WorldLanguagesCenter

11Belvidere6173733131
www.northeastern.edu/wlc
SPNS 2102 Spanish Conversation and Composition II
Course Syllabus
Phone:6173734445
Email:c.sokol@neu.edu

Professor: Claudia I Sokol

Office: 11 Belvidere
OfficeHours:T11:30A1Pandby
appointment.
Text:Imagina. Espaol sin barreras. Second Edition.
Jos A. Blanco. C. Cecilia Tocaimaza-Hatch
Vista Higher Learning. 2010.
Packet includes a student activities manual and a pass code for the supersite.

Supersite: http://imagina.vhlcentral.com You will have to register online with the pass code from the textbook.
If you purchase a used book, go to vhldirect.com to buy the instant access code and the activities
manual.
CourseDescription: SPNS2102continuesSPNS2101;itoffersfurtheracquisitionofallmajorskillsinSpanish
languageandincreasedreadingofliteraryandpopulartexts.ConductedinSpanish.
CourseObjectivesandGoals: Objectives include attaining a high intermediate level of oral proficiency and
focuses on perfecting your ability to communicate in Spanish by helping you to master several important
language functions. The course recycles functions covered in SPNS2101 reviews making comparisons,
and explores more thoroughly making hypothesis about the past, expressing what has or had happened,
reacting to past events and situations, and hypothesizing about the future. These functions will allow
you to converse creatively and handle everyday topics and social situations.
Grade Calculation:
GradingElement
Oral Communication Skills-Class Participation (preparedness,
frequency of speaking, accuracy in speech & attendance)
Homework & Supersite Online Activities
Written Work
Quizzes
Final Exam
Oral Activities
Letter equivalent for numerical grades:
A
4.00 (94-100) B
3.00 (84-86)
A3.67 (90-93) B2.67 (80-83)
B+
3.33 (87-89) C+
2.33 (77-79)

C
CD+

2.00 (74-76)
1.67 (70-73)
1.33 (67-69)

PercentofFinalGrade
20%
15%
10%
25%
20%
10%
D
DF

1.00 (64-66)
.67 (60-63)
.00 (below 60)

WorldLanguagesCenter
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www.northeastern.edu/wlc

Attendance: The development of competence in a language requires regular and structured interaction
opportunities.Becausethedepartmenttakesattendanceinlanguageclassesseriously,eachmissedclass
will have specific consequences and will have a negative impact on your final grade. Thus your
attendanceinthisclassisamatterofgreatsignificance.Beawarethatbecausethenumberofstudentsin
thisclassislimited,yourabsence(andpresence)willbenoted.Beawarethatyouaregradedonyour
participation in class, not simply your attendance. Regular and enthusiastic participation and
involvementintheclassisexpected.Nomorethantwo(2)unexcusedabsencesarepermittedafter
whicheachabsenceresultsinpointsdeductedfromthefinalpointaverageusedtodetermineyourfinal
lettergrade.Classesmissedasaresultofregisteringlateforaclasswillcountasunexcusedabsences;if
youhavebeenmisplacedinalanguageclass,pleaseconsultthedepartmentimmediately.
Pleasenotethattardinessorleavingearlyfromclasswillbeincludedinthecalculationofabsences.
Absences
3
4
5
6
7

Consequences
3pointsdeducted
5pointsdeducted(total8pointsdeducted)
8pointsdeducted(total16pointsdeducted)
11pointsdeducted(total27pointsdeducted)
Automaticfailureinthecourse

