Students

SLAX101 – Introductory Spanish I

2017 – S2 OUA

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Tutor
Susana Catalina Prat
Jane Hanley
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit is for students who have never studied Spanish before. Students who have studied Spanish or had some informal exposure to the language through family, friends or travel should contact the unit convenor before enrolling in this unit. It follows a communicative approach and is designed to develop skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking. All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Reading: understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at the time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
  • Listening: follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning.
  • Writing: ask for or pass on personal details in written form; write simple isolated phrases and sentences.
  • Spoken Interaction: interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair; ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
  • Spoken Production: produce simple mainly isolated phrases about people and places.

General Assessment Information

Submission of most tasks is via iLearn. All assessment tasks are compulsory and must be submitted on time. As a general rule, extensions will not be granted without a valid and documented reason (e.g. medical certificate). Late submissions will be penalised by 5% for each day (including weekends) the assignment task is late. No assignments will be accepted after assignments have been corrected and feedback has been provided. Assignment tasks handed in early will not be marked and returned before the due date.

Rubrics and indicative samples are provided via iLearn to clarify grading standards and assessment requirements.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Uni Language Learning 5% No Week 2
Participation and Preparation 15% No Weekly
Written/Oral Assignments 20% No Ongoing
Quizzes 10% No Ongoing
Final oral test 20% No Week 13
Final written test 20% No Week 13
Homework 10% No Ongoing

Uni Language Learning

Due: Week 2
Weighting: 5%

Prepares students for university language study and the Spanish online environment. Pass/Fail.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Reading: understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at the time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
  • Listening: follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning.

Participation and Preparation

Due: Weekly
Weighting: 15%

In-class/online participation includes completing all the mandated preparation activities and grammar study before completing communicative activities. You need to prepare by studying this specified content or you will not be able to engage effectively with your study group and in assessment tasks, including putting it into practice via spoken and written engagement with course content, responding to your tutor, and completion of one pop quiz to assess how well you are covering topics.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Reading: understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at the time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
  • Listening: follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning.
  • Writing: ask for or pass on personal details in written form; write simple isolated phrases and sentences.
  • Spoken Interaction: interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair; ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
  • Spoken Production: produce simple mainly isolated phrases about people and places.

Written/Oral Assignments

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 20%

Brief assignments submitted via online course.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Listening: follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning.
  • Writing: ask for or pass on personal details in written form; write simple isolated phrases and sentences.
  • Spoken Interaction: interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair; ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
  • Spoken Production: produce simple mainly isolated phrases about people and places.

Quizzes

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%

Short answer quizzes on key grammar, vocabulary and comprehension.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Reading: understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at the time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
  • Listening: follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning.
  • Writing: ask for or pass on personal details in written form; write simple isolated phrases and sentences.

Final oral test

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 20%

Final oral test assessing skills acquired through previous assessment.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Listening: follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning.
  • Spoken Interaction: interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair; ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
  • Spoken Production: produce simple mainly isolated phrases about people and places.

Final written test

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 20%

Final written test assessing skills acquired through previous assessment.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Reading: understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at the time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
  • Writing: ask for or pass on personal details in written form; write simple isolated phrases and sentences.

Homework

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%

Regularly complete assigned tasks via iLrn Heinle online resources.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Reading: understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at the time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
  • Listening: follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning.
  • Writing: ask for or pass on personal details in written form; write simple isolated phrases and sentences.
  • Spoken Interaction: interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair; ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
  • Spoken Production: produce simple mainly isolated phrases about people and places.

Delivery and Resources

Delivery: Fully online

Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/

Is my unit in iLearn?: http://help.ilearn.mq.edu.au/unitsonline/ Use this link to check when your online unit will become available.

Technology

Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.

Required resources:

Nexos (2016, 4th edition). By Spaine Longe, Carreira, Madrigal Velasco & Swanson. Cengage Learning. Print book + iLrnHeinle online access card.

Please note that this textbook package is IN STOCK in Australia via the Co-op bookshop, OUA and Macquarie's preferred supplier. If you order from another supplier you may find your textbook is delayed by up to seven weeks as it is shipped from overseas.

You can choose to purchase the print edition + access card for iLrn online resources mentioned above, via Co-op Bookshop, or you can purchase online only including the eBook. Cengage have organised a special discount price for OUA Macquarie Spanish of $99 for purchasing instant access to the online-only option via cengagebrain.com.au (Australian website),  which is especially suitable for online-only students who find their own pace through each week's material and who generally complete dialogues/group work via computer as well.

If you transfer to Macquarie to complete additional Spanish studies after completing Introductory I through a Diploma of Languages, Cross-institutional Study, or Non Award single units, you will use the same textbook and your online access will allow you to complete SPN102 and SPN103 through Macquarie directly any time in the subsequent 18 months after completing SLAX101 without additional textbook costs.

Policies and Procedures

Late Submission - applies unless otherwise stated elsewhere in the unit guide

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Extension Request

Special Consideration Policy and Procedure (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration)

The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.

You need to show that the circumstances:

  1. were serious, unexpected and unavoidable
  2. were beyond your control
  3. caused substantial disruption to your academic work
  4. substantially interfered with your otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of the unit requirements
  5. lasted at least three consecutive days or a total of 5 days within the teaching period and prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date.

If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:

  1. Visit Ask MQ and use your OneID to log in
  2. Fill in your relevant details
  3. Attach supporting documents by clicking 'Add a reply', click 'Browse' and navigating to the files you want to attach, then click 'Submit Form' to send your notification and supporting documents
  4. Please keep copies of your original documents, as they may be requested in the future as part of the assessment process

Outcome

Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.

OUA Specific Policies and Procedures

Withdrawal from a unit after the census date

You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.

If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.

If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

 

Late assignment policy

Assignments are compulsory and must be submitted on time. As a general rule, extensions will not be granted without a valid and documented reason (e.g. medical certificate). Late submissions will be penalised by 5% for each day (including weekends) the assignment task is late. No assignments will be accepted after assignments have been corrected and feedback has been provided. Assignment tasks handed in early will not be marked and returned before the due date.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Writing: ask for or pass on personal details in written form; write simple isolated phrases and sentences.
  • Spoken Interaction: interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair; ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.

Assessment task

  • Final oral test

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Spoken Interaction: interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair; ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
  • Spoken Production: produce simple mainly isolated phrases about people and places.

Assessment tasks

  • Uni Language Learning
  • Participation and Preparation
  • Quizzes
  • Homework

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Reading: understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at the time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
  • Listening: follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning.
  • Writing: ask for or pass on personal details in written form; write simple isolated phrases and sentences.
  • Spoken Interaction: interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair; ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
  • Spoken Production: produce simple mainly isolated phrases about people and places.

Assessment tasks

  • Uni Language Learning
  • Written/Oral Assignments
  • Quizzes
  • Final written test
  • Homework

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Listening: follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning.
  • Writing: ask for or pass on personal details in written form; write simple isolated phrases and sentences.
  • Spoken Interaction: interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair; ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
  • Spoken Production: produce simple mainly isolated phrases about people and places.

Assessment tasks

  • Written/Oral Assignments
  • Final oral test
  • Final written test

Changes from Previous Offering

SLAX101 has been completely redesigned around a new curriculum since the previous offering. It is in line with SPN101 offered at Macquarie University.