Elementary Spanish (101-A-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 one 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).
Registration Requirements
Only students who have never taken Spanish before should enroll in this course. Students with previous Spanish experience (high school or college, studied abroad, etc), should enroll in SPANISH 102. Students with questions prior to registering should contact the instructor.
Note: SPANISH 101-A is available to for students to audit—credit will not be earned, but tuition is reduced. Students enrolled to audit the course must meet prerequisites, as well as participation and assessment requirements as outlined in the course syllabus.
Learning Objectives
-Gaining a basic understanding of cultural issues that define Spanish-speaking countries.
-Developing basic oral and written skills to give and request personal information (name, age, address, profession/occupation, phone numbers, marital status, family...), describe something's or someone's physical appearance and personality (descriptive adjectives, as well as clothing)
-Talking about actions in the present and daily routines
-Expressing likes/dislikes/general preferences
-Giving (and asking for) directions (and talk about transportation, location, frequency
-Expressing obligation
-Reading about current events and cultural topics in Spanish-speaking countries.
-Writing basic sentences, paragraphs and compositions in Spanish on all the various topics mentioned above.
Teaching Method
This is a highly interactive class in which you will be working in pairs and in groups most of the time. The class time will be used mostly to interact with the instructor as well as the classmates. Students will be watching, outside of class time, an online video program (weekly) and two movies (throughout the quarter) and will also be expected to spend 2-3 hours (weekly) on homework assignments.
Class Materials (Required)
Textbook: Campus Sur (Libro del alumno, A1-B1), Rosales, Francisco et al., Ed. Difusión Madrid, 2017
Workbook: Campus Sur (Cuaderno de ejercicios, A1-B1), Rosales, Francisco et al., Ed. Difusión Madrid, 2017