Studentsareresponsibleforprovidingthenecessarydocumentationtoexcuseanabsence.
LetterGrade:TheonlycreditbearinglettergradebelowaCthatwillbegivenforthiscourseisF.Under
specialcircumstancesyoumayreceiveanI;however,youmustobtainwrittenpermissionfromyour
Professorandfromthe Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures ChairtoreceiveanI.The
gradeofImustbeconvertedtoalettergradebeforeyouwillbeallowedtostartthenextlanguage
classinsequence.
Pass/Fail Grade: If you are taking this course to fulfill a University or College requirement it may not be taken
for a Pass/Fail grade. As specified in the University catalog you must obtain a grade of C or higher
in order for the course to satisfy the University language requirements. If this course is a requirement
of your program or major, you must consult your program advisor to determine whether you may take this
course Pass/Fail. If you are allowed to and you do wish to take this course for a Pass/Fail grade, you must
obtain written permission from your Professor and from the Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Department Chair no later than Monday, January 26, 2015.
Enrollment in this course: In order to receive a grade for this course, your name must be on the Registrars
roster as of February 2, 2015. If your name is not on the official roster, you may not sit in on this course
and you will not receive a grade for this course. You may not sit in on this class if your name is not on
the roster; you may not audit this class. You may not stay in the class if your name is not on the
roster as of February 2, 2015.

WorldLanguagesCenter
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Level of proficiency: Because of the interactive nature of language classes, the chemistry on a class is extremely
important. Each language course is predicated upon the reality that students will have a relatively similar
level of proficiency. Therefore, if it is determined that you have a level of proficient greater than the level
of proficiency of this course (by placement test, placement interview or your instructors determination at
any point in the course) you will not receive a letter grade for the course. If you elect to remain in the
course you will only receive a pass/fail grade, which will have no impact on your GPA.
Withdrawal from this course: The last date to drop a course without a W is February 2; the last date to drop
a course with a W is April 6. Please be advised that a grade of NE does not automatically mean that you
will not be charged for the course. You must contact the Customer Service office to ensure you will not be
charged for a course for which you have received a grade of NE.
Priorlanguageexperience:Studentswhohavemorethan1yearexperienceinthislanguage(eitherthrough
formalsourcesorfamilybackground)shouldhavetakenanassessmenttestorhavehadaninterview
with the instructor to determine that this course is appropriate placement for someone with your
background.Ifitisdeterminedthatyouhavenothadanassessmentanddonotbelonginthiscourse,
youwillbeaskedtoleave.IfyoudodecidetoremainintheclassyouwillonlyreceiveaPass/Fail
gradeforthecourse.Ifyoudonotreceivealettergradeforthiscourse,itcannotsatisfythelanguage
requirement(seetheundergraduateCatalogwhichstatesthatstudentsmustreceiveagradeofCof
betterinordertofulfillthelanguagerequirement).
Onlinetest:Gotothesite:http://webcape.byuhtrsc.org/nwcregister.php?acct=neuandusethepasswordis:
huskies1.
AcademicIntegrity:Forallwrittenandoralassignments,youareexpectedtoproperlycitethesourceofideas
orinformationyouusethatarenotyourown.Thisincludesmaterialusedfromprintedsourcesandfrom
websites.Failuretodosomaybeconsideredplagiarismandmayresultinthematterbeingreferredto
thedepartmentforresolution.Ifyouusethewordsofanotherperson,thosewordsmustbeenclosedin
quotationmarksandaproperreferencetothesourcemustbemade.Failuretodothisisplagiarism.
Wheneveryouareusingsomeelsesideas(butnottheirprecisewords),youshouldindicatethisthrough
afootnoteorreferenceofsomekind.Again,failuretodothisisplagiarism.
NortheasternUniversityiscommittedtotheprinciplesofintellectualhonestyandintegrity.All
membersoftheNortheasternUniversitycommunityareexpectedtomaintaincompletehonesty
inallacademicwork,presentingonlythatwhichistheirownintestsandassignments.Ifyou
haveanyquestionsregardingproperattributionoftheworkofothers,contactyourprofessor
priortosubmittingtheworkforevaluation.
Courseevaluations: TheWorldLanguages Center iscommitted toprovidingthemosteffective language
instruction that will help you gain the level of fluency you desire. To assist in monitoring the
effectivenessofourinstruction,youareaskedtocompletetheTRACEcourseevaluationattheendof
thiscourse.Inaddition,youmayalsobeaskedtocompleteanonlinemidcourseevaluation.Mid
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WorldLanguagesCenter
11Belvidere6173733131
www.northeastern.edu/wlc
courseevaluationsaredesignedtomakeanynecessaryimprovementsduringthesecondhalfofthe
coursetoenhanceandimproveyourlearningexperience.Weaskyoutoassistusinimprovingyour
languagelearningbycompletingtheTRACEevaluationand,ifasked,themidcourseevaluation.
Oral Communication/Preparedness and Participation: Students are expected to prepare for the class and
participate actively in class. You are also expected to speak in Spanish throughout the duration of this
class, especially during classroom exercises and vocabulary presentation. Note that you will be
penalized for unnecessary use of English during the class. However, it is ok to speak and ask questions
in English to ask for grammatical explanations. If you have finished the assigned task in class please
avoid chatting in English.
Students must:
- have a positive and good attitude
- be well-prepared for the class and bring the required materials to class
- use new vocabulary and regularly recycle vocabulary from previous chapters
- accurately use grammar to express new and recycled communicative objectives or functions
- show progress in phonetic accuracy and in the use of communicative skills
- make positive contributions to the class by volunteering to answer and to ask questions
- always use Spanish in the classroom when we are speaking in Spanish
Students are graded for class participation by the following criteria:
A = maximum effort and outstanding performance C = average effort and performance
B = good effort and performance
D = minimum effort and performance
ASSIGNMENTS:
Homework: ThesearemostlyfromtheTextbookandwillbeassignedeachclass;theyarealwaysduenext
classmeeting. Althoughonlysomewillbecollectedalwaysdothemonaseparatepieceofpaper,
remembertowriteyournameandtheduedate.
Essays: Thesewillbeassignedandexplainedinclass. Thesemustbetyped,theheadingissinglespaced
(name,class,duedate),centertitle,andthebodyoftheessayisdoublespaced.Theextensionwillbe
fromaparagraph(page)to1orupto1page. Ifthereisneedtomodifythisformattowritea
specifictypeofdocumentyouwillbegivendetaileddescriptionofthenewformatinclass.
Study: Vocabulary: Students are expected to study and learn vocabulary for each chapter in progress, the
grammar points and the meaning and form of verbs. Students are expected to come prepared to class.
Class time is dedicated to reinforce and correct the use of language structures and not on grammatical
lectures. The most effective way to study is to focus on the specific communicative skill or function
being learned. You study to gain the necessary tools to learn how to express something clearly,
concisely and appropriately within a social context.
Late work and Make up Policy: Students must provide a valid written excuse before making up any quiz or
turning late workbooks, lab manuals, written assignments and homework. Exam may be made up for
medical reasons only.
Extra Credit: It does not exist. The course has a demanding workload and students will not be given any
additional work. Make sure you seek help in a timely fashion during office hours or contact a tutor.
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WorldLanguagesCenter
11Belvidere6173733131
www.northeastern.edu/wlc

