Spanish 3a, Fifth Period

Español 3a, Agosto, 2016

Syllabus and Classroom Policies.

Bienvenidos al curso de español, tercer nivel. Me alegro que hayan decidido continuar con sus estudios de español y espero con impaciencia empezar a trabajar juntos… Les pido que hablen solamente en español durante la clase. Señor Drake.

Texto:              (1) ¡Avancemos!                                  

McDougal Littell (will be provided to students)

                        (2) un cuaderno « three ringed binder » (please buy one)

(3) « Destinos » Spanish program from the Annenberg Center (provided to students.)                   

Descripción del curso :

            This is an intensive language course which builds on vocabulary, grammar and idiomatic expressions acquired in Spanish II. It is an elective course for students who choose to perfect their knowledge of Spanish and to become fluent speakers of the language. I am pleased that you have chosen a challenging course in order to improve your Spanish and will expect a high level of dedication from you.

            Over the course of the first trimester, we will review and strengthen our knowledge of the tenses, vocabulary and linguistic structures covered in Spanish II. We will learn new uses of the conditional and subjunctive modes in both present and past tenses. We will be doing extensive reading ,writing and speaking exercises, as well as some exploration of modern Spanish language literature. In the course of the year (Spanish 3a and Spanish 3b), I expect students to reach a solid level of comfort and proficiency in spoken and written Spanish. We will be reading some short stories in Spanish,  giving speeches, dialogues and memorizations of increasing length and complexity, and using the  « INTERWRITE » boards to access Spanish newspapers and podcasts in Spanish directly from the web.

            I expect students to make their best effort to speak only in Spanish during this class. There will be limited use of English for explanations of grammar and usage, but for the most part I expect ONLY SPANISH to be spoken. We will speak Spanish every day and devote at least one class period per week to oral exercises. Remember that learning a foreign language is like learning to play an instrument : the knowledge acquired will remain theoretical unless practiced on a daily basis.

1st 6-Week Marking Period

            We will review basic grammar and syntax from last year and familiarize ourselves with the imperfect tense and the present subjunctive. Reflexive verbs will become second nature to us. Both workbook exercises and weekly dialogue presentations will reinforce the basic grammar of Spanish II and facilitate reaching a uniform level in the class.

2^nd 6-Week Marking Period

            We will focus on uses of the preterito  and the imperfecto. Direct and indirect object pronouns will become common currency, and we will start reading texts in Spanish both from the Spanish international press and from our book. As we watch « Destinos », we will summarize the plot in class as we learn new vocabulary and structures.

Grading Percentages  (for each 6-week term of Trimester):

Class/oral participation                        25%

Quizzes                                               25%

Tests                                                    25%

Homework                                          25%

Trimester Grading Percentages

First 6-week term                                40%

Second 6-week term                           40%

Semester Exam                                   20%

In addition to an overall class particiaption grade, I reserve the right to give two « oral participation » grades per 6-week term which will count as tests. These grades will measure both your willingness to speak in class and your attentiveness to and engagement with your fellow students.

In accordance with current school policy, no eating or drinking (except bottled water) or gum chewing will be allowed in class. Cell phones may not be used during class unless with teacher’s permission for a class activity. A shoe bag is provided for cell phones in my class : all cell phones must be in a slot of the shoe bag during class, not in your pocket, your backpack or on your desk. If I see a cell phone during class which is not in the shoe bag, I will send it to the office and you will get it back through the established procedure.

I will be available after school in my room on Mondays through Thursday from 3 :30 to 4 :00 PM for extra help.

PARENTS : If you want to check on your student’s grade, you may do so by going on line : I update the grades each week. Feel free to e-mail me with any concerns. I find that this is more efficient than phone calling, which often turns in to phone tag. Please send me an initial e-mail so I can copy it into my address book. My e-mail address is : [email protected]

STUDENTS : We will read over this syllabus and policies together, and each student will sign a sheet acknowledging he/she has read and understands them. I will also post it on my teacher website page, which can be accessed through the new school website. I ask that each student please bring a box of kleenex to class the first week so that we are prepared for allergies and colds.. Muchas gracias por su generosidad !