Spanish 1001 and 1002—Beginning Spanish
Spanish 2001 and 2002—Intermediate Spanish
Spanish 2201 and 2202—Spanish Conversation
Summer 2020
Objectives: Within a week and a half of the program, regardless of level, students will be able to communicate on at least a basic level with native speakers. The key word is “communicate.” On the most basic level, students will use a combination of words and body language to tell their hostess, for example, that they will not be home for dinner, that they will be gone for the weekend, that they need a towel, etc. Students who begin the program on a higher level will become more comfortable with their ability to communicate in Spanish and will develop the fundamental skills they already have and then build on them. By the end of the four-week program, students will be thinking in Spanish to a large degree and will feel comfortable conversing with the host family and moving about the city. Also, because language and culture cannot be divorced, students will be familiar with churches, parks, museums, and other sites of cultural interest, as well as shops and restaurants and the local customs that are part of life in the city.
Placement: On
Monday morning, May 27, students will take a placement test. European standards differ greatly from
American standards, and the placement test completely ignores the 1001, 1002,
etc., designation. Two students getting
the same level of credit (e.g., 2001 and 2002) in the
Requirements:
Click here
to find the presentations according to level that must be done before
departure. A good time to do this is
right after final exams. You will
seriously regret your lack of preparation if you are required to take the
four-page test in
You’ll notice that on each line are a presentation and the words “exercise 1,” “exercise 2,” etc. There are exercises contained in each of the presentations. The only reason you would need to click on “exercise 1,” etc., on the main page is if the links in the presentation don’t work for you.
Modernist Walk
Roman Walk
Students will be told a time and
place to meet. The group leader will not
wait for you, even if you tell that person that you intend to be there. “I thought it was at 3:30, not 3:00,” “there
was a subway accident,” I was just 30 seconds late,” etc., will not be
acceptable excuses. You must complete
all required excursions, regardless of circumstances. Students
may not leave the excursions early.
Failure to complete the
required number of excursions will result in a lowering of the grade. The student’s grade will be lowered half a
letter grade for each excursion he fails to make. That is, if he is required to make 8 visits
and makes 7, his grade will be lowered by 5%.
Missing two excursions will result in a 10% lowering—an entire letter
grade.
Attendance: You may miss 4 hours of class without your absences affecting your grade. For every half hour missed thereafter, your grade will be lowered 5%. Short of hospitalization, there are no excused absences.
Tardies: Accumulated minutes of tardiness can add up to an absence. Six tardies of five minutes each, for example, would add up to an absence of half an hour and cost the student half a letter grade.
Classroom behavior: You may not eat or drink in class. You must turn off your cell phone before entering. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, you will not be allowed to enter the class until the next break. If your behavior in class is in any way disruptive, you will be told to leave class, and your absence will be considered unexcused. You will also receive a rules violation warning, unless you have already received one, in which case you will be expelled from the program for having committed a second violation.
Excursions: You must go with the group; seeing the sight on your own will not satisfy the requirement. You must check out with the excursion leader before you may leave any site. When there is an excursion, do not make any other plans for that day until after the evening meal.
Grading: Our language school gives you grades from 1-10 in seven areas: grammar, vocabulary, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, oral expression, written expression, and pronunciation. Following is the scale:
9-10 A
8-8.99 B
7-7.99 C
6-6.99 D
Below 6 F
Therefore, if the average of your seven grades is 8.5, your grade would be a B. However, students MUST place at the appropriate level in order for this scale to apply to them. If a student receiving 2001/2002 credit places at the novice level, for example, he will not receive a B for grades in the 8-8.99 range but rather a C or D, depending on progress. Also, students are evaluated in two other areas: progress and participation. As a matter of course, instructors give the student a rating of “excelente” if his progress/participation is satisfactory. Therefore, if the student receives a rating of “bueno” (“good”) or “normal” for progress or participation, his grade may be lowered. While all students receive credit for two courses and therefore get two grades, the grades are treated as one, since there is no clear division between courses.
Unlike in American classrooms, instructors cannot give you an idea of what your grade is at any given point. Only when they sit down at the end of the four weeks and evaluate your overall performance can they arrive at a grade. Therefore, students will receive nothing more than a bewildered look if they ask, “What is my grade in the class so far?” The best thing a student can ask is, “Should I be doing anything differently?” or “Where do I need to improve?”
This scale is provided as an absolute so that students will understand why they receive a particular grade. However, rather than focusing on numbers and grades, students should concentrate on getting the full benefit of class and making the most of their study abroad experience. A student who makes the most of his experience in Barcelona by spending time with his host family, seeing sites of cultural interest that are not required, and participating with enthusiasm in his classes and excursions may receive mercy if his grades are borderline; a student who complains about excursions, classes, homework, etc., makes classes or excursions unpleasant for his classmates, and/or elects to spend the majority of his time at the beach can expect to receive the grade indicated above.
Note for students enrolled in 2201 & 2202: These catalog numbers were assigned years ago, when we were a two-year institution, but be aware that they are actually 3000-level classes, & you are expected to perform accordingly. Our language school has never been limited by our numbering system & will place you at the level for which you are prepared. If you have already had 3000-level courses at another institution, you should be prepared to be placed higher than students who have had only intermediate Spanish in spite of the fact that you will be registered for 2201 & 2202.