Tutors: ThePeerTutoringProgramofficeislocatedat101LakeHall.ItisopenMondaythroughFriday
from9:00am6:00pm.Appointmentsmayberequestedbyeitherdroppingbytheofficeorbyfilling
outtheonlinesignupformviaourwebsitewww.northeastern.edu/csastutoring.Tutoringrequestsare
processedwithin24hoursduringbusinessdaysandconfirmedinperson,phoneorbyemail. Please
notethatthetutoringservicesbeginthesecondweekofclassesandendthelastdayofclasses.
Conduct in the classroom: Proper conduct in class denotes respect for your instructor, your classmates, and
yourself, and will therefore be expected at all times. This includes engaging in any behavior or activity
that does not contribute to the class environment among these are text messaging, using laptops to chat,
check e-mails, etc. and keeping your cell phones on during class. The instructor reserves the right to
remove from class any person whose behavior and/or attitude are in any way disruptive or otherwise
negative.
Tips for using the Supersite
1. Start working on it when it is assigned; dont wait until the night it is due. You have access to the
activities until 11:59 pm on the night they are due.
2. Study and review before trying to do the activities.
3. Read the directions and the items in each activity before listening to the tracks or viewing the video clip.
Listen closely to the pronunciation.
4. Listen to the tracks or view the video clip as many times as may be needed.
5. Check your answers with care. Pay attention to punctuation and accents. The Supersite is letter case and
punctuation sensitive. You are not expected to understand every word you hear on the tracks. All you
need to be able to do is to comprehend enough information to complete the activities.
6. Learn from your mistakes. Look at the accuracy feedback and look at the reason for incorrect answers.
7. Take notes of errors which the accuracy feedback has shown to you and you do not understand and ask
your instructor or tutor questions to clarify them to you.
8. Whenreviewingorstudyingforexams,payspecific attention tothenotesyoumadeandwhatthe
accuracyfeedbackhasshownyouinordertoavoidthesemistakes.
9. UsethetutorialsandotheraidsavailableontheSupersite.
10. Doadditionalactivitiesforpracticeeveniftheywerenotassigned.

