VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH & PORTUGUESE

SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM

SPANISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

THROUGH CULTURAL TOPICS

(SPAN 3302)

FALL 2015

PROGRAMA DEL CURSO

PROFESOR(A)

HORAS DE OFICINA

E-MAIL

TELÉFONO
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COURSE INTRODUCTION
Recommended material
Harper Collins Spanish Concise Dictionary. Harper Collins Publishers: Glasgow, 2004.

COURSE GOALS

This is a content-based language course that focuses primarily on the

development of advanced oral language proficiency through the study of Spanish and
Spanish American cultural, political, economic, and historical issues from both national
and regional perspectives.
The course has three main goals: (1) the development of effective strategies for
oral communication through a wide range of activities such as electronic conversations,
pair, group, and whole class discussions, role-plays, presentations, debates and
interviews. These activities will enable students to discuss, analyze, and develop
arguments in diverse contexts and with varying levels of formality; (2) the development
of argumentation techniques in Spanish through the study of textual dimensions of the
oral discourse (argumentative sequences, questions, connecting devices and transitions,
etc.); (3) expansion of both vocabulary (from concrete to abstract) and register (formal
versus colloquial). Due to the nature of this course, students will become acquainted with
current events and issues through authentic materials ranging from written news, radio
and television broadcasts, documentaries, and feature films.
The most important part of a student’s grade will reflect his/her linguistic
improvement throughout the semester, but understanding of the contents discussed is
considered an integral part of the course, and will therefore be assessed as well.
By the end of the course, students will have improved their oral language
proficiency and achieved a greater familiarity with Hispanic cultural, economic and
history-related topics.

SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM POLICIES

A. GRADING SYSTEM

A = 94-100 B = 83-86.9 C = 73-76.9 D = 63-66.9

A- = 90-93.9 B- = 80-82.9 C- = 70-72.9 D- = 60-62.9
B+ = 87-89.9 C+ = 77-79.9 D+ = 67-69.9 F = 0-59.9
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B. LATE WORK AND MAKE-UP EXAMS

If you present documentation of an emergency, be it medical or otherwise, your instructor will
do everything s/he can to help you make up missed classwork. The general rule, however, is the
following: NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED AND NO MAKE-UP EXAMS OR QUIZZES
WILL BE GIVEN.

C. ATTENDANCE
Attendance is obligatory for all Spanish language courses. Exposure to the language (listening
and speaking) is a requirement of this class. It is your responsibility to attend class and keep
track of your absences. This includes attending the movie showings scheduled through the
semester. In case circumstances arise that prevent you from attending class, you are permitted
three (3) unexcused absences, about which questions will not be asked nor excuses solicited.
Since three classes represent a whole week of formal contact, any absence beyond those classes
is considered excessive. Those three absences are not "free" but should be employed judiciously
for events like minor illnesses, doctor's appointments, weddings, etc. It is also essential to be on
time; please note that each class hour will be divided into fourths. Every "quarter" you miss is a
fourth of an absence, and these will accumulate throughout the semester. Thus, every four
quarters will constitute another absence.
If you accumulate four unexcused absences or more, one (1) percentage point per
unexcused absence will be deducted from your FINAL GRADE calculation. For example, if you
were to miss a total of five (5) classes during the semester (3 permitted plus 2 unexcused), your
final grade would be reduced by two (2) points, which is in some cases an entire letter grade. To
have your absences excused, you must provide your instructor with official documentation of the
reason for your missing class (e.g. extended hospitalization, medical emergency, religious
functions, etc.) Documentation must be provided within five (5) days after you come back to
class. You will have no opportunity to get any excess absences excused at the end of the
semester. Examples of excused absences include the observance of religious holidays, serious
illness, death of a close family member, or participation in a university-sponsored activity.

D. EXCESSIVE ABSENCES
An excess of absences in a Spanish language class will result in a failure in the course. For
Spanish 3302 the number is seven (7). If you have accrued three absences (allowed) your
instructor will contact you and remind you once more of the excess absences policy. If you are
close to the limit (7), we will e-mail you and copy the message to your Dean. Once you have
exceeded the limit, you will be either dropped or failed from the course.

