culture. However, the overall results in these areas depend primarily on the efforts of the student to speak, listen, read, and write in Spanish.

Transcription

1 Pittsburg State University College of Arts and Sciences Department of Modern Languages and Literatures SP 2013 Course Number and Title: Conversation I Department: Modern Languages and Literatures Credit Hours: 2 Pre-requisite: MLL 158 Co-requisite: MLL 254 Meets: Grubbs Hall 103, 11:00-11:50 TTH Course Delivery Method: In person (not online, not hybrid) Faculty Member Grant D. Moss Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese Modern Languages and Literatures Office: 411 Grubbs Hall Office Hours SP 2013: 9-10 M-F, 2-3 M, 1-3 TTH, or by appointment Telephone: gmoss@pittstate.edu Textbook Rusch, Debbie, Marcela Domínguez and Lucía Caycedo Garner. Fuentes: Conversación y gramática, 4th ed. (2011) Recommended Spanish-Spanish Dictionary and/or Spanish-English Dictionary Course Description This course is based on conversational activities intended to continue the development of oral proficiency as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Topics of readings and discussions include history, entertainment, travel, politics, the environment, popular culture, the arts, and Hispanic families today. Readings consist of informative articles and grammar-building exercises. Discussions lead to further appreciation of the target cultures. Spanish is the language of instruction. This course is not a lecture course. Anticipated Learning Outcomes and Methods of Assessment Students will increase Spanish proficiency in five areas: speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture. However, the overall results in these areas depend primarily on the efforts of the student to speak, listen, read, and write in Spanish. The methods of assessment follow. Components of the course evaluation Oral Interview (20%) Presentations (20%; 2 presentations x 10%) Conversation Partner Sessions (20%) Homework/In-Class Quizzes (20%) Class Participation/Attendance (20%) Oral Interview (20%) Students will participate in an oral interview either during the week before finals week or during finals week. During these individual interviews with the instructor (in his office), students demonstrate their speaking proficiency. These interviews will be recorded in order to trace students progress. No make-up interviews are possible without documentation (see Class Attendance policy for examples of legitimate documentation). Presentations (20%; 2 presentations x 10%) Students will give two presentations; each must last between four (4) and five (5) minutes in length no more, no less. Students will earn their grade through quality organization, non-repetitive coherence, and their oral proficiency. You can find possible topics of interest in your textbook. Your goal is to take a stance and defend that stance (whether you agree or not with that view). See Presentation Advice at the end of this syllabus for more information. At the end of each presentation day, the class period will end with a short quiz and question and answer period. Conversation Partner Sessions (20%) Students are required to engage in 30 minutes of conversation in Spanish with a native speaker outside of class each week. This program is called Conversation Partners. The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures employs native speakers for this purpose. Their hours of availability will be posted during the first week of classes. Students will sign up for one of the available time slots and meet with their conversation partner weekly. This is a unique opportunity for students to improve their oral proficiency. Students are expected to arrive to their appointments on time, actively engage the native speakers in conversation

2 en español, and speak about the topics discussed in class during that week. Homework/In-Class Quizzes (20%) The homework grade consists primarily of two assignments: hojas informativas and estudios en Internet. For the hojas informativas, you will write a brief word summary en español of each your sessions (weeks 2-14) with your conversation partner. The format for these hojas is: Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spaced, left justified, with a creative title (not hoja 1 for example). There should be an extra space between the title and the body of the paragraph. Your header should be left justified and contain your name, the class (MLL 252), and hoja informativa semana # each on a separate line, single-spaced. You will turn in each hoja informativa on Canvas in the corresponding drop box as an attachment (your name hoja informativa semana #.doc or.docx) before the class period when it is due (see tentative calendar below). For example, if my name were David Villa, then my hoja informativa document for week 2 would be David Villa hoja informativa semana 2.doc ). For the estudios en Internet, you will find an article en español in an on-line version of a newspaper from the Spanish-speaking world (not from Wikipedia) that refers to the theme for the week. For example in week 10, you will find an article about art or a work of art. In a word document, you will list the link to your article and type five (5) main ideas from it. The format for these estudios is: Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spaced, left justified. There should be an extra space between the link and the body of the paragraph. Your header should be left justified and contain your name, the class (MLL 252), and Estudio en Internet # each on a separate line, single-spaced. You will turn in each estudio en Internet on Canvas in the corresponding drop box as an