SPAN 003
Sample Syllabus
Sample Lesson

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Course Syllabus
Course Syllabus
The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.

SPAN 003 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH (4 credits): Audio-lingual review of structure; writing; reading.

Overview | Objectives | Materials | Student/Instruction Communication | Technical Specifications | Course Requirements and Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Policies

Overview

Spanish 003 is designed for students who have successfully completed Spanish 002 at PSU or the equivalent level at another university. This course is cohort-based, which means that there is an established start and end date, and that you will interact with other students throughout the course.

Spanish 003 is an on line course for students who are native speakers of a language other than Spanish. The purpose of this course is to develop, increase, and improve communication skills based on activities of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish.

This course is based on a communicative information approach; supporting the idea that languages are best learned when real world information becomes the focus of students' activities, combining at the same time Linguistics systems (grammar and vocabulary) as well as Socio-pragmatic components (e.g. appropriate use of Spanish in context, etc.) in real-life situation tasks.

What will be covered in this course?

  1. Linguistic skills: Grammar and vocabulary.
  2. Socio-pragmatic skills: e. g. correct use of Spanish in different situations, to participate in different communicative tasks using contextual information, to understand cultural facts expressed by the language, etc.
  3. Develop and improve discourse and learning strategies.

On Line Component:

The course material and homework assignments will be delivered on ANGEL. These materials will be presented in form of Power Point presentation, video-audio files, and quizzes.

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Objectives

Upon completion of this course you will:

  • Learn and apply correctly the acquired knowledge of the grammatical and socio-pragmatic components of Spanish language in oral and written communication.
  • To study and appreciate some of the diversity of Spanish speaking populations in the world.
  • To participate actively in today's world, taking advantage of the ample Spanish speaking population living in United States.
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Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

Additional materials:

  • A good bilingual dictionary (e.g., The Bantam New College Spanish & English Dictionary, by Edwin B. Williams)
  • No work book is necessary

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

  • access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
  • borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
  • get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
  • much more. 

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

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Student/Instruction Communication

Student/Instruction Communication

Because this course is taught on-line, it is expected that you spend several hours completing the activities in ANGEL at your convenience. Students are usually advised to spend approximately 12 hours per week completing course requirements. Moreover, you do have deadlines for some activities and assignments which have to be completed on time. In general, you should expect to put in about as much work, and as many hours, as you would for a traditional face to face instruction course. The function of the instructor is to help you practice and to explain any questions or doubts about the materials that have been previously covered in class online.

How you can communicate with your instructor
E-mail and office hours: you instructor will provide his/her office hours, in which the instructor will be online using some sort of instant messenger computer program to answer questions or answer email quickly.

How your instructor will communicate with you

Your instructor will create an electronic list with all the students in your section. You must check your email every 24 hours, except during weekends.

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Technical Specifications

For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:

Technical Requirements
Operating System Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher
*Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor 2 GHz or higher
Memory 1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space 20 GB free disk space
Browser We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows
from Penn State websites.

Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching,
older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers Required
Monitor Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!


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Course Requirements and Grading

  1. Participation in virtual lab 15%

    2. Active class participation is vital in learning a second language, and, quite simply, you cannot participate if you are not in class. Given the nature of the course, approximately every week there will be a 30-minute virtual lab with the instructor. The week meeting with the instructor is mandatory. The instructor will schedule the meeting times for each virtual lab so that students can sign up for the one that works for their schedule. Failure to participate always results in missed opportunities to hear and speak Spanish.

  2. Lesson Wrap-Up Assessments 25%

    3. During the course, you will be asked to submit assignments based on the due dates indicated in the syllabus. Please keep in mind that you are responsible for having the required materials for class, checking the syllabus for assignments, and completing and submitting on time all assignments indicated for that week. Homework turned in after the deadlines (dates and times) will not receive credit. Technology failures do not excuse late work. The homework will consist of the following type of activities: Reading (lectura), writing (escritura), listening (escuchar), and speaking (conversar).

