In this course the students will learn to speak, read, and write in Spanish, to use more complicated grammatical concepts and to enhance their knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world.

Though the emphasis will be more on the Spanish spoken in Spain, I'll make frequent references to the variety of accents, vocabulary, grammar and cultures throughout Latin America. I may stress more aspects of Argentina, Spain and Venezuela, only for the reason that those are the Spanish speaking countries that I am most familiar with. I urge students who have exposure to other countries to share their knowledge and experience!

The class will be conducted in Spanish, with only occasional clarifications in English. Students are expected to participate in Spanish, both communicating to the teacher and to fellow students in the "target language." Students are also expected to be very assertive in clarifying what they don't understand; indeed, as if they were actually in a completely Spanish speaking setting. Students are welcome to meet with me outside of class for clarification in English.

We will be using the textbook DE VIAJE and its accompanying workbooks, video and compact disks. The book will serve as a "skeleton of linguistic objectives," and all supplementary materials should serve to reinforce the material presented in the book, as well as prepare the student for the demands of the next year's offered courses.

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Grading Policies:

Grading is done on a point system, then weighted. The weighing is as follows:

chapter tests								25%
weekly quizzes								20%
daily homework,								5%
speaking only Spanish during class time								10%
compositions/ graded homework								10%
cultural projects, lab work								15%
final exam								15%

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Chapter Tests: will be announced at least one week in advance with an accompanying review sheet. There will be a listening section, an oral
section, as well as a written section on each chapter test.

Weekly quizzes: are announced and unannounced and are on Fridays. To be well prepared for these quizzes, it is very important to keep up with the daily homework. Each quarter, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

Retakes of tests/ quizzes: For a student who gets below a 70% on a test/quiz, he/she MAY take the test over again, but the highest grade obtainable will be a 80%. A student must make arrangements to retake the quiz/ test within TWO days of receiving an unsatisfactory grade.

Homework: will be assigned each class, and will be collected with or without warning, or simply corrected in class. WRITE NEATLY and be prepared to have your work collected and graded!!!! All homework presented after I have asked for it will receive 1/2 credit.

Absences: A student who is absent and does not see me about making
up corresponding homework/quizzes/ tests within TWO days of his/her return will automatically receive zeros for those corresponding days. All makeup homework due to absence must be accompanied by a note from a parent to receive full credit. Due to unexcused absence, a student will not be permitted to make up a quiz/ test for the day of absence, and the student will receive azero. When sick, call the Student Life Office to request the assignment or get a reliable classmate to pick up the daily assignment for you.

REMEMBER: When you are absent for any reason, it is solely YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed. You must come to me or check with a couple of classmates. Saying either "My friend gave me the wrong assignment" or "I was sick, and I didn't know we had a quiz, so I never came by to make it up," will not be acceptable! I will not chase you down to inform you of what you've missed!

Class Materials: To each class you are expected to bring your textbook, notebook, pens/pencils, and your homework. For homework, you must also have access to a Spanish/English dictionary. ( The American Heritage Larousse Spanish Dictionary is excellent.), and it is STRONGLY suggested that you have a copy of 501 Spanish Verbs at home for your reference. If you wonder if you might switch levels or drop the class, DON'T WRITE IN YOUR BOOKS!

Eating/Drinking/Bathroom use in class: Please eat/ drink and use the bathroom outside of class time.

Weekly progress reports: Every Friday afternoon I assess each student's progress over the week. I regularly send notes home to parents if I notice that a student 1) has failed to complete requirements of the course 2) is showing signs of problems on quizzes/ tests 3) is showing other signs that merit some attention. 4) has done extraordinary work that merits special recognition.

Students with learning differences: If you have an approved need for "accomodations," you MUST see me before quizzes/tests to arrange a convenient time to be tested. No student will be permitted to take extra time when the time runs into his/her next class.

Help outside of class: Remember ­ I am always available to give extra
help, and you should seek me out first before going to other sources. (Be bold ­ be a nag!) However, if in the rare case of scheduling conflicts or special needs and you need to get yourself a tutor, YOU NEED TO HAVE THE TUTOR SPEAK TO ME PERSONALLY. This allows the tutor serve your needs best. (More information on this will go home to families later.)

Office Hours: You can often find me in my room or the language lab
during my free periods which are posted outside my door. If our
free periods do not coincide, see me to make an appointment for
before or after school or during lunch time.