Elementary Spanish (101-C-62)
Instructors
Elena Lanza
847/467-7476
3-130 Crowe
Elena Lanza is an Associate Professor of Instruction and Assistant Director of the Spanish Language Program at Northwestern. She has been teaching elementary and intermediate Spanish at the School of Professional Studies since 2007. Elena has been teaching Spanish as a second language since 1997 in different institutions in Spain and the US, has organized exchange programs in Spain for American high school students, and has participated as the Spanish author of an on-line educational language program. She also collaborates with the College Board in different capacities, with a focus on the AP Spanish Language and Culture program. At Northwestern, she was named to the Faculty Honor Roll by the Associated Student Government in 2005-2006, 2016-2017 and 2019-2020, and received the Distinguished Teaching Award at the School of Professional Studies in 2010.
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-319: Mon 6:15PM - 9:15PM
Overview of class
This course is part three of a three-quarter sequence based on the competency (or "can do") and the communicative approaches. The course is designed for adults who wish to learn Spanish in a dynamic way and it is designed to help students achieve pragmatic, linguistic and cultural competencies adequate for a beginning level. This is a student-centered course in which the student will learn how to interact in the target language in basic real-life situations, both orally and in writing, as well as to develop the necessary skills to become an independent learner outside of the classroom. The intercultural nature of all the activities and tasks to be completed by the student will also help the student to become more aware of the rich and varied cultures within the Spanish-speaking world. The topics and textbook are aligned with the interests of adult learners. Carries humanities credit (two-course limit for language courses). The SPANISH 101 sequence is introductory; only students who have never taken Spanish before should enroll in the courses.
Registration Requirements
SPANISH 101-A,-B, or equivalent. If you have not taken SPANISH 101-A in the fall quarter and/or SPANISH 101-B in the winter quarter, you must contact the instructor before registering in the course to determine if 101-C is the right level for you. It is crucial that only beginners register in this course since having students with higher language levels in the classroom would be detrimental to those students who are correctly placed in this level. Please email the instructor if you need further guidance or if you have any other questions regarding placement.
This course may be audited. Students enrolled to audit SPANISH 101-C must meet participation and assessment requirements as outlined in the course syllabus.
Learning Objectives
Students will learn this quarter how to:
-talk about past travels and cultural places, shopping, sports and exercising and health
-talk about past experiences, make travel reservations, ask about specific characteristics
-express condition, preferences, actions in progress in the present and in the past, talk about habitual actions in the past
-ask and refuse permission
-give commands and instructions
-expressing opinion
Teaching Method
The methodology followed is class discussion. In order to make the discussion more productive, students should complete a variety of home assignments. Class time will focus on the completion of communicative tasks in which students are expected to work collaboratively with their class peers. Class participation and preparedness are crucial in this course.
Class Materials (Required)
Confirm course texts and materials by contacting instructor or viewing course Canvas site or University bookstore website.
Class Notes
Learning a language requires a different set of techniques than for any other course taught in the student's native language. It is very important that students understand that in order to be successful, they will need to invest an average of 4-6 hours per week (outside of the contact hours in class).