It is important that you fully
realize what sort of course you are enrolled in.The following list is intended
to give you a more concrete idea of the amount of material covered in Spanish 110-Web
and the time commitment you will need to make to successfully complete this
course.
STEP ONE:
After reading each item below,
stop a minute to consider whether or not that statement is true for you.
1.I have completed two years of
high school Spanish (or the equivalent) and/or taken a placement exam before
enrolling in this class. True/False
2.I have gone to the homepage on the Web and read the course information
(What is Spanish 110?). True/False
3.I am aware that this class is a combination of Spanish 101 and 102 and, hence, covers two-quarters' worth of material in only one quarter (basically 13
chapters in 10 weeks). True/False
4.I have
glanced through the syllabus (Syllabus) and
know that this will be a very fast-paced course and that we cover an
entire lesson for each class day that we meet (excluding exam review days). True/False
5.My
background in Spanish is still fairly fresh.I have a solid understanding of
basic verb conjugation, and I feel that I can pick up anything I've forgotten
fairly easily.This class will principally be a review for me, in
preparation for Spanish 103. True/False
6.I study well independently and feel that I will be able to teach myself the vocabulary and the grammar information principally on my own (with the use of the computer, textbook, and exercise manual). True/False
7.I am self-motivated and well organized. True/False
9.Because
I will be spending so much less time in the classroom, much more will be
expected of me outside of the class.On my own, I am willing to spend
approximately 3-6 hours/week on the computer, another 3-6 hours/week
writing in the exercise manual and listening to the aural comprehension
activities, and an additional 2-5 hours/week writing study notes and
committing the vocabulary and grammar concepts to memory. True/False
If after reading through
this list you find that two or more of the items above are not true for you,
you should seriously reconsider your decision to enroll in this course. You
might have bit off more than you can chew.
Some alternatives are offered below:
I.You might want to consider transferring to a Spanish 110 class that meets five days a week and is not computer-assisted.
BENEFITS:You have more hours of contact with your instructor who can answer your questions and help you understand the concepts.Also, you have significantly less work outside of the classroom and you get much more practice speaking the language and trying to verbally use what you are studying.This helps you with your retention of the material.Finally, there is more opportunity for cultural activities.
BENEFITS:You would be covering only 6 chapters of the textbook
(instead of 13).Also, the pace of the course is much slower and allows you much
more time to practice the material and allow the concepts to "sink
in".Finally, you have more time in class for "fun" cultural
activities.
III. You might consider
taking this course some other academic quarter when you have more time and
energy to commit to it.
BENEFITS: You will not be
overwhelmed and frustrated. You will learn and understand more.
STEP THREE:
If any of the alternatives above (or some other one
that you consider on your own) is something you wish to pursue, please
discuss your concerns with your instructor.
PLEASE
MARK WHICH EVER ONE YOU AGREE WITH AND SIGN BELOW:
(student signature and
printed name) (date)