Course Information: FLS 201 Intermediate
Spanish Fall 2009
Instructor: Harriet Kestenbaum
Email: hkestenbaum@ncsu.edu
Office Hours: MWF 12:15-1 and by appointment, in Withers 204
Phone: 515-9307
Required Text: PLAZAS 3rd edition with the audio CD You do not need the workbook or lab manual as these exercises will be completed on-line through Quia To access the Quia exercises on-line you will need a Quia book key which can be purchased at the NCSU student bookstore. For students who took FLS 102 or FLS 110 at NCSU, you should not have to purchase anything. Although you are not required to purchase the Plazas Workbook, many students like the additional practice of writing out the answers by hand.
Grading System:
30% (4 Chapter Tests + average of five highest quiz grades)
30% Final Exam
10 % Assessment of Oral Communication Skills (Includes 2 Oral Presentations)
10% Quia Lab
(all six chapters)
20% Class Participation & Preparation (includes Quia workbook exercises and other assignments)
Succesful completion of this class involves more than getting good test grades. You must also attend class regularly and complete all the other components which make up the grade. There will be no exceptions for the course requirements.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory because of the nature of the course. Your instructor and your classmates depend on you to be present every day to take part in class activities designed for the participation of all students. You may miss up to three classes during the semester. For each unexecused absence after three you will lose one point from your final average. You must provide formal documentation for any excused absence. Arriving to class on time and staying until the class is over is also very important. For every three times you are late or leave early, I will count it as one absence.
Note: The first three absences, whether excused or unexcused, are treated the same. Use these absences wisely.
Tests & Quizzes: There will be four tests. These will come at the end of chapters 10, 11, 13(combination of 12 & 13) and 14. Chapter 15 will be covered on the final exam. Approximately 25% of the test will be listening comprehension and will be administered at the beginning of the class period. If you arrive late to class on a test day you will not be able to make up any of the listening section of the exam that you have missed, nor will you be allowed extra time to complete the exam. Quizzes will cover material assigned for the day, week, etc. Quizzes can not be made up. If you miss a quiz you earn a "0" for that quiz.
Make-up Work: You are expected to complete assignments and take tests on time. Do not expect to make up missed work or turn assignments in late without a penalty. In the event of a serious emergency you must contact me by phone or email before the date of a test or assignment. You should leave a message if I am unable to answer the telephone when you call, but please note that leaving a message or sending an email does not automatically result in prior approval. Athletes should speak with me before each absence and arrange to take any upcoming test BEFORE the absence.
If you miss a class, you should check with a classmate or the website for any additional homework that may have been assigned on the day of your absence. Absence from class is not an excuse for not knowing about an assignment or of any changes in the schedule. Graded work missed during an unexcused absence receives a grade of zero. Make-up assignments will be arranged on an individual basis. Work not made up will receive a grade of zero whether the absence is excused or unexcused.
Homework: Daily reading assignments from the text and practice exercises from the workbook are posted on the class schedule. They should be completed reviewed before coming to class. Workbook assignments should be completed online through Quia. http://www.quia.com/books The Quia class code is TXPPAK937 The actual due dates for completing each assignment for a credit are posted on Quia. You may repeat these exercises three times before the due date and your best score will be posted for a grade. After the due date you may still repeat these exercises for practice, but the grade will not be recorded. If you have questions about any of the exercises feel free to ask the instructor during class. Additional homework may be added at the discretion of the instructor and will be announced in class as well as be posted on the schedule. Late work will not be accepted. Homework assignments from the text book will not be collected every day; however, we will go over them in class. You should make corrections as we review them. Assignments from the textbook should be written out in complete sentences and be completed on your own.
Oral Presentations: Each student will do two oral presentations during the semester. One of the presentations will be given on a suggested topic, the other will be a dialog or mini-drama with one or two other class members. There will be six opportunities for presentations and students may choose to do more than two and drop the lowest grade The presentations will relate to the themes of the text chapters covered in the course. All presentations must include a visual aid and should be practiced extensively before class. Use of notes is acceptable but students should not read their presentations. A student who reads his presentation can not earn a grade better than a "C". . A sign-up sheet with topics and dates will be passed around during the second week of class. Click here for: Oral Presentation Grading and Topics
Language Lab: Students must
complete all of the graded work of the Quia lab exercises at http://www.quia.com/books
(with account set up using passcode purchased with text package; students who
used Plazas for FLS 101 will use their same passcode from the previous semester;
Instructions for enrolling or reenrolling in the lab are available by clicking
Quia instructions The
Quia class code is TXPPAK937
In order to
receive credit, each chapter must be completed by midnight the day before
the chapter test. The final chapter must be completed by midnight November 29.
