SPN 206: Spanish in the Media (3)

SPRING 2009

Instructor: E. Irvin

Office hours (LH 205): T 11:30 – 1:30 and W 11-1 p.m., or by appointment

*Phone/Email: 962-7664 / irvine@uncw.edu

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Prerequisite or corequisite: SPN 202 or placement by testing.  Emphasis on

development of auditory comprehension skills through intense exposure to

authentic video and audio materials.

 

**NOTE:  This course is not intended for native or heritage speakers of Spanish.**

 

REQUIRED MATERIALS

·     Breaking Out of Beginners Spanish, Joseph J. Keenan

·     Material on course Blackboard page

·      Access to Univisión network (Time-Warner cannel 3, Directv Channel 402 and 403)

 

 RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

·        A good Spanish-English dictionary (I recommend Larousse)

·        Watch as much Spanish-language TV/movies outside of class. 

 

COURSE OBJECTIVE

This course is designed to increase your comprehension of natively spoken Spanish.  Each day in class you will view authentic media in Spanish:  Mexican telenovelas, movies, and television programs.  You will be provided essential vocabulary and cultural notes, along with the occasional grammar lesson, to assist you in comprehending the material.

 

A WORD ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE VIDEOS

Be aware that some of the video we watch contains adult situations, sexual content, nudity and strong language.  I will not edit the video or vocabulary lists to exclude such material because it is a part of your language learning experience.  All students in this course are required to read and sign the Course Contract in order to continue in the class.  See the Blackboard course page to print this document.

 

HOW THE COURSE WORKS

Each class will be dedicated to watching authentic video in Spanish without subtitles.  When time allows we will have some discussion in class, but for the most part we will use class time to maximize the exposure you get to Spanish.  We will begin with at least one Mexican telenovela and then move on to movies and different types of television programs.  As the semester progresses, you will notice that paying attention to action, gestures, tone of voice, etc. will not help you as much due to the nature of the program.  This means you have to learn to listen.

 

You probably will not understand much at first, but with dedicated study of the vocabulary, focus and attention on the videos, and active participation in class discussions, you will find that your understanding will improve noticeably.  I will make available a list of essential vocabulary and an avance of each day’s material, comprised of still shots from the video with captions that summarize the scene.  I will highlight about 10 words per vocabulary list that you are expected to learn; you will be quizzed frequently on these words and all quizzes are cumulative.  Eventually I will stop providing these materials to you, so it is essential that you learn as much vocabulary as possible and learn to pay attention to the dialogue rather than actions and expressions. 

 

I will also provide you with links to program/movie websites when available.  The telenovela sites usually have weekly summaries, which may assist in your comprehension since we will be watching edited versions of these programs and the summaries can help fill in the gaps, especially when characters seem to appear out of nowhere.

 

Before class you should study the avance, learn the vocabulary, and read any cultural notes so that you know what to expect when you watch the video.  You might even want to print the avances so you can use them in class to follow along.  During class we will watch the video.  I will begin the video promptly at 3:30, so it is imperative that you arrive in time to be counted present and not disturb the class.

 

Each week there will be a discussion on the course Blackboard page that will be available to you from 4:45 each Tuesday until 5:00 p.m. each Friday. This is a forum for you to discuss the week’s material (video, vocabulary, readings).  The discussion is intended to give you the opportunity to ask questions or make comments about what you watch in class as well as assignments outside of class.  Each student is expected to contribute to each weekly discussion by making a minimum of four thoughtful posts.  A thoughtful post is one that contributes to the class’ understanding of the material or poses a genuine question you have about the material.  In order to receive credit for the day’s discussion you must post a minimum of two thoughtful comments per class that both demonstrate your level of comprehension and help create a general understanding of the material.  This means that while you may make comments like “What’s with Diego’s mask fetish?”, “They talk way too fast for me”, “I don’t understand”, “I missed class.  What happened?”, or “I like the other movie better”, such statements are not thoughtful and do not contribute toward an understanding of the material.  You will not receive credit for such posts so make them all you want after making the required posts.  All posts must be made in Spanish.  No credit will be given for incomprehensible posts so take the time to formulate your thoughts in Spanish using correct vocabulary and grammar.  Students must follow the Discussion rules posted on the Blackboard course page (See “Cómo aprobar el curso”).  Make sure your comments are based on what people in the videos say, not what they do.  The point of these discussions is for you to help each other understand and give you an outlet to talk about what you are watching. 

 

You will also read sections of Breaking Out of Beginner’s Spanish throughout the semester and asked to comment on what you read in some of the discussions.  This is one of the most useful Spanish books you will ever own, so do the readings and take them seriously!

 

You will also be required to watch some video outside of class, which may be programs on Univisión, online, or on reserve in the FLRC.  When Univisión programs are assigned make sure you either make time to watch the program when it is aired or arrange to record it so you can watch it later. 

 

Remember also that the point of this course is not to entertain you, but to help improve your comprehension of natively spoken Spanish.  It is up to you to take advantage of the resources available to you.  The more you do, the more your comprehension will improve.                