attachment (your name estudio en internet semana #.doc or.docx) before the class period when it is due (see tentative calendar below). For example, if my name were David Villa, then my estudio en Internet document for week 2 would be David Villa estudio en internet semana 2.doc ). Then you will bring a hard copy or a digital copy to class (after you have turned it in) to share with the group on the day it is due. Please check to make sure that your hojas informativas and your estudios en Internet have posted correctly with the correct file name as mentioned above. If you do not have the correct format for your document s name, the best grade that you can earn is eight (8) out of ten. You are responsible to make sure that assignments are turned in on time, not Canvas. I recommend that you do not wait until right before class to post as sometimes technology is unreliable. Double check to make sure that the technology functions properly. No late hojas informativas or estudios en Internet will be accepted without documentation, even if you post the document late anyway. At the end of each presentation day, the class period will end with a short quiz and question and answer period. Quizzes are given at the end of class unless otherwise indicated. No make-up quizzes will be given to students that miss class or leave before the quiz unless they have documentation. See Class Attendance and Participation Policy below for more information. Class Participation/Attendance (20%) Students will earn weekly grades for participating in class discussions. Participation is not the same as attendance. If the student attends class but does not participate in the class discussions or in the assigned group work en español (see the Spanish-Only Promise below), he or she will not earn a high participation grade for that day. Participation points cannot be made-up at a later date due to unexcused absence. See Class Attendance and Participation Policy below for more information. Class Attendance and Participation Policy This class includes numerous activities that require you to engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. You are expected to be involved and stay involved. Each meeting will add some new dimension to your knowledge of the language and its related cultures. Regular attendance and participation in class activities are essential to be a successful language learner. You must prepare carefully for class, complete all assignments in advance and participate in class. Every day you will earn a grade for individual, pair, and/or group activities. In-class participation en español (see the 2

3 Spanish-Only Promise below) is essential for your success in this class. Come ready to talk about the text for that day! Every day that you do not attend will affect your participation grade because you are not in class to participate! If you do miss a class, makeup work will be permitted only when the instructor is presented with acceptable documentation. Legitimate excused absences include the following: participation in a scheduled activity of an official University organization, verifiable confining illness, serious verifiable family emergencies, subpoenas, jury duty, and military service. It is the student's responsibility to notify his/her instructor of any excused absence as far in advance as possible. Makeup work must be made up in a timely manner (e.g. before the next scheduled evaluation). Documentation for excused absences must be presented as soon as possible. No documentation (and by extension no makeup work) will be accepted after the last day of regularly scheduled classes. After two absences, each additional undocumented absence will result in a 2 point reduction of your final grade per absence, i.e., 2 unexcused absences (beyond the two "grace" days) will reduce your final grade by 4 points. For example if your overall average is 93% and you have four unexcused absences your final grade will be 89%. Absences are counted from the first day of the quarter. Chronic lateness to class will also reduce your grade. Three tardies equal one absence. The instructor will not drop students from this course for nonattendance or excessive absences. If you do not attend class or have excessive absences you should consider withdrawal from the course or should consult with the various offices on campus. Grading Scale A = % B = 80-89% C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = 0-59% Final Grades will be rounded to the nearest whole percent. For example, 89.5% = 90% and 89.4% = 89%. Spanish-Only Promise I (insert your name here) solemnly promise to speak Spanish and only Spanish during class. For I know that proficiency depends on me; I must take responsibility for my own learning and I must speak, listen, read, and write in Spanish in order to improve my skills. Signed Date Your signature (electronic) Sign the promise electronically on Canvas before the second day of class. policy The instructor may communicate with you through Pittsburg State and/or Canvas. You should check your Pitt State /canvas frequently for updates from the instructor. The instructor will check his at least once daily during regular business hours (from Monday to Friday) and he will usually respond to any inquiries within 24 hours. If you have questions about what the homework is, you should ask a classmate or check the calendar just in case our checks do not coincide! No assignment will be accepted through unless otherwise indicated. Study Abroad! The department strongly recommends that all Modern Languages and Literatures majors and minors participate in accredited study abroad programs. PSU offers study abroad scholarships as well as assistance with other financial aid. To learn about accredited programs, contact Megan Corrigan, Study Abroad Coordinator, at or visit 118C Whitesitt Hall. For information on transfer credits, consult with Judy Berry-Bravo, Chair of Modern Languages and Literatures, at or visit 429 Grubbs Hall. Student Conduct Code According to the Student Conduct Code, Disruption of classes, seminars, research projects, activities or operations of the University ( will not be tolerated. This instructor does not permit the misuse of cell phones or other electronic devices in class. Exceptions will be made for assistive technologies for the vision-or 3

