Welcome to your lower division Spanish course at North Carolina State University!  The Spanish instructors at NC State hope you have a valuable learning experience in the class or classes you take.  In order to promote a positive learning environment, the following policies have been established for the courses listed above.  Please read this information carefully and pay attention to supplementary information that your instructor presents in class.  You are responsible for understanding and adhering to course policies.

Required text and supplementary materials FALL 2008:
FLS 101 ONLY: Plazas: Lugar de encuentros, THIRD EDITION. Required components are 1) student textbook with audio CD and 2) a Quia account for completion of workbook and laboratory activities, http://books.quia.com/books/. The package that includes the textbook with audio CD and book key for creating a Quia account is available at the NC State bookstore http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/ncsubookstores/. Additional web resources for this book are available at http://plazas.heinle.com/ (choose Plazas: Lugar de encuentros, 3rd Edition).

FLS 102, 105, 110 and 201 and 210:
Plazas:  Lugar de encuentros, SECOND EDITION. Required components are 1) student textbook with audio CD and 2) a Quia account for completion of laboratory activities. A full package, available at the NC State bookstore http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/ncsubookstores, is recommended, including student text with audio CD, hard copy workbook and workbook answer key, CD ROM, and book key for creating a Quia account for completion of audio lab at http://books.quia.com/books/. Additional web resources for this book are available at http://plazas.heinle.com/ (choose Plazas: Lugar de encuentros, 2nd Edition, NOT CengageNOW! Live Edition).

Grading:
The final course grade will be calculated using the following formula:

30% Chapter tests: Four or five chapter tests that will include listening comprehension as well as chapter vocabulary and structures.

10% Assessment of oral communication skills: Each student must complete one in-class presentation of approximately 10 sentences on a topic treated in one of the chapters covered in the course and which includes recently studied vocabulary and structures. It is not necessary that students memorize the complete presentation but presentations must be well prepared and practiced and presented with minimal use of notes. Each student must also complete one oral interview/conversation with the instructor, addressing one or more topics covered in the course and including appropriate vocabulary and structures. Students are advised to prepare for the interviews using recommended activities from the text and supplementary materials but they are not to prepare a script. Click here to see grading rubrics and recommendations for preparation.

30% Preparation and participation: The grade will be calculated on the basis of 300 points, congruent with its value of 30% of the final grade. 50 points will be allotted for the workbook activities, based on timely and thorough completion according to the syllabus, accuracy, and time spent. 75 points will be allotted for the lab manual activities, also based on timely and thorough completion, accuracy, and time spent. 175 points will be allotted for daily performance in the course including preparation of assigned material prior to coming to class and active participation in class. Students will accumulate points each day of class based on attendance, preparedness, involvement in activities, and overall engagement in the class. Click here to see the rubric that be used for awarding points each day. In MWF classes, a maximum of 4 points per day can be earned, and a maximum of 6 points per day can be earned in a TH or MW class.


30% Final exam: The final exam is comprehensive and common exams are given in FLS 101, 102, 105, 110, 201 and 210. Exams will be given according to the university schedule and following university policies posted at http://www.ncsu.edu/registrar/calendars/examfall.html. An "Expectation Sheet" which provides students with the format of the final exam will be available the last week of classes, posted at http://sasw.chass.ncsu.edu/fl/final/.  Instructors will not distribute hard copies of this document. The university policies and procedures regarding final exams are outlined at http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/courses_undergrad/REG02.20.14.php and instructors and students must follow those policies.

Instructors will use the plus/minus grading system. For information on the grading policy of NC State University, consult http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/pols_regs/REG205.00..13.php

Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory because of the nature of the course.  Excessive absences will result in a lowering of the final course grade.  More than three absences in a MWF class and more than two absences in a TH class or a summer session class is excessive.  Consult http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/courses_undergrad/REG02.20.3.php for information on class attendance requirements at NC State University.

Language laboratory:
All students must complete language laboratory activities for each chapter that is studied.  For information about the Foreign Language Technology Center, 214 Laundry Building, as well as language laboratory activities and policies, consult http://chasslabs.chass.ncsu.edu/laundry/home

Students will complete lab exercises for the Plazas program at the website http://books.quia.com.  Students must purchase a book key in order to set up a lab account so that the exercises may be completed.  The book key is included in the Plazas package sold at the campus bookstore and is available for purchase at http://books.quia.com.  Students will receive course codes from their instructors.  Each student will use his or her own unique book key and the course code for the course and section in which he or she is registered to set up a lab account.

Students may complete lab activities at any computer with an Internet connection.  They may use the computers in the FLTC or any other appropriate computer.  A high-speed connection is recommended.
 

Academic integrity:
All instructors of Spanish classes at NC State take the academic integrity policy very seriously.  Consult http://www.ncsu.edu/student_affairs/osc/AIpage/acaintegrity.html for information on the policy.  Academic integrity extends to all work done in a course, including homework, class work, papers, projects, written tests, oral tests, laboratory work and exams.

Make-up work:
Students who do not complete assignments on time and/or do not take tests on time will be penalized if prior permission is not obtained from the instructor.

Students with disabilities:
The instructors of lower division Spanish classes are committed to following the university policy regarding students with disabilities.  See http://www.ncsu.edu/dso/ for information about the policy.

Pre-requisites:
Consult the FLL Placement page for information on placement and lower division language course requirements as well as information on AP and SAT II scores. Completion of some courses with a C- or better allows students to receive credit for a previous course or courses. See FLL Placement page for details.
FLS 101: There are no pre-requisites. This is a beginning course and students who have previously studied Spanish should enroll in it ONLY if their score on the university placement test is 0-166.
FLS 102: FLS 101 or placement test score of 286-345.
FLS 105: There are no pre-requisites, but students should understand that this is an intensive 6-hour course that requires a significant commitment of time in class and out of class each week.
FLS 110: Placement test score of 167-285.
FLS 201: FLS 102 or placement test score of 346-424.
FLS 210: Placement test score of ~315-400.  Students who are interested in this course should consult the instructor.
FLS 202: FLS 201 or placement test score of 425-547.

Class Evaluations:
Online class evaluations will be available for students to complete during the last two weeks of class. Students will receive an email message directing them to a website where they can login using their Unity ID and complete evaluations. All evaluations are confidential; instructors will never know how any one student responded to any question, and students will never know the ratings for any particular instructors.

Evaluation website: https://classeval.ncsu.edu
Student help desk: classeval@ncsu.edu
More information about ClassEval: http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/classeval/index.htm

Suggestions for success in your Spanish class:
Research has shown that very specific activities and behaviors greatly enhance your chance of success in studying a foreign language.  Your instructor can give you more advice, but try to follow these suggestions:
1.  Prepare for each class by reading assigned pages in your textbook and completing all written and listening exercises that are assigned. You will not be successful if you are unprepared for the activities that will take place in class.
2.  Attend class regularly.  Learning to speak a foreign language is an interactive process and you must interact with your instructor and your classmates in order to progress.
3.  Use memory tricks and other techniques to learn new material.  Say the answers to homework exercises in addition to writing them or practice aloud with a partner.  Both sides of your brain need to be involved in language learning; it is not solely a cognitive process.
4.  Have fun with the language and take risks as you try to speak it.  Do not wait until you have the perfect answer to participate in class.  Let your instructor and your fellow students assist you and make learning a joint and cooperative experience.  You will learn more quickly and more thoroughly when you are fully engaged in the learning process.