SPAN 104G: Beginners' Spanish 1

2017, Semester 2 (15.0 points)

Description

This course is for students who have no previous knowledge of the Spanish language, that is, true beginners. It helps them acquire basic linguistic structures and develop conversational competence. The four language skills -speaking, listening, reading and writing- and knowledge of the cultures and traditions of Spain and Spanish America are integrated into the four class hours per week. Language learning is reinforced through in-class practice, audiovisual activities, aural and reading comprehensions, homework assignments and independent work using a richly populated course website.

There is extensive exposure to Spanish in class so that students become acquainted with its sounds and rhythm and start building the vocabulary and grammar they need to express themselves in this language. We begin by learning how to greet people, introduce ourselves and provide basic personal information such as occupation, nationality and phone number. We journey through the Spanish-speaking world to discover how to talk about locations (e.g., the city and house where we live and the place where we work) and how to give and ask for directions to go from one place to another. We then learn to talk about the food we like and how to order it at a restaurant, how to describe the physical appearance of people as well as their personality and how to shop for clothing and describe what people are wearing. Lastly, we learn to narrate the activities of our daily routine and how to break away from it by making invitations to different types of social events.

Lessons are interactive, with opportunities for you to practise in pairs, small groups or the whole class. Attendance at all lectures is strongly recommended in order to benefit from interactive activities which help develop communicative skills and ensure steady progress.

Aims of SPAN 104G

To give a solid grounding in the basic grammar and vocabulary of Spanish, enabling the student to hold a conversation on contemporary topics and provide for the necessities of daily life. Emphasis is on communicative competence: speaking, listening and reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and writing in Spanish, focusing on the present tense. The rich cultures of the Hispanic world are studied in the context of language acquisition.

Prescribed texts
Nuevo Ven 1. Libro del Alumno, with two CDs for audio practice
Nuevo Ven 1. Workbook, with one CD for listening exercises.

Note: in SPAN 104G, we cover units 1-8.

Course coordinator
Wendy-Llyn Zaza
Email:    w.zaza@auckland.ac.nz
DDI:       923 7144
Office:    Arts 2 – Room 407
Semester 2 office hours: TBA

Lecture times

Assessment breakdown

Final exam
You must sit the final exam in order to pass this course. The final written exam schedule is publicised on the University website and should be consulted for any changes. The venue for the written exam will be posted by University Administration the afternoon prior to the day of the exam. Your final written exam is worth 40% of the final mark.

Preparation for final exam: the website for past exam papers is http://examdb.auckland.ac.nz/

Workload

Time management is essential to academic success, and  it is the responsibility  of students to manage their time so that all assignments are submitted on or before the due dates.

As with other 15-point courses, the University of Auckland’s expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on this course. You should manage your academic workload and other commitments accordingly. SPAN 104G students attend 4 hours of lectures each week; this leaves 6 hours per week outside the classroom for revision and assignments, and to study for tests and the exam.

Submission of assignments, extensions and late penalties

• Unless indicated otherwise by the Course Convenor, hard copies of assignments should be posted in the appropriate assignment box at the Arts Assignment Centre, level 4, Social Sciences Building, before 4 pm on the due date.  Assignment boxes are cleared at 4 pm and any assignment handed in after 4 pm will not be date-stamped until the next working day.
• Penalties for lateness (see below) apply from 4pm on the due date for the submission of the hard copy.
• The Assignment Centre is not open in the weekends or on public holidays.
  
  

Extensions
In serious circumstances* beyond the student’s control (see below), s/he may request an extension from the person in charge of that section.

The request should

• be made by email to the course coordinator, is possible at least 2-3 days BEFORE the assignment due date
• provide an explanation of the circumstances
• be supported by a satisfactory medical certificate or other documentation.

• If an extension is granted, you will be given a new due date.  The completed assignment must be submitted on or before the new due date together with the medical certificate and other documentation.  If an assignment is submitted after the new due date, penalties for lateness apply as below.
• Only ONE extension can be granted to a student per assignment.
• Only in extreme circumstances will late requests for extensions be considered.

*Serious circumstances means sudden illness (in the case of in-class tests etc.) or mid/long-term illness (for assignments etc. done over a week or more).  It does NOT mean time management difficulties, wanting to go on holiday, relatives visiting from overseas, computer breakdowns, etc.

 Deadlines and penalties for late submission

• If an extension has not been granted, any work submitted after the due date will be treated as overdue and penalties will apply (see below). 
• The mark given to an overdue assignment will be reduced by 10 per cent of the total possible marks for that assignment for each day that it is late up to 5 days (e.g. for an assignment marked out of 20, up to 2 marks per day may be deducted up to a total of 10 marks). Assignments which are due on Friday, or the day before a university holiday, but are not received until the next working day will be counted as TWO days late.
• Overdue assignments that are submitted more than five days late will not be marked; nor will assignments be marked if submitted after the assignment has been marked and returned.  Unmarked assignments will be held by the marker until the end of the semester, and in cases where the final grade for the student is borderline (D+), the marker may choose to award a minimal completion mark.  For this reason, it is better to hand in an assignment late than not at all.
  
  

Illness at test time

• When serious circumstances (e.g. sudden serious illness or a car accident) cause a student to miss an in-class test, it is expected that the student will notify the course coordinator at the earliest possible opportunity, if possible before the scheduled test takes place. 
• In the case of illness for a test, you must also obtain a form, “Notes of Consideration for Written Tests Application” from the Clocktower Information Centre (x88199/88378), Clocktower Building, 22 Princes St, complete it and hand it in within a week of the date of the scheduled test or exam. In the case of illness for a final exam, you must complete an SA49 form, obtainable from the Examinations Office (x87557).
• If the student or his/her representative makes no contact within five days of the scheduled test, a zero grade will be awarded for that piece of assessment. 
• Extreme cases will be judged on their own merits.  Documentation may be required.

Academic integrity
The University of Auckland takes any form of academic dishonesty (e.g. plagiarism) extremely seriously and it is compulsory for all incoming students to complete a short academic integrity module: ignorance of the requirements will not be considered a defence in cases of academic misconduct.