Here are some additional extra credit opportunities. Unless otherwise stated, each option is worth up to 50 points. You may do up to 200 points extra credit, and write your reports in English. They are due on Tuesday in Finals week. You may either e-mail me your reports, or submit them to me in person.
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Option 1:
Attend a cultural event, and write a page (about 400-500 words) about the event, your experience and reaction. You will need to include general information about the event (name, type of event, date, time, hour, location); what happened during the event; what you learned; and what your opinion, comments and reactions are. In addition to your report, you will need to attach proof of attendance, such as a ticket stub, a program, or pictures.
Here are some ideas of events that you could attend:
A museum exhibition related to Spain or Latin-American. Some museums include LACMA (Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art) and MOLAA (Museum of Latin-American Art) in Long Beach, where most of the exhibition are related to Latin-America, and has free admission every Sunday and charges $6 for students other days.
You can also attend a cultural event, such as a quinceañera, a posada, a Hispanic wedding or party, and write about your experience.
Other ideas are attending or visiting classes where they teach Latin rhythms, such as salsa lessons, tango lessons, zumba lessons, etc. You can check on the crpd.org website where classes are held, and ask if you can observe and/or participate in a class.
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Option 2:
Write about any cultural experience that you might have had in the past. For example, you may write about a visit that you made to a Spanish-speaking country, a time when you spoke to a person who only spoke Spanish, eating food or candy from a Spanish-speaking country for the first time, communicating with a person in Spanish, etc.
You need to write from half a page to a page (either by hand or on a computer), and include details about your experience. Start by answering these questions:
1) What happened and when?
2) What was reaction?
3) What did you learn from the experience?
4) How is what you experienced similar and/or different to what you are used to?
5) Would you want to go through that experience again?
Then, include any other details you may wish to include (optional).
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Option 3:
Watch a movie in Spanish and write a ½-1 page report of the movie answering the questions below:
1) Name, genre and length of the movie
2) How and/or why did you select the movie that you watched?
3) Write a summary of the movie (main characters, plot, climax, main idea(s), setting, etc.)
4) List any new words in Spanish that you learned from watching the movie. If you did not learn any new words, list some of the words that you already knew and were able to understand.
5) List anything that you learned from watching the movie (e.g., a cultural, political, social or religious concept or fact).
6) On a scale of 1-5, what rating would you give the movie and why?
7) Would you recommend it to anybody? If so, to whom?
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Option 4:
Choose any article of your interest in the website http://www.mexconnect.com. In the introduction, describe why you selected that article. In the body paragraphs, write a summary about the article. In the conclusion, describe what you learned from the article and what your overall reaction was to it (whether you were surprised or awed by the information, confused, puzzled, etc.)
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Option 5:
Research the topic of your interest about any aspect of the culture or linguistics of any Spanish-speaking country. You may select, for instance, to learn more about the country of Peru, including what is Peru famous for and why, or learn more about the personal pronoun “vos” used in Central America and South America. You may want to learn, for instance, what kind of stigma is associated with the “vos” personal pronoun, how it originated and which countries use it, and to what degree.
Those are just some suggestions. Since this is an open option, you may select to research the topic of your choice. You just need to indicate why you selected this topic, what your findings were, and what your overall reaction to your findings was.
The assignment has to meet these guidelines:
1) Your report needs to be in essay format (e.i., introduction, body and conclusion)
2) Report needs to be at least one page long.
3) Use Times New Roman font size 12 and 1” margin on each side around the page.
4) Include a list of works cited (even if it is only internet sites); include the title and the author of the source. If you found information online, include the website address and the day that you visited it. If you know APA or MLA citation style, feel free to use it
5) Write your work in your own words. If you quote another source, put the quote in quotation marks and mention the author of the quote in parenthesis. For example, “I have a dream…” (Luther King Jr., M) and give him credit at the works cited section.
You may work with another person in this project if you wish, but both have to contribute to the project and both receive the same credit.
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Option 6:
Read the information in the following three websites that talk about Mexican etiquette and customs. Either interview a person who is familiar with Mexican etiquette or do further research to validate the information provided in these websites. At the end, write a summary of your experience doing the interview or the research and what your findings were. Write your findings in an essay format following the following outline:
Introduction – State whom you interviewed and how the person is familiar with Mexican etiquette (e.g., s/he grew up in Mexico, s/he has lived in Mexico, s/he has studied a lot about Mexican and other cultures, etc.). If you did further research rather than interviewing a person, state what your sources were (which books you read, which articles on the internet you found, which videos you watched, etc.)