Weekof:
Mon. 1/12
Wed. 1/14

ProjectedCourseOutline
Topic
CommunicativeObjective
Talkaboutthefamilyandlife
Leccin4:Generacionesen
Talkingabouttheuncertain
movimiento
Thesubjunctiveinnoun&
adjectiveclauses
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WorldLanguagesCenter
11Belvidere6173733131
www.northeastern.edu/wlc
Mon. 1/19: Martin Luther
King : no class
Wed. 1/21
Mon. 1/26
Wed. 1/28
Mon. 2/2
Wed. 2/4

Thesubjunctiveinnoun&
adjectiveclausescont.
Thereflexiveverbs
PorandPara
Thereflexiveverbscont.
PorandParacont.

Talkingaboutthedailyroutineandhygiene
Expressingemotionalchangeandchangeof
attitude

Leccin6:Elvalordelasideas
Thesubjunctiveinadverbial
clauses

Talkingaboutpersonalandpoliticalideas
Talkingaboutwhathappensgivencertain
circumstances
Talkingaboutwhatmaybedependingon
certaincircumstances
Expressingpastopinions,emotional
reactions,influence,recommendations,
doubtsandhopes
Comparingpeopleandthings.

Quiz#1

Mon. 2/9
Wed. 2/11

Thepastsubjunctive

Mon. 2/16: Presidents Day:

no class
Wed. 2/18

Comparisons&Superlatives
Adverbscont.

Mon.2/23
Firstdaytoregisterfor
summerclasses
Wed. 2/25

Diminutives&Augmentatives

Quiz#2

Mon. 3/2
Wed. 3/4

Leccin7:Perspectivas
laborales
The present perfect
SpringBreak,noclasses
Thepresentperfectsubjunctive
cont.

Talkaboutworkandpersonalfinance
Expressingwhathashappened

Thepresentperfectsubjunctive
UsesofSe

Expressingopinion,doubt,reaction,
uncertaintyaboutwhatmayhavehappened
Expressingunexpectedoraccidentalevents
Quiz#3
Talkingaboutwillhavehappenedatacertain
pointinthefuture.
Conjecturingaboutthepast
Expresswhatwouldhaveoccurredbutdid
not
Conjecturingaboutthepast
Hypothesizing about habitual conditions or
actions in the present & in the past, about
what is possible, about what is contrary to

Sat. 3/7- Sun. 3/15

Mon. 3/16: classes resume
Wed. 3/18
Mon. 3/23
Wed. 3/25
Mon. 3/30
Wed. 4/1

Leccin9:Escaparydivertirse
Thefutureperfect

Mon. 4/6
Wed. 4/8

Theconditionalperfect
Siclauses

Mon. 4/13: first day to

register for fall classes
Wed. 4/15

Siclauses

WorldLanguagesCenter
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Mon. 4/20: last class

Wed. 4/22: last day of
classes
Thur. 4/24-Fri. 5/1
Mon. 5/5 @

present and past reality

Quiz#4

Final Exams
GradesDue

Thisprojectedoutlinemaybealtereddependinguponclassprogressandchangingcircumstances.