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Fall 2007 and Spring 2008

Advanced Conversational Spanish

Profesora Ramírez
rramirez@queenanne.org
Seton Belt 6
Office hours: periods 1, 3 and by appointment only

**Class Hand Outs**

View as Adobe PDF Document

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is designed to improve your ability to communicate in Spanish with an emphasis on intonation, pronunciation, and fluency. Our main objective is such that learners are capable of achieving a casual or formal conversation concerning a variety of topics. I hope the student will demonstrate and ability to request information, express and defend an opinion, explain a procedure, etc. as well as being equally comfortable with speaking correctly about the past, the present, the future or in hypothetical situations in the target language. Our class will have a combination of class activities and individual attention designed to meet each learner’s conversational needs. Class instruction will be entirely in Spanish, and although it may be frustrating at the beginning, your ability to understand and communicate will improve (stay motivated). However, you must be patient with yourself and do your best to communicate as much as possible.

COURSE RESOURCES

For this class, you will need the following material:

CLASS ASSESSMENT

The methods of evaluation concerning your progress in my class will include:

Your attitude and your student values: Self explanatory

Class participation

Evaluation will stem from class participation, both daily and weekly. I will base your class participation assessment on voluntary and active involvement in class and individual activities. Also, assessment will involve your punctuality, preparedness (which includes bringing all materials needed for our class), and motivation. You are responsible for requesting your weekly class participation grade if you consider it necessary. I will provide them at the end of each class or during my office hours. Please note: Grades given in this category are non-negotiable.

Quizzes and tests on vocabulary and grammar (as needed)

Tests and Quizzes are given on a regularly basis in this class. However, if you take more than three quizzes during the quarter, I will drop the lowest quiz grade for the quarter. Unfortunately, lowest test grades will not be dropped, so make sure you prepare for your tests and see me immediately if you have any questions beforehand.

Formal Presentations

There will be a variety of formal presentations concerning interesting topics during the school year. On presentation day, you should provide a paper copy of your written outline to me prior to your presentation. Presentations will vary in length and I will provide more information when time arrives.

Quarter portfolio

An important component in succeeding in any subject is the ability of taking effective class notes. For this reason, at the end of each quarter, you will submit a quarter portfolio containing class notes you took in our class, corrected homework, exercises such as free writing, and quizzes with corrections included taken during that quarter. Your class notes should include date and objectives for that particular day and should be clean and organized. You will receive in detail the expectations of your quarter portfolio in our first day of class. I will review your quarter portfolio in the middle of the quarter to give you feed back. A test grade will be given for your portfolio that will count towards that particular quarter.

GRADING POLICY

Daily class activities count as 40% of your grade. These include class participation, homework, and some in-class writing assignments.

Assessments count as 60% of your grade. These include tests, quizzes, quarter portfolio, essays (final draft), and projects which demonstrate your growing acquisition of Spanish.

**Note: The use of online translators is considered to be plagiarism and therefore a violation of the QAS Honor Code .

Homework

You are expected to hand in presentable out-of-class assignments:

Make-up policy

For each full day that you are absent from school, you will receive a day to discuss with me make up arrangements for any tests, quizzes, and/or assignments that you missed. If your first full day of absence falls on a day an assignment is due, you must turn it in on the first day you return. Otherwise, you may only earn a 75% of your test or quiz grade. Please remember that it is your responsibility to initiate arrangements with me and not the other way around.

Those who are absent from my class, but who are not out for the full day will be required to make-up their test or quiz, or turn in their assignment, on the same day, unless other arrangements have been made with me. Please note: Make-up test and quizzes may be a different version and/or format from the ones taken in class.

Class expectations

I expect you to be courteous and respectful to your QAS family members. In return, we will respect you. Also, I promise to do my best to assist you in all aspects concerning your sincere learning efforts. Communication is the key, so if you have any questions or concerns and suggestions that may help you and your classmates feel more productive in this class, please feel free to speak with me. I am here to guide you in the skills required for Spanish language comprehension. Finally, class participation requires on-time attendance and preparation – having your homework ready and including all appropriate material (books, notebooks, pens, etc.). Please, take care of all physical needs (using the bathroom, eating, etc.) before class. School policy does not allow food in the class (including candy or gum) though liquids are permitted as long as they have a cap. If you are late more than three times you will have the silent pleasure of spending your lunch with Profesora Ramirez. Unless you have a late slip from a teacher or administrator, there are no exceptions to this policy.