Spanish 2214F: Comparative Grammar of English and Spanish

Spanish 2214F: Comparative Grammar of English and Spanish
Instructor: Prof. Silvia Perpiñán, sperpina@uwo.ca, UC-152
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 11:30-12:30, or by appointment
TA: Elkin Sierra, esierrar@uwo.ca, UC-359
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:30.
Course Meets: Fall 2013, T. 10:30-11:30, Th. 10:30-12:30, UCC 67
Course Description
This course is an introductory linguistic description of the Spanish language with a
special focus on its main differences with English. By means of comparing the two
languages, we will discover the main problematic contrasts for an English-speaking
student of Spanish. We will cover topics such as masculine vs. feminine, stress placement
and syllabification, imperfecto vs. pretérito, indivativo vs. subjuntivo, etc. The idea of the
course is that by exploring challenging areas for second language learners, we will also
learn the underlying linguistic concepts that rule those selections (aspectual differences,
mood interpretation, to name a few).
Course Aims:
The course aims to achieve the following:
• Develop linguistic awareness by comparing two languages.
• Compare English and Spanish linguistic features in order to deepen our
understanding of the structure of Spanish.
• Improve the student’s Spanish knowledge by using English as a point of
comparison.
• Learn basic theoretical linguistic concepts.
Learning Outcomes:
It is expected that, upon the successful completion of this course, the students will have
the ability to accomplish the following:
• Be able to reflect about the source of common mistakes in the interlanguage of a
learner of Spanish.
• Have the basic concepts of linguistics applied to Spanish.
• Understand why some grammar topics of Spanish are more difficult than others
for an English speaker.
•
Be able to improve their Spanish skills by reflecting on the grammar of the
language.
Course Materials
For this course, there is not a textbook assigned. Course notes and weekly
homework will be provided through Sakai.
Recommended Books
Dozier, E. (2003). Manual de gramática (3rd ed.). Boston: Thompson, Heinle.
King, L. D., & Suñer, M. (2004). Gramática española: análisis y práctica (2nd ed.).
Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Lunn, P. V., & DeCesaris, J. A. (2006). Investigación de gramática (2. ed.). Boston, MA:
Thomson Heinle.
M. Stanley Whitley (2002). Spanish/ English Contrasts: A Course in Spanish Linguistics.
2nd. Edition. Georgetown University Press. (Also available the e-book)
Evaluation
Exams: 60% (2 x 17.5, final 25%)
Homework: 15% (Tuesdays)
Compositions: 15% (3 x 5)
Attendance and participation: 10%
Exams
1- Nominal Phrase. Thursday, Oct. 10.
2- Morfología verbal. Thursday, Nov. 7.
3- Cumulative + Complex Sentences. TBA
Homework
At the beginning of each Tuesday, the TA will go around your notebooks and check
whether you have completed the homework assigned for that day. You can be given these
three grades, depending on your effort:
10 = good job. All exercises are done, homework is completed on time. It is clear that the
student spent the necessary time and effort to complete the assignment. Notice that
I will not be grading whether the activities are correctly completed, but whether
you put the necessary effort into doing it.
5 = minimal effort. There are incomplete exercises, homework is unfinished. Student
shows minimal effort into completing the assigned work.
0 = no homework done. Student clearly comes unprepared to class. Student misses class
without an excuse.
Compositions (Opiniones Personales)
During this course, you will compose 3 personal opinions about a recent topic given one
week in advance. The main goal of these opiniones personales is to practice the grammar
seen in class. There is a minimum length for the essays to get credit, they must be 200
words long and completely in Spanish. List of words, songs, dialogs, and copies of other
texts are not acceptable and will not receive credit. Remember that this is individual
graded work, so students are not allowed to seek help from other instructors, friends,
family members, etc. or use electronic translators. Any composition that has more than
three words copied from a text in Spanish (from the internet, from a book, a magazine,
etc.) will be given a zero automatically. The compositions need to be handed in on paper
in class. No email attachments will be allowed.
Other Academic Matters: UWO Academic Calendar (Academic Policies/Regulations).
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a major academic offense (see Scholastic Offense Policy in the Western
Academic Calendar). Plagiarism is the inclusion of someone else's verbatim or
paraphrased text in one's own written work without immediate reference. Verbatim text
must be surrounded by quotation marks or indented if it is longer than four lines. A
reference must follow right after borrowed material (usually the author's name and page
number). Without immediate reference to borrowed material, a list of sources at the end
of a written assignment does not protect a writer against a possible charge of plagiarism.
This also applies to work facilitated or written for students by third parties. The
University of Western Ontario uses a plagiarism- checking site called Turnitin.com.
Absenteeism:
Students seeking academic accommodation on medical grounds for any missed tests,
exams, participation components and/or assignments must apply to the Academic
Counselling office of their home Faculty and provide documentation. Academic
accommodation cannot be granted by the instructor or department.
Calendar (tentative)
DÍA
TEMARIO
Martes 10 de
septiembre
Presentación del curso. Sílabo. Requisitos
Jueves 12 de
septiembre
Morfología Nominal: Género y número
El determinante y su interpretación.
La posesión inalienable
Martes 17 de
septiembre
Jueves 19 de
septiembre
Martes 24 de
septiembre
Jueves 29 de
septiembre
Martes 1 de
octubre
Práctica sobre el sintagma nominal
TAREA
Leer el sílabo
Ejercicios 1
Silabificación y acentuación
Reconocimiento del acento silábico. Separación en
sílabas
El sintagma nominal y sus funciones.
Los pronombres
Práctica sobre funciones sintácticas y
pronominalización
Ejercicios 2
Ejercicios 3
Jueves 3 de
octubre
Martes 8 de
octubre
Jueves 10 de
octubre
Martes 15 de
octubre
Jueves 17 de
octubre
Martes 22 de
octubre
Jueves 24 de
octubre
Martes 29 de
octubre
Jueves 31 de
octubre
Martes 5 de
noviembre
Jueves 7 de
noviembre
Martes 12 de
noviembre
Jueves 14 de
noviembre
Martes 19 de
noviembre
Jueves 21 de
noviembre
Martes 26 de
noviembre
El se. Los pronombres sujeto. Diferencias de uso
Repaso
Ejercicios 4
Práctica con pronombres sujeto.
Dudas
Examen 1: El sintagma nominal y la
silabificaciónn
Morfología Verbal: el tiempo presente, el aspecto
progresivo.
Entregar Opinión
Personal 1
Los infinitivos y gerundios. El aspecto en el pasado.
Práctica pretérito imperfecto vs. pretérito indefinido
Ejercicios 5
Ser y estar con adjetivos y locativos
Práctica ser y estar.
Ejercicios 6 (on-line)
FALL BREAK
Ser y Estar. Por y para.
Ejercicios 7
Las oraciones simples y complejas. Repaso.
Examen 2: Morfología verbal, Ser y Estar
Entregar Opinión
Personal 2 (En papel)
Tipos de oraciones complejas. El modo subjuntivo
Práctica con oraciones subordinadas nominales
Ejercicios 8
Oraciones subordinadas adjetivas y el subjuntivo.
Interpretación
Práctica sobre subordinadas adjetivas.
Jueves 28 de
noviembre
Oraciones subordinadas adverbiales y el subjuntivo
Martes 3 de
diciembre
Práctica subordinadas adverbiales y subjuntivo
Jueves 5 de
diciembre
Repaso. Evaluaciones
Ejercicios 9
Ejercicios 10
Entregar Opinión 3
(en papel)