 

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS COURSE

Understand that this is not an easy course.  Most of you probably have not had much exposure the natively spoken Spanish the way you will in this course, and it will take some time for you to adjust.  The speakers in the videos do not slow down their speech for you, nor do they take the care to use only words you know.  It is up to you how much you get out of this course.

 

You can increase your comprehension more quickly if you expose yourself to natively spoken Spanish as much as possible outside of class, and learn as much vocabulary as possible beyond the required words on which you will be quizzed.

 

Use the discussions to help you understand the videos we watch as part of the course as well as the vocabulary you are studying.  If you do not fully understand how some of the words are used, ask.  If you use some of the vocabulary in your posts you will learn and understand it better.  The discussions are not meant as busy work, they are to help you understand and give you more opportunities to ask questions than you will have time to do in class.

 

Learn as much vocabulary as you can beyond what is required.  This is the most important factor since the more words you know the more you will understand.  Use the vocabulary in the discussions to help you learn it better.

 

ATTENDANCE

You are allowed two absences, no matter what the reason for missing class.  You will lose five points from your final average for each absence over two, regardless of the reason for any of your absences.  You will automatically fail the course if you have more than eight absences.  Missing more than 10 minutes at any point during class constitutes an absence.  Arrive to class on time to avoid disturbing those trying to watch the video.  Keep in mind that you have to be in class order to watch the video and you have to watch the video in order to participate in class discussions and take quizzes, therefore every absence counts, regardless of the reason.  Absences cannot be made up.    

 

GRADING

  Grade scale

A   93-100

B   83-86

C   73-76

D  63-66

A-  90-92

B-  80-82

C-  70-72                    

D- 60-62

B+ 87-89

C+ 77-79

D+ 67-69

F    0-59

 

Grade distribution: 

·      Homework (35%):  Includes full participation in all discussions, out of class viewing assignments, and readings.  See above for discussion guidelines.  Discussions cannot be made up since your posts have to reflect what you heard in that week’s class.                    

·     Quizzes (35%): You will have frequent unannounced quizzes throughout the semester to test your comprehension and knowledge of vocabulary. Quizzes cannot be made up since they test you on that day’s material.

·     Final exam (30%):  For your final exam I will provide a vocabulary list for the video we will watch during the final exam period.  This list will include only words/phrases that have not appeared on previous lists; therefore it is in your best interest to learn as much vocabulary as possible as we go along.  You will be required to answer questions that demonstrate your level of comprehension of the video.  Note that your responses must be based on what people in the video say, not what they do.  The final exam must be taken at the time designated by the University so make your plans accordingly. The exam for this class is Tuesday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m.  The exam will last approximately one hour; students who arrive after that time will not be permitted to take it.

 

*COMMUNICATION WITH INSTRUCTOR

The best way to contact me is to come to my office during my office hours.  You do not need an appointment to come during that time.  Please keep in mind that sending an email or leaving a phone message does not guarantee an immediate response nor does it mean that I will receive your message in time to reply before the next class.  If you cannot come during my office hours then make an appointment to come at a different time.  If you do leave a phone message, please include a local number where you can be reached.

 

ETIQUETTE AND OTHER COMMON SENSE POLICIES

·        Students in this course are expected to conduct themselves as independent, professional, courteous adults. Disruptive behavior and disrespect toward fellow students or the instructor will not be tolerated. Disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to, working on anything other than the present class material, monopolizing class time or instructors attention, reading the newspaper, eating or drinking, checking messages on your cell phone (see below), and any disruptive conversation during the video..

 

·        Cell phones, pagers, mp3 players and other electronic devices are not permitted in the classroom for any reason.  If I hear or even see one, you will be counted absent and receive a zero for all of the days material, no discussion.  Laptops are permitted only for viewing the avances and vocabulary lists.  Any other use of a laptop during class will result in an absence and complete ban of laptop use.  I will confiscate any items that present a nuisance to the class.

 

·        It is disrespectful, disruptive and counterproductive to arrive late to class, leave early, or leave the room during class, especially in this course since it is disturbing and distracting to other students who need to focus all their attention on the video. Take care of non class-related business before or after class.

 

·        Food, beverages and tobacco products are prohibited in UNCW classrooms.

 

·        Be quiet during the videos.  Noise unrelated to the videos interferes with students’ ability to hear what is going on.  Students who engage in disruptive conversation or activities will be asked to leave and will be counted absent for the day.

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY - Students in this course are expected to abide by the Academic Honor Code. Please read the Student Handbook and Code of Student Life for information (http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/doso/code/index.html).

 

DISABILITY SERVICES – Students with disabilities must notify the instructor within the first week of class if special accommodations are required. Visit Disability Services in Westside Hall or their website (http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/disability/index.htm) for information.

 

UNIVERSITY LEARNING SERVICES – If you need extra help University Learning Services can help you find a tutor (http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/uls/).

 

CAMPUS SAFETY - UNCW practices a zero-tolerance policy for violence and harassment of any kind. For emergencies contact UNCW CARE at 962-2273, Campus Police at 962-3184, or Wilmington Police at 911. For University or community resources visit http://uncw.edu/wrc/crisis.htm.