4 hearing-impaired in consultation with the Center for Student Accommodations. Center for Student Accommodations If you feel that you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact your instructor privately to discuss your specific needs. Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Center for Student Accommodations will be appropriately accommodated, and should inform the instructor as soon as possible of their needs. The Center for Student Accommodations is located in the Bryant Student Health Center, telephone Retro-credits The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures has a retro-credits program designed to reward students who have already spent years learning languages in high school. Students must sign up for the program in 428 Grubbs Hall with Kathy Dyer, Departmental Secretary, during the first three weeks of the semester in which they take their first language course at PSU. That course determines their entry level and the maximum credits they can earn through retro-credits. For more information on retro-credits visit our webpage at Transfer students who took language courses at another university or college are not eligible. The Department encourages students to seek faculty advice to determine their best entry level. Ike Certificate This course can count towards the academic component of the IKE Certificate of International Knowledge and Experience. The IKE Certificate may be earned by students in any major. The academic component consists of five courses - two semesters of a foreign language, and three courses with international content in three different disciplines. To receive the certificate, students must also complete a second component, either by studying abroad, or by participating in co-curricular activities on campus. Completion of the IKE certificate as an undergraduate is noted on a student s PSU undergraduate transcript, although graduate students may also earn the certificate. To be added to the IKE Canvas group and start tracking your progress towards the certificate, please your GUS number in a request to ike@pittstate.edu. More information on the IKE program is available online at l-knowledge-and-experience/index.dot. Linguafolio Linguafolio is an assessment tool that encourages students to recognize and record their proficiency level at various times during their study of a foreign language. The program encourages each student to create a personal checklist; this list helps the student to focus on the skills that he/she must develop in order to achieve a higher level of proficiency. If used appropriately, this tool can increase a student s ability to identify his/her strengths and weaknesses in the language in order to improve. For more information see your instructor or the Canvas page for our course. ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) 2012 Proficiency Guidelines Speaking Writing, Listening and Reading Guidelines2012_FINAL.pdf Spanish Table SP 2013: Tuesdays 12:00-1:00 at Gorilla Crossing Other important Pittsburg State information See the end of this syllabus (after the tentative calendar) for other pertinent information or visit Tentative Course Schedule (Subject to change) Semana 1 15 de enero En clase: Introducción al curso; Capítulo preliminar: La vida universitaria Tarea para la siguiente clase: Study the syllabus and complete the syllabus quiz on Canvas; use your syllabus to do it! Finish the syllabus quiz before the beginning of our next class. Read and sign the Spanish-Only Promise on Canvas before next class. 4

5 17 de enero En clase: Capítulo preliminar: La vida universitaria Tarea para la siguiente clase: Semana 2 22 de enero En clase: Capítulo 1: Nuestras costumbres semana 2 24 de enero En clase: Capítulo 1: Nuestras costumbres informativa semana 2 antes de clase el martes Semana 3 29 de enero En clase: Capítulo 2: España: pasado y presente semana 3 31 de enero En clase: Capítulo 2: España: pasado y presente informativa semana 3 antes de clase el martes Semana 4 5 de febrero En clase: Capítulo 3: La América precolombina semana 4 7 de febrero En clase: Capítulo 3: La América precolombina informativa semana 4 antes de clase el martes Semana 5 12 de febrero En clase: Capítulo 4: Llegan los inmigrantes semana 5 14 de febrero En clase: Capítulo 4: Llegan los inmigrantes informativa semana 5 antes de clase el martes Semana 6 19 de febrero En clase: Capítulo 5: Los Estados Unidos: sabrosa fusión de culturas semana 6 21 de febrero En clase: Capítulo 5: Los Estados Unidos: sabrosa fusión de culturas informativa semana 6 antes de clase el martes Semana 7 26 de febrero En clase: Capítulo 6: Nuevas democracias semana 7 28 de febrero En clase: Capítulo 6: Nuevas democracias informativa semana 7 antes de clase el martes; Preparar tu presentación 1 Semana 8 5 de marzo En clase: Presentaciones; Capítulo 7: Nuestro medio ambiente Tarea para la siguiente clase: Preparar tu presentación 1 7 de marzo En clase: Presentaciones; Capítulo 7: Nuestro medio ambiente informativa semana 8 antes de clase el martes; Preparar tu presentación 1 Semana 9 12 de marzo En clase: Presentaciones; Capítulo 8: Hablemos de trabajo Tarea para la siguiente clase: Preparar tu presentación 1 14 de marzo 5

