SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY

DEPT. OF ENGLISH AND MODERN LANGUAGES

 

SPAN 307:  Latin American Culture & Civilization (3)

 

 

            Dr. Denis Jorge Berenschot

            Español 307-1, enero-mayo 2005

            Crédito: 3 horas

Sala de clase: KN-201

            Hora de clase: L 6:00 pm – 8:40 pm

            Oficina: Knutti 217 Teléfono 876-5346/240 285 0786

            Horas de oficina: LMF 11:00-12:00 y L 02:00-05:00 pm

            E-mail: dberensc@shepherd.edu

 

Description:  Based on current documentation (literature and film) of contemporary society in Latin America, the course strives to give students an understanding of these cultures from a political, historical, social, and literary perspective. Prerequisite: SPAN 301/302 or permission of the coordinator.

 

Goals: This course is based in part on the following National Standards for Foreign Language Learning: (Copyright ACTFL)

 
Standard 1.1    Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express

                        feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
Standard 1.2    Students understand and interpret spoken and written Spanish on a variety

of topics.

Standard 1.3    Students present information, concepts, and ideas in Spanish to an

                        audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
Standard 2.1    Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the

                        practices and the Perspectives of Hispanic cultures.
Standard 2.2    Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the

                        products and perspectives of Hispanic cultures.
Standard 3.2    Students acquire intonation and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that

                        are only available through the Spanish language and its cultures.
Standard 4.2    Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through

                        comparisons between Hispanic cultures and their own.


Education Major Standards

 

ACTFL: (5 level)                    A1a; A1b; A1c; A2a; A2b; A2c

 

PRAXIS II: (5 level)              P1.a; P1.b; P1.c; P1.d; P2.a; P2.b; P2.c; P3.a; P3.b; P4.a; P4.b

 

West Virginia S: (5 level)      WV1.a; WV1.b; WV1.c; WV2.a; WV2.b; WV2.c;  WV3; WV4; WV5

Technology: NA

COURSE OBJECTIVES


READING: The student will be expected to follow the main idea and supporting details of written discourse appropriate to the course content. Comprehension will be increasingly independent of subject matter knowledge.
LISTENING: The student will be expected to understand the main ideas and most supporting detail in extended discourse on topics appropriate to course content. Student begins to demonstrate an awareness of social, linguistic and cultural references that go beyond the literal meaning of the "spoken text."
WRITING: The student will be expected to meet most practical writing needs, i.e. narration and description of the past, present and future, particularly on topics appropriate to the course content. Students will demonstrate an emerging ability to write about abstract topics and defend a point of view. Writing is comprehensible to native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with foreigners.
SPEAKING: The student will be expected to narrate and describe in present, past and future and handle most communicative tasks in the classroom setting. Speech is comprehensible to native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with foreigners.
OTHER: The student will learn to take notes in Spanish.

 

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:


READING COMPREHENSION: The student will be able to read and comprehend literary and historical works in Spanish.
WRITING: The student will be able to write, in Spanish, an eight to ten page research paper, or several shorter papers about a cultural aspect using proper language, vocabulary and documentation (MLA).
SPEAKING: The student will be able to discuss the cultural essays he/she has read in Spanish, using appropriate terms and literary vocabulary.
LISTENING COMPREHENSION: The student will be able to understand lectures and discussions in Spanish based on the materials studied.
CULTURE: The student will understand the relationship between the cultural materials studied and Hispanic cultures.

 

Notas:             Your final grade in this course will be based on the following criteria:

 

                        30% Midterm and Final

                        30% written assignments (films, compositions)

                        30% Participation in class, conversation

                        10% Presentations

 

                        Grade scale:   90-100            A

80-89               B

70-79               C

65-69               D

Below 65         F  

 

 

Texto:             Sobre las culturas y civilizaciones latinoamericanas

Autor:             Merrell, Floyd

                       

 

Expectativas: Students will be expected to know and to demonstrate in Spanish how to do the following:

 

  • Appreciation of cultural and literary essays
  • Participation in class discussions and debates
  • Advanced essay writing on film shorts and class discussions
  • Understanding of Latin American socio-political history
  • Interact with others to provide and obtain information
  • Understanding rapid Spanish speech patterns
  • Distinguish Latin American regionalisms and slang
  • Act out social interactions
  • Have a good command of advanced grammar patterns
  • Culture and Civilization of Latin America in context
  • Understand current politics, religion, social relations
  • Cultural aspects of Latin America through literature and film
  • Understanding of specificities of U.S. Latin American Immigration
  • Participation in multilingual communities at home through direct use of the language
  • Demonstrate connections between their native language and Spanish and they will be able to compare their culture with the Spanish and Latin American cultures

 

 

Conducta:        The following are not allowed and will not be tolerated:

                                    Excessive talking

                                    Cell phones

                                    Chronic tardiness

                                    Smoking or chewing tobacco

                                    Academic dishonesty

 

Attendance:    Successful progress in a language course requires that students keep up with assigned material and attend class regularly. 

In Spanish 307 you are permitted two absences, excused or unexcused.  For each absence beyond two, two points will be deducted from the final grade point average.  You are expected to be punctual and three tardys (or early departures) count as one absence.  If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out specific assignments from fellow classmates and return prepared to class.