You should be enrolled in QUIA by the second class day. If
you are experiencing difficulty enrolling in the lab, contact the Quia Help
desk, bookhelp@quia.com. If you do not
receive a response within 24 hours, please let me know and I will try to contact
them. Do not wait until the last minute. Difficulty in enrolling
is not an excuse for not completing the lab.
All of the lab activities can be completed on-line at http://www.quia.com/books
Class Participation: You are expected to come to class prepared and to participate actively. Your class participation grade will be based on the following criteria:
A Student is always prepared for class; arrives on time with
proper materials; does not depart early (or "come and go"); is attentive;
participates voluntarily and frequently; stays on task during group work;
asks appropriate, pertinent questions indicating thoughtful preparation.
Is in touch with instructor regarding any absence.
B Student is usually prepared; arrives on time with
proper materials; does not depart early (or "come and go"), is attentive;
participates voluntarily and frequently; stays on task during group work;
asks appropriate, pertinent questions. Is in touch with the instructor
regarding any absence.
C Student shows evidence of being unprepared
on occasion; may arrive late, leave early or come and go; may not have
proper materials; is inattentive during class; volunteers infrequently
and responds only when called upon; is not always on task during group
activities; may ask questions that indicate inadquate preparation before
class or questions that are inappropriate. Attendance may be erratic--without
explanation.
D Student is unprepared, inattentive or disinterested.
Attendance may be erratic--without explanation. Rarely, if ever,
volunteers. Departs and returns during class without explanation.
Leaves early or arrives late without explanation. Does not participate
appropriately in group activities. Asks inappropriate, unnecessary questions
that indicate poor outside preparation and a lack of initiative in self-education
outside of class--especially on points of basic English grammar.
F Student exhibits lack of concern for his/her performance in
the course. In addition to the progressively negative behavior noted
in above descriptions, the student may have a negative effect on the class.
Final Exam: The final exam is comprehensive and departmental. The listening part will be given on December 5, the last day of class. The written part will be held on December 11 from 6:00-9:00 pm (location TBA)
An "Expectation Sheet" which provides students with the format of the
final exam will be available the last week of
classes. The Expectation Sheet can be found at http://sasw.chass.ncsu.edu/fl/final/.
Instructors will not distribute hard copies of this document.
Academic Integrity: Students are expected to work within the letter and spirit of the NC State Code of Student Conduct. Please read the following carefully by the end of the first week of class - Code of Student Conduct. For an academic integrity violation: there will be a zero for the assignment, final grade will be reduced by one letter grade, and a report will be filed with/ the Office of Student Conduct. For a second violation: the student will automatically fail the course and a second report will be filed with the Office of Student Conduct. You will be expected to sign a pledge on each test, quiz, and written composition.
Disability Policy: Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. Please register with the Office of Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. For details, please see: Office of Disability Services for Students. If you already have an accommodation letter from DSS, please schedule an appointment with me during the first week of class to discuss.
Grading System: I will use the plus/minus grading system this semester
Suggestions for success in your Spanish class:
Research has shown that very specific activities
and behaviors greatly enhance your chance of success in
studying a foreign language. Your instructor
can give you more advice, but try to follow these suggestions:
1. Prepare for each class by reading assigned
pages in your textbook and completing all written and listening
exercises that are assigned. You will not be
successful if you are unprepared for the activities that will take place
in class.
2. Attend class regularly. Learning
to speak a foreign language is an interactive process and you must interact
with your instructor and your classmates in order
to progress.
3. Use memory tricks, songs, chants or
other devices to learn new material. Say the answers to homework
exercises in addition to writing them.
Both sides of your brain need to be involved in language learning; it is
not
solely a cognitive process.
4. Have fun with the language and take
risks as you try to speak it. Do not wait until you have the perfect
answer
to participate in class. Let your instructor
and your fellow students assist you and make learning a joint and
cooperative experience. You will learn
more quickly and more thoroughly when you are fully engaged in the
learning process.