E. VANDERBILT'S HONOR CODE

You are expected to adhere strictly to the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Honor Code. You are
expected to neither give nor receive aid in the completion of exams, quizzes, or any work
prepared outside of class that is to be submitted for a grade. In order to attend this course, you
will be asked to read, sign, turn in, and abide by the Spanish Language Program's policy
on Academic Integrity and the Vanderbilt Honor Code.
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“All students are required to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the Honor System
through the information in this Handbook.” (2006/2007 Student Handbook) Please
familiarize yourself with the Honor Code website paying particular attention to the introduction
of Chapter 2 and the following topics: “The Honor Code Applied to the Preparation of Papers /
Tests, Examinations and other Exercises”.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/student_handbook/Honor_System.htm

F.”DEAD WEEK”

Please note that homework, class presentations, or any other due assignments are not considered
exams. During the last week of classes, you will have to turn in these assignments. In addition,
on-line assignments (assessments, e-discussions) and oral exams (lab or classroom administered)
are considered labs, and they may thus be scheduled during the last week of classes. There will
be NO other examinations (pop quizzes, short quizzes, portions of final exams) administered
during “dead week."

G. BASIC CLASSROOM COURTESY RULES

Students are expected to come to class on time and to stay for the full class session. They are
expected to come prepared to focus on learning and to participate actively in classroom
instruction. As a way to insure that there are no unnecessary distractions, students are asked to
exercise common courtesy in the classroom in the following ways:

Please turn off all electronic devices (i.e., cell phones, pagers, iPods, laptops, etc.).

Please focus your attention to the material being discussed in class. The classroom is not a study
hall for your other courses or for leisure reading.

Please do not bring food to class; if you bring and consume a beverage, please dispose of it
properly in the trash bin and do not leave it on the floor. Please note that there are explicit
prohibitions against bringing food or drinks into certain classrooms on campus.

Please use the lavatory facilities PRIOR to arriving to class, unless, of course, it is an emergency,
as entering and leaving are disruptive and distracting to both the instructor and classmates.

Please do not start packing up before the end of the official class period as others are trying to
hear what the instructor or another classmate is trying to say.

Please do not participate in side discussions during classroom presentations by the instructor or
other students. It is considered rude and disrespectful, not to mention you may be missing
important information which is being conveyed.

Please schedule your appointments, expected phone calls, flights, etc., around your courses. If a
family member or another person is scheduling a flight for you, be sure that person has a copy of
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your class schedule. If a given class time is not convenient for you, you should either choose
another course or time block or adapt to the time you have chosen.

Please do respect the questions and opinions expressed by other students in the class.

H. CLASSROOM RECORDING POLICY

The use of technologies for audio and video recording of lectures and other classroom activities
is allowed only with the express permission of the instructor. In cases where recordings are
allowed, such content is restricted to personal use only unless permission is expressly granted in
writing by the instructor and by other classroom participants, including other students. Personal
use is defined as use by an individual student for the purpose of studying or completing course
assignments. When students have permission for personal use of recordings, they must still
obtain written permission from the instructor to share recordings with others.
For students registered with EAD and who have been approved for audio and/or video recording
of lectures and other classroom activities as a reasonable accommodation, applicable federal law
requires instructors to permit those recordings. Such recordings are also limited to personal use,
except with permission of the instructor and other students in the class.

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/catalogs/undergrad/artscience.html
(CAS section of 2014-15 Undergraduate Catalog)

I. FINAL GRADE COMPONENT WEIGHTING

1. In-class performance (2 grading periods) 20%

2. Oral Evaluations 42%
a) Estilo Indirecto (1) 7%
b) Debate (2) 20%
c) Interview (2) 15%
-First interview 5%
-Final interview 10%
3. Electronic Discussion Board (4) 8%
4. Homework 15%
5. Presentation (1) 5%
6. Final Presentation (1) 10%

