Spanish 345 Advanced Grammar Studies

 

Instructor:       Gustavo Fares

Office:  Main Hall 321  Phone: 6691 E-mail:     faresg@lawrence.edu

** NO LAPTOS / Tablets IN CLASS **

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Real Academia Española y Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española.

Nueva gramática básica de la lengua española. Barcelona: Espasa, 2011. –

See more at: http://www.rae.es/obras-academicas/gramatica/nueva-gramatica-basica#sthash.rkuzQwsV.dpuf

Spanish Grammar in Review (3rd Edition) (Paperback) by Holton, James S., Roger L. Hadlich, and Norma Gómez-Estrada . New York: Pearson, 2000.

 RECOMMENDED TEXTS:

Real Academia Española. Nueva gramática de la lengua española. Manual. Madrid: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Lengua Española. Espasa Libros, 2011.

Butt, John and Carmen Benjamin. A New reference Grammar of Modern Spanish.  London: E. Arnold, 1988 (at the Library and at the CTL)

Emily Spinelli, English Grammar for Students of Spanish:  The Study Guide for Those Learning Spanish.  4th edition.  The Olivia & Hill Press, 1998.

Florey, Kitty Burns. Sister Bernadette’s barking dog: the quirky and lost art of diagramming sentences. New Jersey: Melville, 2006.

Whitley, Stanley. Spanish/English Contrasts. A Course in Spanish Linguistics. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown UP, 1986.

COURSE Goals and Objectives

  • To review basic Spanish grammar skills such as verb tenses, paying special attention to the subjunctive mood, the imperfect vs. preterit, “por” and “para” and other so-called complex structures.
  • To enhance students’ ability to speak in Spanish by having them prepare formal oral presentations about specific grammar rules.
  • To relate grammar rules to the culture of the countries in which Spanish is spoken, that is, Latin America and Spain.  For this reason, there will be a total of 5 cultural chapters included in the course.

DEPARTMENTAL POLICY ON ATTENDANCE: 

  • Attendance: A maximum of three unexcused absences are allowed for this class.
    • After this limit is reached, there will be a deduction of 10% (per additional absence) taken from the student’s final participation grade.
    • In addition to this standard grade penalty, any absence or lack of punctuality will also impact a student’s participation score.

 EXPECTATIONS FOR CLASS PREPARATION AND HOMEWORK:

Students should familiarize themselves with all terms, descriptions, concepts, and the like of a reading selection.  The instructor is a strong believer that an excellent class includes the combination of an enthusiastic and informed teacher and student interaction.

 The class will work as a flipped class.

You will be responsible for studying the Nueva gramática básica de la lengua Española and for practicing the material ahead of time by doing the Spanish Grammar in Review assignments.

In class we will practice more and answer questions about what you studied and practiced.

 GRADE POLICY. Students will be evaluated on their successful completion of the following:

  • Participation and Class work     15%
  • Oral presentation                      10%
  • 3 tests (there will be no make-ups, unless you contact the instructor in advance and discuss your reasons for requesting one) 75 % (25% each)

 GRADE DISTRIBUTION:

A         100-93                                                  C+        79-78

A-        92-90                                                    C          77-73

B+        89-88                                                    C-        72-70

B          87-83                                                    D+       69-68

B-        82-80                                                    D         67-63

D-        62-60

F          59 and Below