POR 301 SYLLABUS FOR FALL 2019

FALL 2019

POR 301-01

MWF 1:00-1:50PM

Portuguese Composition and Conversation:

Writing on and for Multiple Media

Class meetings: MWF 1:00-1:50PM at SCIENG # 108
Blog: www.falalusa.blogspot.com 

Prof. Dário Borim Jr.                                Email: dborim@umassd.edu

Phone: 508-910-6609                              Office: LARTS 398-K

Office Hours:                 Mon 2:00-400PM,

Wed 11:00AM-1:00PM

Thr 1:00-2:30PM

Course description

POR 301 is a high-intermediate course designed for students who have completed two years of instruction in Portuguese at the college level or have demonstrated an equivalent level of proficiency. Portuguese is the language of instruction and will be used in any kind of spoken and written communication. Students should strive to use only Portuguese in class, both with the professor and among themselves. The course will cover grammar topics that are particularly relevant for written expression at the high-intermediate/advanced level. Oral and written practice will be based on the discussion of readings and associated topics.

POR 301 is a web-enhanced course. A specific blog serves as an integral part of the course: www.falalusa.blogspot.com. Some of the written work, including grammar activities, will be submitted via that site. Course materials, such as guidelines, rubric, texts in PDF, and Internet links will also be available on the course site.

Course objectives

In POR 301, students will:

·       read short literary and journalistic texts;

·       explore websites whose content relates to class discussion;

·       practice writing skills;

·       practice using dictionaries;

·       enhance the process of writing through draft/feedback/revision;

·       study/review certain grammar topics;

·       practice spoken Portuguese through class discussion, including peer reviews;

·       prepare a topic of their choice to present to the class.

Learning objectives

·       demonstrate ability to speak and write in (Brazilian or European) standard Portuguese;

·       apply grammatical rules to written and spoken texts;

·       practice writing in different genres;

·       formulate arguments supported by evidence.

Materials

·       Texts and images from the Internet and other audiovisual and print sources,

·       Activities available on the course’s website.

Grading scale

A+         97.5-100	B+         87.5-89.9	C+         77.5-79.9	D+         67.5-69.9	F   0-59.9
A            92.5-97.4	B            82.5-87.4	C            72.5-77.4	D           62.5-67.4
A-          90.0-92.4	B-          80.0-82.4	C-          70.0-72.4	D-          60.0-62.4

Course evaluation

Oral presentation                                     20%

Compositions (3-4 pp.)                            40%

Website activities                                     20%

Reaction pieces (1-2 pp.)                        10%

Grammar exam                                          10%

Course policies

·       Attendance

In any language course, participation is essential for continued practice. Therefore, it is expected that students attend every class. However, since unforeseen circumstances may occur, students may miss four classes per semester without penalty. For every class missed after that, one point will be taken off the final grade. Note that absences may affect your grade in class activities, even if a student has not missed more than four classes.

·       Excused absences

An absence may be considered excused (and not count against a student’s grade) if proper written documentation is provided that justifies the absence. Examples of excused absences include doctor’s appointments, jury duty, court appearance, military obligations, funerals. Cases of minor illnesses (for which one will not see a doctor) or other minor crises (such as car problems) are NOT considered excused absences.

·       Class participation

This is a composition AND conversation course. Students are expected to participate in class discussion as much as they are expected to write. Furthermore, students are expected to ask each other questions and to get others to participate. Participation in group discussion shall occur in Portuguese

Compositions, reactions and website activities

Students will submit four compositions and eight reaction pieces during the semester. More details about the compositions will be provided in “Composition guidelines”. On the dates indicated on the calendar (Composition 1, Composition 2, etc.), students will bring to class one hard copy of their compositions’ first drafts. The final draft will be due one week later, which will allow students time to edit their work according to comments provided by their classmates. Reaction pieces will be free-style commentaries on reading and/or viewing of the materials assigned. All written work must be typed. It can be posted on the website, www.falalusa.blogspot.com, or handed in on hard copy, if class is meeting face-to-face on the due date; otherwise, it must be posted on the website. That written work load includes compositions, reaction pieces, grammar exercises, questions about texts, and vocabulary activities.

Class preparation

Readings and activities must be completed by the date assigned on the syllabus/course website. In order to ascertain a minimum level of preparation, questions about readings will be due before the class in which the reading is supposed to be discussed.

Oral presentations

Each student will be responsible for presenting one topic to the class. Students should be prepared to discuss their topics in (certain) depth, as well as to “jump start” discussion about that topic (e.g., proposing questions for debate). Presentations can include visual aids (PPT, posters, etc.), audio files (recordings), and any other materials that can help the group explain/discuss the issue. Some 10 to 15 minutes will be devoted to each issue presented; the time is to be divided between actual presentation and class discussion.