6 En clase: Presentaciones; Capítulo 8: Hablemos de trabajo informativa semana 9 antes de clase el martes, 26 de marzo Vacaciones de Primavera (18-22 de marzo) Semana de marzo En clase: Capítulo 9: Es una obra de arte semana de marzo En clase: Capítulo 9: Es una obra de arte informativa semana 10 antes de clase el martes Semana 11 2 de abril En clase: Capítulo 9: Es una obra de arte semana 11 4 de abril En clase: Capítulo 9: Es una obra de arte informativa semana 11 antes de clase el martes Semana 12 9 de abril En clase: Capítulo 10: Las relaciones humanas semana de abril En clase: Capítulo 10: Las relaciones humanas informativa semana 12 antes de clase el martes; Preparar tu presentación 2 Semana de abril En clase: Presentaciones; Capítulo 10: Las relaciones humanas Tarea para la siguiente clase: Preparar tu presentación 2 18 de abril En clase: Presentaciones; Capítulo 10: Las relaciones humanas informativa semana 13 antes de clase el martes; Preparar tu presentación 2 Semana de abril En clase: Presentaciones; Capítulo 11: Sociedad y justicia Tarea para la siguiente clase: Preparar tu presentación 2 25 de abril En clase: Presentaciones; Capítulo 11: Sociedad y justicia informativa semana 14 antes de clase el martes Semana de abril En clase: Entrevistas orales 2 de mayo En clase: Entrevistas orales Semana de exámenes finales (del 6 al 10 de mayo) Entrevistas orales Other Important Pittsburg State Information IMPORTANT DATES 1/14...Classes begin 1/21 Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday 1/22...Tuition due 1/22 Last day for full tuition refund if withdrawing 1/22 Last day to add classes w/o permission of instructor 1/28...Final day to drop w/o transcript notation 2/18...Last day for half refund if withdrawing 3/11...Mid-term D and F grades available after 5:00 pm 3/16 to 3/22...Spring Break 4/8...Final day to drop a course unless withdrawing from all classes 4/25...Last day to withdraw from all classes 5/6 to 5/10...Finals week 5/10...Deadline to remove/extend IN grades for 2012 WF 5/13...Grades due from faculty DROPPING A COURSE OR WITHDRAWING FOR THE SEMESTER Beginning the 12th week through the 16th week of full-term courses, individual courses cannot be dropped. A student who does not officially withdraw from a course or from the university will be assigned an F grade in the course or courses concerned. 6

7 These F grades will be included in the computation of the grade point average. The dates for dropping courses that run fewer than sixteen weeks are proportionate to the length of the course (e.g. the last day to drop an eight week course would be the end of the sixth week). Consult your instructor or the Registrar s Office for questions about a specific course. For students who wish to withdraw from all classes after the 12th week of the term, the instructor must assign a grade of W or F. To drop a course after the 5th day of class or for clarification on drop/add policies, contact the Registrar s Office, 103 Russ Hall, or registrar@pittstate.edu. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE The Office of Student Financial Assistance is required to recalculate financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, stop attending or are dismissed prior to completing 60 percent of a semester. This calculation applies to students receiving Title IV funds including: Federal Pell Grant Stafford Loan ACG Academic Competitiveness Grant SMART Grant for math and science TEACH Grant for education majors Parent PLUS Loan Federal financial aid is returned to the federal government based on the percent of unearned aid disbursed toward institutional charges for tuition, fees, and on-campus room and board. Students may be required to repay a portion of the aid funds received. When aid is returned, the student may owe a debit balance to the University and/or Department of Education Title IV Programs. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS International students studying on F or J visas must be in proper immigration status and are required to always be in full time enrollment (minimum 12 hours undergraduate. or 9 hours graduate). For additional information immigration.dot CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY Students at Pittsburg State University are expected to attend class regularly and participate fully in class activities. It is the responsibility of the course instructor to set the attendance policy for his or her courses and communicate that policy to students in the course syllabus. The syllabus should address whether and how attendance affects the course grade, the issue of excused absences, and whether students will be dropped for nonattendance or excessive absence. Students who have not attended or who have been excessively absent from a class may be dropped from the course by the instructor. In such instances, this policy must be clearly stated in the syllabus and uniformly enforced. Students may be dropped at anytime in the semester based on course policy. Instructor drops after the beginning of the 12th week of a full semester class will result in a grade of F for the course. Regardless of the faculty prerogative to drop a student for nonattendance or excessive absence, the ultimate responsibility for monitoring and maintaining up-to-date course enrollment rests with the student. SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION If forecasts or weather conditions suggest that travel in the area could become hazardous a policy is in place to determine if classes or other University activities will be cancelled. This policy and notification process can be found at Notification methods typically include the PSU website, local news media, and text messaging for those who subscribe to this service. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY Academic dishonesty by a student is defined as unethical activity associated with course work or grades. It includes, but is not limited to: (a) Giving or receiving unauthorized aid on examinations. (b) Giving or receiving unauthorized aid in the preparation of notebooks, themes, reports, papers or any other assignments. (c) Submitting the same work for more than one course without the instructor s permission, and, (d) Plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as using ideas or writings of another and claiming them as one s own. Copying any material directly (be it the work of other students, professors, or colleagues) or copying information from print or electronic sources (including the internet) without explicitly acknowledging the true source of the material is plagiarism. Plagiarism also includes paraphrasing other individuals ideas or concepts without acknowledging their work, or contribution. To avoid charges of plagiarism, students should follow the citation directions provided by the instructor and/or department in which the class is offered. The above guidelines do not preclude group study for exams, sharing of sources for research projects, or students discussing their ideas with other members of the class unless explicitly prohibited by the instructor. Since the violation of academic honesty strikes at the heart of the education process, it is subject to the severest sanctions, up to and including receiving an F or XF (an XF indicates that F was the result of academic dishonest) for the entire class and dismissal from the university. For a full copy of this policy refer to the on-line catalog found on the Registrar s website at Within the catalog, click on Student Rights and Responsibilities and then click Academic Integrity. MID-TERM GRADES After the eighth week of the fall and spring semester, mid-semester D and F grades submitted by faculty are reported by the Office of the Registrar to the dean of the college in which you are majoring. All D and F grades submitted by faculty will be reported by the Registrar to you and your academic advisor through the on-line student information system (GUS). No mid-semester report of D and F grades are distributed for the summer session. INCOMPLETE GRADES Incomplete grade may be assigned in rare instances when a student is unable to complete a course due to circumstances beyond his/her control. You must have completed a majority of the coursework to be eligible for this consideration. Unless granted an extension by the instructor, students have only one semester to complete the work. If you feel like you qualify for an Incomplete grade, you should visit with your instructor and not assume an IN grade will be assigned automatically. FINAL GRADE REPORTS Final grades are reported to the Registrar s Office at the conclusion of the course. You may access your grades in GUS immediately upon grade posting. GRADE APPEALS Final course grades are to be awarded upon criteria communicated to the student at the beginning of the semester. Additional work after a final grade was submitted cannot be used to change the grade. If you believe that an error has been made in the assignment or recording of a final grade, you should first confer with the instructor. If such a conference does not resolve the problem, a grade appeal form must be submitted to the head of the academic department that offers the course in question. This appeal form must be submitted no later than six weeks after the beginning of the fall or spring semester immediately following the semester in which the grade being appealed was received. The appeal form is available online on the Registrar s Office and Graduate School s webpage under forms. DEAD WEEK POLICY No tests or major assignments will be presented during the week prior to final examination week, unless identified in the course syllabus presented at the start of the semester. FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE Final examinations will be given according to the schedule of examinations available at 7

8 FINAL EXAM OVERLOAD POLICY If you have three or more final exams officially scheduled for a single day you are entitled to arrange with the faculty member instructing the highest numbered course (the 3 digit number following the department code) a different day for the exam. If two courses have the same number, the course with the lower enrollment would be rescheduled. Students requesting accommodation should submit their request on the form found at along with a copy of their class schedule, at least two weeks prior to the beginning of final exam week. The faculty member has until the Monday of pre-finals week to arrange a mutually convenient time for administration of the final exam. If the matter cannot be resolved between student and faculty member, you may take the request to the Office of the Provost, 220 Russ Hall, no later than the Wednesday of dead week. WHERE TO GO FOR ASSISTANCE Pittsburg State administration, faculty, and staff are here to assist you in your academic success. If you have questions or concerns that affect your academic success, it is important that we hear from you. Your Instructor Faculty members usually include their office hours and contact information in the class syllabus. If not, set a time to meet with your instructor by speaking with him/her prior