Course description Spanish 051 is a course designed to provide a communicative learning experience that works to expand students' ability to interact with others successfully in Spanish. To achieve this goal we will devote approximately half of our time to grammar and vocabulary review. The other half we will concentrate on activities geared toward helping students develop the use of Spanish in their own lives both inside and outside the classroom through the development of successful reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension skills. Students should have a prior knowledge of these verb tenses: preterite, imperfect, subjunctive (present and past), present perfect, present pluperfect, conditional, commands, and future. The University of Vermont respects the Department of Education's definition of a credit hour: for every hour spent in a classroom, a student is expected to complete approximately 2 hours of coursework outside of it. Thus, in SPAN 051, a 3-credit course, a student should expect to work at least 6 hours a week outside of the classroom. Course objectives Upon completion of Span 051, student: ? will express personal opinions and ideas in spoken Spanish ? will write short essays expressing and explaining a point of view ? will summarize the main topics or themes of short texts/videos in Spanish ? will develop greater cultural awareness of Spanish speaking countries/communities ? will increase mastery of Spanish grammar structures

Expectations for this class: Class participation, absences, and late arrivals a. Participation (15%) In the SPAN 051 classroom, active and constructive class participation is a requirement. Speaking a foreign language with proficiency is an acquired skill that entails consistent practice and self-discipline. In this class, active participation includes volunteering answers, answering questions accurately; staying on task in pair and group work, and respecting the classroom environment rules (see VI below). b. Absences Since the emphasis of class is communicative proficiency, particularly speaking and listening comprehension, most of the class time will be spent using the language not talking about it, therefore, class attendance is a requirement. This course is 18 DAYS! YOU CANNOT be absent. If you are absent without a doctor?s note your grade will decrease your overall grade by a plus or minus (for example B will drop to a B-). Please make sure to notify your instructor ahead of time in the event of an excused absence (e.g., medical reasons). c. Late arrivals Three (3) late arrivals equal one absence in this course. Course Materials: Texto: IMAGINA espa?ol sin barreras, 2nd Edition. Blanco * Tocaimaza-Hatch Spanish/English Dictionary

Grades will be based on class attendance, daily assignments, readings, class participation, exams, quizes, and final project. (Please see syllabus on Blackboard)