    • Reading: There will be a number of readings that will be asked to respond to in quiz formats.
    • Writing: There will be written assignments that will need to be posted in the appropriate drop box.
    • Listening: You will be asked to listen to and respond to various exchanges in Spanish. The goal is to work on your listening comprehension and to gain a better understanding of the diversity of Spanish.
    • Speaking: You will be required to meet and converse with your classmate. You will be asked to record conversations based upon a number of situations (introducing yourself; talk about likes and dislikes, etc.). Each assignment will be detailed the way in which the homework should be submitted.

  3. Self-test Quizzes 20%: For each lesson, there are several self-quizzes on conversation patterns, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

  4. Exams 40%: There will be three exams in this course. Please note that exam/course grades are not based on a curve.

    • Exam 1: It consist of three sections- Grammar, Vocabulary, and Composition. You have one hour to finish grammar and vocabulary, and 30 minutes to complete the composition section for a total of 90 minutes.
    • Exam 2: It consist of three sections- Grammar, Vocabulary, and Composition. You have 90 minutes to complete the exam.
    • Exam 3: The final exam is cumulative and is divided into three sections:
    1. Grammar: You will have one hour to complete this section.
    2. Composition: You have one hour to complete this section.
    3. Oral interaction: the oral exam consists of a 5 minutes dialogue between two people. Via Elluminate-Live, the pair will receive a brief description of the topic for the dialogue and will be given 5 minutes to prepare the presentation prior to the dialogue. The dialogues will provide the students with the opportunity to use the grammar and other components (vocabulary) learned during the semester. You can use the textbook, a dictionary, and your notes to prepare for the presentation, but you will not be allowed to use any material with you during the presentation.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.

If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

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Course Schedule


Course length: 15 weeks for Spring/Fall semesters and 12 weeks for Summer semsters (there may be a variation in weeks and assignments)
Lesson 1: Meeting Latin People
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Review interrogative pronouns.
  • Review present tense.
  • Review the Spanish verb Gustar. Share basic information with other people using present tense and periphrastic. Future with the form:  ir a + inifinitivo.

Lesson 2: Your Last Trip Taken in the U.S.A.
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Express ongoing actions in the past.
  • Practice more and understand better the differences between past and imperfect tense in Spanish.
  • Review the direct and indirect object in Spanish.

Lesson 3: Traveling to a Spanish Speaking Country
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Express emotions, opinions, and attitudes using present of subjunctive.
  • Make travel arrangements.
  • Describe and get hotel accommodations.

Lesson 4: Living in a Spanish Speaking Country
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Talk about the body.
  • Express expectations and wishes using subjunctive with expression of emotions.
  • Give informal orders and instructions using informal commands.

Lesson 5: Getting Sick in a Spanish Speaking Country
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Express goals and purposes using por y para.
  • Describe health conditions and medical treatments.
  • Ask for and give directions.

Lesson 6: Making Plans and Vacations Within Latin America
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Use the future tense in Spanish.
  • Ask about and discuss itineraries.
  • Express possession (emphatically) with possessive pronoun, and express denial and uncertainty using affirmative and negative expressions.

Lesson 7: Learning Some Spanish Customs
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Use the indicative and subjunctive moods in adjective clauses.
  • Use the conditional in Spanish.
  • Talk about the past from present-time perspective.

Lesson 8: Enjoying a Party in Latin America
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Describe states of being and conditions.
  • Hypothesize about the future.
  • State facts in the present and the past: the past participle and the present tense.

Lesson 9: Dating in a Latin Country
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Use reciprocal verbs and pronouns.
  • Describe social conditions using adverbial conjunctions with the subjunctive.
  • Use past participles as adjectives.

Lesson 10: Discovering Spanish Society
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Express ongoing actions in the past.
  • Practice more and understand better the differences between past and imperfect tense in Spanish.
  • Review the direct and indirect object in Spanish.

Lesson 11: Your Last Days in Latin America
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Give opinions and make suggestions.
  • Hypothesize about the present and the future using the imperfect subjunctive.
  • Soften requests and statements through use of the subjunctive.

Lesson 12: Back to the U.S.A.
Objectives: At the end of this section, you should be able to:
  • Express unexpected occurrences using if clauses.
  • Express contrary-to fact conditions in the present.
  • Persuade people to do something.

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.

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Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.

All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .

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Policies

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For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.

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