I. Introduction

Directed Independent Medical Spanish is a unique course which allows you to personalize your language learning experience by working independently with a technology-based language curriculum. It is designed for those students who have completed the Intermediate level in Spanish and wish to continue their language study in a program that addresses their vocational interests in the fields of health care and social services. The course integrates science-based vocabulary and health-related cultural issues into an post-intermediate language curriculum.

All of the information about course activities and assignments can be found on the Internet. Students will also be required to spend significant time working independently with the course DVD-ROM. You will complete a unit of material (two lessons) approximately every two weeks. Each unit is followed by a week of content and skill-based activities which synthesize and evaluate your understanding of the material covered in that unit. While students work with materials designed to improve all of their language skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing), the emphasis in this course is specifically on the oral/aural component.

Deadlines have been established so that you are able to complete all of the material in one semester. However, most of the work can be done on your own schedule which allows you to accelerate your learning if you wish. You are required to attend weekly meetings with your Foreign Language Assistant and take your exams during the posted testing hours. You will also meet periodically with your Spanish Professor to practice speaking and discuss your progress in the course. S/he will also grade your exams and other course assignments. Finally, you may contact the Self-Paced Spanish Coordinator when you have questions about course assignments and evaluations and the Self-Paced Program Director if you have problems with the technology-based course materials.

II. Required Materials

• A su salud! Spanish for Health Professionals; (Cuaderno/DVD-ROM) Yale University Press, 2004
• Medical Spanish, Interviewing the Latino Patient: A Cross-Cultural Perspective (Reader) Prentice Hall, 1990

III. Course Requirements (for related information refer to Important Dates)

1. Consult the course website each week for a list of announcements. It will tell you which lessons you should be working on and remind you when assignments are due.
   
   
2. Go the Multimedia Resource Center (MRC) and work on the DVD-ROM activities for the appropriate lesson.
   
   
3. Work on grammar and vocabulary in your Cuaderno and complete related exercises.
   
   
4. Attend your weekly meetings with your Foreign Language Assistants to practice oral communication.
   
   
5. Using the tarea checksheet, review the DVD-ROM to make sure that you have completed all of the activities that are required for submission.
   
   
6. Use the "Pre-Test" available on the website to help you prepare for the lesson Grammar/Vocabulary Exam. It will show you how you will be tested and evaluate how well-prepared you are. Use your score to help you determine the areas that you should focus on. For example, if you receive a perfect score on the verb portion of the exam but only answer 50% of the pronoun questions correctly, you should probably dedicate more time to practicing pronouns. Testing hours and location will be posted on the "Bienvenidos" page.
   
   
7. Complete the synthesis activities assigned for this unit:
   A. Read the essay/story/interview, answer questions and submit your answers.
   
   B. Explore 1 of the suggested websites and submit a critique in Spanish.
   
   C. Prepare the unit composition. While you are writing, you are allowed to use dictionaries, grammar books and the Spanish spellchecker on the computer. The use of electronic translators is strictly prohibited!
   
   D. Sign-up in Stein 320 for your Oral Evaluation. Consult the website for additional information.
   
   
8. Take your exam.
   
   

IV. Advice to the Student

1. As an independent learner you must learn to budget your time. You should probably spend between 8-10 hours each week on course materials. Work on the assignments until you feel comfortable with the material. In most cases, we have given you extra exercises for each component, especially for those areas which are often problematic for students.
   
   
2. One of the challenges of independent learning is that you will have to read and understand grammar explanations on your own. If you have any problems and/or questions please consult your Spanish Professor or the Spanish Coordinator as soon as possible.
   
   
3. Computers are machines and sometimes machines do not function properly. Please be patient when you have technical problems and ask someone in the MRC for assistance. You should also inform the Self-Paced Program Director as soon as possible because you might have discovered a programming glitch that we were unaware of.
   
   
4. You are responsible for your own learning in this course. There will be no one who will remind you to do your work every day. You must complete your chapter tests and other course assignments by the dates listed. No make-up evaluations will be given without written permission from your Class Dean.