to or immediately following your class session or check with the departmental office for instructor availability. Writing Assistance The Writing Center offers free writing consultations for students at any stage of the writing process for any writing project. Writing Center consultants are experienced writers who are committed to helping you achieve your writing goals. Dr. Don Judd and Dr. Janet Zepernick, Directors, Writing Center Telephone: Library The Axe Library provides comprehensive services and materials including both physical and online books, periodicals, and interlibrary loan. Also available to students are a computer lab, with color printing, scanning and faxing capabilities. Telephone: Tutoring Tutoring programs related to general education classes are available. Whether you are studying for a test, writing a paper or preparing a presentation, tutors can help you sharpen your skills and increase your knowledge. If you are struggling with a class, then a tutor can help you get back on track. Use tutoring to get better grades! Ashley Conyers, Student Success Counselor, Student Success Center Telephone: aconyers@pittstate.edu Computer/Technology Assistance Gorilla Geeks Help Desk is responsible for assisting students with various technology needs. Services available include help with GUS and GusPINs, PSU , assistance with campus system problems and support of the campus wireless network. In addition the center will help you with technology needs that are essential for academic success. Services include assistance with educational software packages used on campus including Microsoft OS, Office applications, basic Canvas support and other campus applications; help with computer hardware or software problems; wireless connectivity; and configuring new computers. Gorilla Geeks Help Desk Telephone: Geeks@pittstate.edu Services for Students with Learning Disabilities Allison Adams, Coordinator, Center for Student Accommodations Telephone: dot Services for Students with Physical Disabilities Cindy Johnson, Director, Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Telephone: Student Health Center Telephone: University Counseling Services Telephone: General Questions If you have questions about university policies or procedures, need assistance with academic success skills (such as note taking, effective reading techniques, and test taking strategies), or have general questions about your academic progress, Enrollment Management & Student Success can assist or refer you to the appropriate office. Enrollment Management & Student Success Telephone: STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMATION Pittsburg State University is committed to a policy of educational equity. Accordingly, the University admits students, grants financial aid and scholarships, conducts all educational programs, activities, and employment practices without regard to race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity or gender expression. 8

9 Presentation Advice Many might argue that presentational skills and conversation go hand-in-hand. If one cannot present his/her ideas clearly when he/she presents, then that might suggest that he/she cannot converse intelligibly or the reverse may be true: he/she might not converse appropriately therefore his/her presentational skills might not be up to par. In other words, if one were to develop his/her presentational skills, his/her conversational skills could also grow. The purpose of this document is to lay out a successful outline for presentations and provide a framework to obtain a high level of success during your presentations. You should use this document as a flexible guide to plan what you present. From another perspective, you could use this list of introductory elements as a guide, as you search for a viable argument, for the kinds of questions that you need to be able to answer before you present. If you can include the following elements in the presentation, you are well on your way to an excellent talk. You will capture the attention of your listeners; you will convince him/her that your idea is creative and relevant; he/she will continue to listen; and he/she will understand the goal of your presentation. 1. Hook Persuade listeners that this is an unavoidable topic. This will often be some kind of original lead-in to the subject. 2. Thesis Articulate the essence of your argument clearly. This should intrigue and attract your listeners (listeners don t want to hear that you are going to spend five minutes proving something that they already think they understand). Your thesis can be complex and suggestive, but it must be clear: el propósito de esta presentación es or en esta presentación quiero demostrar are excellent examples of what you want to do in your speech. 3. Who cares? / Y qué? You should always ask yourself this question and be able to answer it; it refers to the broader implications of your presentation. 4. Other hints for your presentational skills in general and for your presentaciones in class A. Avoid the present progressive and gerunds. Examples: estoy pensando, estaba haciendo, etc. In fact, one would recommend that writers should avoid estar in general. B. Avoid the word Esto. C. Discutir is a false cognate; it does not mean to discuss. D. Avoid use of the word interesante. E. Avoid gustar. F. Avoid importante. G. Avoid rhetorical questions. Examples: Es redonda la tierra? H. Avoid biographical information (about yourself or the author). Examples: Grant Moss nació en Utah. I. Avoid summarizing a text too much (usually one or two sentences will do). If you summarize too much, you lose your voice and you dilute your argument. 9