Academic dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is defined as attempting to obtain academic credit for work that is not one’s own. Examples include:

1. copying another student’s answers on an examination;
2. obtaining, or attempting to obtain, the answers to an examination in advance;
3. submitting a paper that was written by someone else;
4. submitting a paper that includes phrases, sentences and paragraphs that were copied verbatim, or almost verbatim, from a work written by someone else, without making this clear without indicating that these words were someone else’s through the use of quotation marks or other appropriate citation conventions;
5. collaborating on a homework assignment when this has been expressly forbidden by the professor;
6. using unauthorized materials in completing assignments or examinations;
7. submitting the same paper for more than one class without the express permission of the instructors involved.

This list of examples should not be considered exhaustive.

(http://www.umassd.edu/studenthandbook/academicregs/ethicalstandards.cfm)

Any assignment submitted that is not one’s own work will receive a grade of zero (0).

Students with disabilities

In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please meet with the instructor at the beginning of the semester and provide the appropriate paperwork from the Center for Access and Success. The necessary paperwork is obtained when you bring proper documentation to the Center, which is located in Woodland Commons, Room 111; phone: 508-999-8711. More information is available at http://www.umassd.edu/dss/.

NOTE:
Students are responsible for the content of this syllabus. Please keep it for your reference.

Calendar of Activities

Sept 4

·       Course introduction and chat on linguistic variations, with partial viewings of a Lang Focus’ edition on the Portuguese language, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nur6WwpmyBo, and of Jornal Hoje’s edition Sotaques do Brasil, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSzZ5vl45hI

Sept 6

·       No face-to-face class. Watch and write a reaction piece to a conversation between a comedian from Brazil (Ricardo Araújo) and a comedian from Portugal (Gregório Duvivier), available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba3SrQbmWXw -- Reaction is due on Monday, Sept 9, by 1:00PM.

Sept 9

·       Peer reviews of individual reactions

·       Exercises on dialectal variations

Sept 11

·       Grammar activities

·       Last day to add, drop, or audit courses

Sept 13

·       Acentuação (Diacritics)

·       Website activity “Aprendi” due on Wed, Sept. 18, by 1:00PM.

Sept 16

·       The Personal Crônica.

Sept 18

·       Discuss Paulo Rónai’s “Como aprendi o português”

Sept 20

·       More website activity on Rónai due on Mon, Sept 23, at 1:00PM.

Sept 23

·       Prepare for Composition 1, “A crônica pessoal”

·       Website activity “Beijos” due on Wed, Sept. 27, by 1:00PM.

Sept 25

·       Grammar activities

Sept 27

·       Discuss Matthew Shirts’ “O beijo como cultura”

Sept 30

·       Bring in hard copies of Composition 1 and peer review it

Oct 2

·       Grammar activities

Oct 4

·       No face-to-face class.

·       Do and post website activity “Jornais” by Mon, Oct 9, by 1:00PM.

·       Post final version of Composition 1 by midnight tonight, Oct 4.

Oct 7

·       Journalistic writing

·       Do website activity “Vale a pena ler” and post by Fri, Oct 11, at 1:00PM

Oct 9

·       Journalistic writing

Oct 11

·       Peer review “Vale a pena ler”

Oct 14: NO CLASS (VETERANS DAY)

Oct 16 (FOLLOW MONDAY’S CLASS SCHEDULE)

·       Preparation for Composition 2, “Notícia que vale notícia”

Oct 18

·       No face-to-face meeting. Do website activity “Fake News” and post answers by Mon, Oct 21, at 1:00PM.

Oct 21

·       Grammar and spelling activities

Oct 23

·       Bring in hard copies of Composition 2 and peer review it

Oct 25

·       Blogs and podcasts

Oct 28

·       Writing activities

Oct 30

·       Musical sounds and tales

·       Post final version of Composition 1 by midnight tonight, Oct 30.

Nov 1

·       Preparation for Composition 3, “Sons e histórias musicais”

·       Do the website activity “Escolhas musicais” and post by Wed, Nov. 6, at 1:00PM.

Nov 4

·       Activities with video clips of songs and interviews with musicians

Nov 6

·       Activities with video clips of songs and interviews with musicians

Nov 8

·       Oral presentations of first version of Composition 3, “Sons e histórias musicais”

Nov 11

·       Grammar and spelling activities

Nov 13

·       No face-to-face class: do website activity “Globoplay”

Nov 15

·       No face-to-face class: do website activity “Globoplay”

Nov 18

·       No face-to-face class: Finish and post website activity “Globoplay” by midnight tonight, Nov. 18

Nov 20

·       Peer review of “Globoplay” activity reports

Nov 22

·       Movie reviews and preparation for Composition 4, Terras estrangeiras

Nov 25

·       Watch Terra estrangeira

Nov 27

·       Discuss Terra estrangeira

Nov 29

·       Grammar activities

Dec 2

·       Grammar activities

Dec 4

·       Hand in and peer review Composition 4, “Terras estrangeiras”

Dec 6

·       Oral presentations

Dec 9 (LAST DAY OF CLASS)

·       Oral presentations

·       Course evaluation

·       Post final version of Composition 4

Dec 17

·       Grammar exam 3:00-6:00PM