1. IN-CLASS PERFORMANCE
You are expected to participate actively in class and to come to class well prepared
(assignments and other tasks are specified in the daily syllabus). This involves reading
newspapers, studying maps, revising vocabulary lists, watching assigned video materials,
searching the Internet for relevant information about a specific topic, or consulting web sites
already assigned by the instructor.
To participate actively, you will need to come to class well prepared in terms of
vocabulary and ideas, and willing to talk. Oral communication does not imply perfection, but it
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does necessitate an increasing ability and willingness to convey what you want to say in Spanish.
In addition to your oral participation, your in-class performance also includes your attitude
towards your classmates, the degree to which you have prepared the assignments, your
involvement in collaborative pair and group work, etc. You will receive 2 in-class performance
grades throughout the semester, based on an established series of concrete criteria (see grading
sheet). Be aware that just attending the class will not get you a satisfactory grade in this
component.

2. ORAL EVALUATIONS
a) Estilo Indirecto (1)
This is an individual, class-administered assessment. You will be evaluated on your
ability to use indirect speech to report on something you have heard, or a video clip you
have watched. You will be asked to listen to specific, recorded information, and then will
be expected to relay that information to your instructor.
b) Debates (2)
This is a group, class-administered assessment. You will participate in 2 debates with
your classmates in groups of 6-8. You will be graded on your argumentation skills, as
well as accuracy and fluency. While one group is debating, the other members of the
class will act as an audience, and will be expected to ask questions and discuss the debate
afterwards.
c) Interviews
-First Interview (1)
This is a paired, out-of-class assessment. You will hold a conversation with a classmate
in front of your instructor about topics regarding various topics and movies discussed in
class up to that moment. You will be expected to expand to other related aspects and
topics. The conversation will last a minimum10 minutes and will be recorded. The
emphasis will be on spontaneity of expression, as well as fluency and accuracy.
-Final Interview (1)
This is an individual, out-of-class assessment. You will be provided with a series of
prompts (pictures or short texts) and then you will hold a conversation with your
instructor using those as starting points, but then expanding to other related aspects and
topics. The conversation will last up to 20 minutes, and the emphasis will be on
spontaneity of expression, as well as fluency and accuracy.

3. ELECTRONIC DISCUSSION BOARD

You will participate in four (4) Blackboard (BB) electronic discussions that will deal
with various issues of interest. Your instructor will post a text or a short video to which you will
react/respond in writing, during a specified time frame. You are expected to write at least twice,
a minimum of 200 words (in total). You are also expected to post your first message no later
than 48 hours after the beginning of the discussion board. In your writing, you need to show
that you have read and understood the article. In addition, you must demonstrate that you have
read what your classmates have written about the same topic, by making comments on what they
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write, showing your agreement, disagreement, etcetera. Both increased accuracy (vocabulary,
grammar, discourse connectors) and fluency in writing are expected.

4. HOMEWORK
You are expected to watch five (5) movies and to prepare for various oral and written activities
dealing with the issues suggested by each film. For each movie that you will watch, you will
have to turn in a typed movie guide to your instructor on designated dates, for a total of five (5)
guides (some of these films are rated R of NC-17, which signals that they may contain disturbing
images, scenes of violence, strong language, profanity, nudity, explicit sex scenes, drug abuse.)
In addition, you will be assigned five (5) video tasks that will help you focus on oral strategies
and linguistic aspects that are assessed in this course. Part of the homework will include
vocabulary quizzes based on vocabulary lists provided by the instructor. Also, there is no such
thing as extra credit work. If a student can not perform the assigned work, it will be extremely
difficult for the student to perform any additional work. Electronic submissions will not be
accepted under any circumstances.

5. PRESENTATION
On designated dates during the semester you will have to present a topic related to a specific
theme that will be assigned to you by your instructor. Your instructor will provide a series of
sources to guide you. Each presentation should last up to 6 minutes. You will be asked to
supplement your presentation with Power Point. Each presentation will be followed by a short
question and answer session.

6. FINAL PRESENTATION
Early on in the semester, and in consultation with your instructor, you will be expected to come
up with one research topic or theme of your choice that you will prepare during the semester and
then present before your instructor and classmates at the end of the semester. This presentation
should last up to 7 minutes and will be followed by a short question and answer session. You
will be asked to aid your presentation with Power Point.

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