2nd paragraph – State what your predictions were before you did the research or interview (i.e., which of the information given you believed to be valid and which ones you believed to be invalid).
3rd paragraph – State what you discovered to be true after your interview or research. Here, you may write your information in an outline form within your paragraph if you prefer.
4th paragraph – State what you discovered to be untrue or exaggerated. After each false statement, include what would make the statement true. For example, if one of the websites claims that it is required to bring a gift over when you are invited for dinner, and you discover that it is not true, you would mention that it is not required but highly recommended to bring a gift, and the gifts that are considered acceptable are flowers (except for certain flowers) or sweets.
Conclusion – summarize what you learned and what your overall experience was doing this project. Were you surprised by the results or did your findings support what your predictions had been? Do you deem the Mexican etiquette bizarre or not weird at all? Do you consider the Mexican etiquette to be similar to that of the United States or very different? Why?
The websites are:
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/mexico-country-profile.html
“Etiquette and customs in Mexico” section only
http://www.mexicotravel101.com/mexico-culture/mexico-etiquette.aspx
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/dhughson/dhprimer.html
Since there are many points to consider in the three websites altogether, you may select from 10-15 points to focus on – you may select the ones that sound the most interesting or unbelievable to you, and then find out what is valid and what is not. You may work with another person in this project if you wish, but both persons have to contribute to the project.
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Option 7:
You may watch TV in Spanish for at least 30 minutes (either online or on TV), and write a paragraph to a page about you watched and any words that you understood. Include the name of the show(s) and when you watched it. If you do not know the name of the show, write the name or number of the channel or the website address where you watched it.
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Option 8:
Read a children's book in Spanish, and write a paragraph to a page summarizing the book, and including any new words that you learned from reading the book. Include the name of the book and how long the book is (number of pages).
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Option 9:
Read a newspaper article in Spanish, and write a summary about what you understood from what you read and any new words that you learned. Include the name of the newspaper, and the date and title of the article. This option may be done once per semester only.
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Option 10:
Have a conversation with a person in Spanish, record your conversation, and either e-mail it to me or play it to me in person. The conversation must have at least ten exchanges (an exchange refers to when person A talks and B responds). You may ask things such as their names, what they like to do,what they do on the weekends, etc.
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Option 11:
Order at a restaurant in Spanish, and have the waiter/waitress/cashier to whom you order sign the back of the receipt stating that you ordered in Spanish, and saying how well you did. Submit the receipt to me with your name on it. This option may be done once per semester only.
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Option 1:
Attend a cultural event, and write a page (about 400-500 words) about the event, your experience and reaction. You will need to include general information about the event (name, type of event, date, time, hour, location); what happened during the event; what you learned; and what your opinion, comments and reactions are. In addition to your report, you will need to attach proof of attendance, such as a ticket stub, a program, or pictures.
Here are some ideas of events that you could attend:
A museum exhibition related to Spain or Latin-American. Some museums include LACMA (Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art) and MOLAA (Museum of Latin-American Art) in Long Beach, where most of the exhibition are related to Latin-America, and has free admission every Sunday and charges $6 for students other days.
You can also attend a cultural event, such as a quinceañera, a posada, a Hispanic wedding or party, and write about your experience.
Other ideas are attending or visiting classes where they teach Latin rhythms, such as salsa lessons, tango lessons, zumba lessons, etc. You can check on the crpd.org website where classes are held, and ask if you can observe and/or participate in a class.
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Option 2:
Write about any cultural experience that you might have had in the past. For example, you may write about a visit that you made to a Spanish-speaking country, a time when you spoke to a person who only spoke Spanish, eating food or candy from a Spanish-speaking country for the first time, communicating with a person in Spanish, etc.
You need to write from half a page to a page (either by hand or on a computer), and include details about your experience. Start by answering these questions:
1) What happened and when?
2) What was reaction?
3) What did you learn from the experience?
4) How is what you experienced similar and/or different to what you are used to?
5) Would you want to go through that experience again?
Then, include any other details you may wish to include (optional).
