiency exam. The final course grade will be based on the following:
| Exams: 3 @ 16% each | 48% |
| Compositions: 2 @ 6% each | 12% |
| Lab manual and workbook | 5% |
| Daily class work* | 10% |
| Final exam | 25% |
*Daily class work includes attendance (a student with twelve or more unexcused absences will receive an F in the course), effort and quality of oral response.
Language Laboratory
In order to get adequate practice in both listening and speaking, all Spanish 1,2 and 3 students are expected to work with the tapes that accompany ¡Dos Mundos!. Students may work with these tapes at home or in the Language Lab.
At home: Tapes may be checked out for home use at the Language Learning Center in 49 Olson (open M-F 9:00 am to 5:00 PM. To use this service, students must simply provide a 60min. cassette tape on which the Center will duplicate the textbook chapter lessons at no cost to the student.
In 49 Olson (Language Learning Center): Pre-recorded lesson tapes for each week are also available for individual use in the Practice Lab in room 49 Olson. The Practice Lab is open M-F 9:00 am to 5:00 PM and Fridays from 9:00 am to 4:00 PM. Students must present their Reg. Card when using the Practice Lab.
On the web: Lessons may be accessed and listen to on a web-based Dos Mundos Listening Program. Pick up instructions in Olson 49.
Portuguese Program Awarded $10,000 Film Clip Grant
Angeles Encinar en la narrativa de Jose Maria Merino (Dec. 1)