SPAN 3510

Advanced Spanish Composition and Grammar I

La Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain.

Class overview

SPAN 3510 is designed to help you improve your Spanish-language skills at the intermediate level. This course focuses on honing range of written communication styles. This link contains specific tasks that you should be able to complete successfully at the intermediate level

Improvement through this “Gateway” tier provides the foundation for progressing through the intermediate level and eventually achieving the long-term goal of advanced proficiency in Spanish.

This course will help prepare you for work in upper-level Spanish courses by fostering:

Reading & Listening Skills: Through stories, poems, essays, shows, movies, songs, and articles, students will build their vocabulary and grammar skills.
Informal Writing: Weekly writing homework and in-class writing assignments will help get you thinking and writing in Spanish about ideas that are interesting to you!
Conversation: This class is taught in person and entirely in Spanish. To get the most out of this class, you need to participate actively and in Spanish as much as possible. Complete the homework before coming to class so you can participate fully.
Vocabulary: Through readings and class discussions students will gain more precise vocabulary to empower them to express more complex and precise ideas.
Grammar: Students will refine their grammar, particularly in “problem areas” for native English speakers of Spanish.

Note: This course (3510) and 3520 are both required to advance into higher level Spanish classes. They cover different aspects of the language. The 3510 and 3520 sequence can be taken in any order or simultaneously.

About me

Remy Attig - he/him, él/lo
@RemyAttig
Call me Remy, Profe, Dr. Attig, anything but "sir."

I'm a sociolinguist, which means I study how the groups that we belong to shape our language use. In particular, I'm interested in translinguistics (also known as code-switching or language mixing), the translation of TV/Film for international audiences, and queer and inclusive ways of speaking.

In my free time I travel, craft, game, go to the gym, and get really obsessed about random hobbies for about 3 months before moving on to something else with equal excitement.

I speak Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, and American Sign Language.

Office Hours

My office is located in Shatzel 212. My office hours are Tuesdays from 10:30-11:15 and Thursdays from 1:00-2:00. If these times don't work with your schedule, reach out and we'll figure something out.

During office hours, I'm sitting there waiting to help students. Take advantage of the time to get help with something you're struggling with, gain clarity on assignments, ask more about something you found interesting, or just say hi and see if I have candy. You're not interrupting me or bothering me. I've set aside the time for you.

I do recommend students email in advance if they think they need more than a few minutes, especially near major deadlines. You can reach me for office hours or with questions at rattig@bgsu.edu.

Course Materials

Textbook: Conversaciones Corrientes: Temas de Cultura y Sociedad - This textbook is open access and is available for free online. We will not be using all of it, nor will we necessarily be using it in order.
Supplemental Materials - Additional resource materials will be used throughout the semester and will either be uploaded to Canvas, or the links to the materials will be shared.
SPAN 3510 Canvas page – Make sure to set up Canvas notifications. We’ll be using this page a lot.

Online Resources

Wordreference.com – recommended bilingual dictionary with great forums that can help you find words in context if you're not sure which to use. (Resist the temptation to use Google Translate as a dictionary, it’s a lousy one)
Linguee.es – recommended parallel text dictionary. This tool requires a bit more thought to use, but you'll find the right term in the right context to help you match not just the meaning, but also the feel you're looking for.
Verbix - a comprehensive conjugation tool. If you're not sure how to conjugate a verb in a particular form, look it up. It's a lot harder to unlearn mistakes than to check them and learn them properly from the outset.
How to type accents on PC and Mac - You need to be able to type accent marks at this point. The letters á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, ñ and the punctuation ¡ and ¿ are essential characters for a writing course in Spanish. There are lots of ways to be able to type in Spanish, this video shows you one way.

You may prefer to add a whole different keyboard configuration to your computer so you can toggle between the keyboard you're familiar with, and one used in Spain and Latin America. These make typing in Spanish much faster, but the learning curve is a little more challenging.

Spellcheck & Grammar check - This is an easy way to catch mistakes but many students forget to take advantage of it. Depending on whether you're using Word, Google Docs, Pages, or something else, how you use these editing tools will vary. Learn how to do it and run it every single time before you submit work. Both tools will help you identify errors that you might not catch on your own. They'll also do a great job of identifying made-up words. Remember, though, these tools are not always correct, so review their suggestions with a critical eye. You'll learn a ton this way.

Additional Resources

Students should have a useful reference grammar to help them study grammar points they struggle with. As you move to an advanced level, you're going to have advanced questions. You need a clear reference tool that's up to the task, most websites aren't as detailed as these books.

These will not be used in class, but students should have them to consult to aid them in writing. Here are some that I recommend.

Butt, John et al. A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish, Routledge. (There are many editions available and all of them are good. You can probably find an older edition on Amazon for under $10).

A copy of this book should be on reserve at the library for you to consult throughout the semester.

Gómez Torrego, Leonardo. Gramática didáctica del español, Editorial SM. (There are also many editions of this book available)

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