Important Instructions to Read Before You Begin the Course

SO LET'S GET STARTED!

A.  Communication:  As the session progresses, you may have questions for me. Please use E-mail first to voice your questions. If the answer is information that the class as a whole could use, I will post the information in the News Forum and notify you and the class that it is available. It will remain listed here as a reference throughout the session.

B.  Check-in assignments:

            1. Getting to know each other - Who you are (Intro discussion board)

            2. Check-in Quiz (To check your understanding of the course requirements. Please read the syllabus before you take the quiz.)

C.  The textbook we will be using for this course is an open source textbook called Libro Libre. 

D. Each Session will consist of the following assignments:

THREADED DISCUSSION 

During each Chapter you will be involved in a Threaded Discussion that is found on this class page. There are two steps and two due dates for this assignment.  See the Instructions for Threaded Discussions document above the Threaded Discussions on the main course page.  Each week's Threaded Discussions are worth 20 points.

LIBRO LIBRE CHAPTER

You will be studying five total chapters in this course. You will find them in their corresponding chapter sections on the course page. Each chapter includes all of the vocabulary and grammar that you will be responsible for learning. You should complete the activities in each chapter on your own, either on paper or digitally if you prefer. This will help you become familiar with the topics you will be tested on. There are audio segments provided throughout each chapter. Please click on each one and practice repeating the words to help you improve your pronunciation. You will find an answer key for the activities in the additional supplemental resources in each TFC chapter section in order to check your work as you go.

If you find yourself struggling with pronunciation, the vocabulary or the grammar, or just need extra practice, each chapter has additional supplemental resources with videos/links to help.     

SPEAKING/WRITING

There are two assignments you will be responsible for completing before the chapter is over, a writing assignment and a speaking/pronunciation assignment. Each one consists of vocabulary and grammar structures that are covered in that chapter. I suggest doing these assignments after completing the Libro Libre activities. They are worth 15 points each. These will help you dominate the vocabulary and grammar and prepare for the midterm and final writing and speaking assessments. 

This course will be using a video instructional series in Spanish that was designed for college and high school classrooms called Destinos. This series immerses students in everyday situations with native speakers while also introducing the cultures, accents, and dialects of Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Puerto Rico. This telenovela, or Spanish soap opera, teaches speaking, listening, and comprehension skill sin Spanish. For each chapter, students will be responsible for watching an episode of Destinos and then completing a listening comprehension quiz on the events of that episode.  They are worth 15 points each.

Each chapter has a learning check that covers the topics in the textbook. This should be done after completing the Libro Libre chapter activities and as a practice for the chapter exam. There is no time limit and unlimited attempts are available. Use this as a "pre-test" to see if you are sufficiently prepared for the chapter exam. Use of online translators, or receiving/giving help of ANY kind is strictly forbidden and will be considered plagiarism with the possible consequence of failing the course.  They are worth 15 points each.

Each chapter exam is worth 35 points and may be attempted two times. Each attempt is timed at 90 min.  

MID TERM AND FINAL EXAM:

There will be a midterm review to help you prepare for the midterm. which can give you up to 2 points of extra credit.  

The midterm exam and the final are both worth 100 points, timed at three hours, and may be taken two times. Your best attempt appears in your grade book. 

There is a Writing/Speaking Assessment for both the Mid Term and Final, each worth 100 points.  

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY

The Extra Credit is given as listed in the SPN 113 Extra Credit document on the TFC class pages and is due by the last day of class.