A. Assignments for every Wednesday evening class in addition to the readings (do both):
- Multimedia contribution. A brief (2-3 minutes) oral presentation from one of the following sources:
(a) Web site in Spanish. A topic of cultural or historical interest of your own choosing, which may or may not be related to the readings for that day, but that you think would be interesting to your classmates. Do not translate a site in English, but use a site in Spanish.
(b) Song, or fragment of song, in Spanish (you can bring in a CD, cassette, or access audio file on web); make enough photocopies of the lyrics for the other students (you can find lyrics in Spanish on the Web).
(c) Segment of a videotape of a film in Spanish, or something you record from television (channels available on MIT cable), such as part of a telenovela, a newscast, or commercial. (Please do not use segments from videos you have seen in other Spanish courses taken at MIT).
- Vocabulary exercise. Bring in five sentences to read aloud with vocabulary from the reading for that day.
B. Projects and assignments during different parts of the semester.
- Noticiero: a 2-3 minutes news report that you write and read aloud, about actual local, national or international events; give new vocabulary beforehand. Your source may be a broadcast or article in English or Spanish. Practice reading ahead of time, as if you were auditioning to be a locutor(a) (TV or radio reporter).
- Diario ficticio: A group project where you work with one or two other students and create diary entries of a real or imaginary Hispanic person (from any epoch), and read them aloud in class. Your writing will not be judged. You are to incorporate vocabulary from the readings into these entries as well as try to be culturally accurate.
- El proceso: A mock trial, where you work with your team to plan events as well as improvise within your role as prosecutor, defense attorney, witness, etc. Details will be provided when we start the activity.
- Minidramas or minicomedias: A group activity. Original skits of varying lengths, to be conceptualized, rehearsed and performed during class time.
- Group meetings in my office: It is important to practice speaking outside of the one weekly class meeting. Three times during the semester you will come to my office with one or two other students and we will all discuss a topic of interest to you (I will correct your Spanish but will depend on you to do most of the speaking). These sessions will be arranged during class or by email.
Note that the vocabulary and content presented in the above reports and projects will become part of the courses (and be included on oral exams). Grammar will not be the main focus of the course, but one textbook contains a review of selected grammar points, and both textbooks provide extensive vocabulary exercises. If a significant number of you want me to explain a particular grammar point in class, please ask.