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Option 3:
Watch a movie in Spanish and write a ½-1 page report of the movie answering the questions below:
1) Name, genre and length of the movie
2) How and/or why did you select the movie that you watched?
3) Write a summary of the movie (main characters, plot, climax, main idea(s), setting, etc.)
4) List any new words in Spanish that you learned from watching the movie. If you did not learn any new words, list some of the words that you already knew and were able to understand.
5) List anything that you learned from watching the movie (e.g., a cultural, political, social or religious concept or fact).
6) On a scale of 1-5, what rating would you give the movie and why?
7) Would you recommend it to anybody? If so, to whom?
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Option 4:
Choose any article of your interest in the website http://www.mexconnect.com. In the introduction, describe why you selected that article. In the body paragraphs, write a summary about the article. In the conclusion, describe what you learned from the article and what your overall reaction was to it (whether you were surprised or awed by the information, confused, puzzled, etc.)
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Option 5:
Research the topic of your interest about any aspect of the culture or linguistics of any Spanish-speaking country. You may select, for instance, to learn more about the country of Peru, including what is Peru famous for and why, or learn more about the personal pronoun “vos” used in Central America and South America. You may want to learn, for instance, what kind of stigma is associated with the “vos” personal pronoun, how it originated and which countries use it, and to what degree.
Those are just some suggestions. Since this is an open option, you may select to research the topic of your choice. You just need to indicate why you selected this topic, what your findings were, and what your overall reaction to your findings was.
The assignment has to meet these guidelines:
1) Your report needs to be in essay format (e.i., introduction, body and conclusion)
2) Report needs to be at least one page long.
3) Use Times New Roman font size 12 and 1” margin on each side around the page.
4) Include a list of works cited (even if it is only internet sites); include the title and the author of the source. If you found information online, include the website address and the day that you visited it. If you know APA or MLA citation style, feel free to use it
5) Write your work in your own words. If you quote another source, put the quote in quotation marks and mention the author of the quote in parenthesis. For example, “I have a dream…” (Luther King Jr., M) and give him credit at the works cited section.
You may work with another person in this project if you wish, but both have to contribute to the project and both receive the same credit.
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Option 6:
Read the information in the following three websites that talk about Mexican etiquette and customs. Either interview a person who is familiar with Mexican etiquette or do further research to validate the information provided in these websites. At the end, write a summary of your experience doing the interview or the research and what your findings were. Write your findings in an essay format following the following outline:
Introduction – State whom you interviewed and how the person is familiar with Mexican etiquette (e.g., s/he grew up in Mexico, s/he has lived in Mexico, s/he has studied a lot about Mexican and other cultures, etc.). If you did further research rather than interviewing a person, state what your sources were (which books you read, which articles on the internet you found, which videos you watched, etc.)
2nd paragraph – State what your predictions were before you did the research or interview (i.e., which of the information given you believed to be valid and which ones you believed to be invalid).
3rd paragraph – State what you discovered to be true after your interview or research. Here, you may write your information in an outline form within your paragraph if you prefer.
4th paragraph – State what you discovered to be untrue or exaggerated. After each false statement, include what would make the statement true. For example, if one of the websites claims that it is required to bring a gift over when you are invited for dinner, and you discover that it is not true, you would mention that it is not required but highly recommended to bring a gift, and the gifts that are considered acceptable are flowers (except for certain flowers) or sweets.
Conclusion – summarize what you learned and what your overall experience was doing this project. Were you surprised by the results or did your findings support what your predictions had been? Do you deem the Mexican etiquette bizarre or not weird at all? Do you consider the Mexican etiquette to be similar to that of the United States or very different? Why?
The websites are:
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/mexico-country-profile.html
“Etiquette and customs in Mexico” section only
http://www.mexicotravel101.com/mexico-culture/mexico-etiquette.aspx
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/dhughson/dhprimer.html
Since there are many points to consider in the three websites altogether, you may select from 10-15 points to focus on – you may select the ones that sound the most interesting or unbelievable to you, and then find out what is valid and what is not. You may work with another person in this project if you wish, but both persons have to contribute to the project.
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Option 7:
You may watch TV in Spanish for at least 30 minutes (either online or on TV), and write a paragraph to a page about you watched and any words that you understood. Include the name of the show(s) and when you watched it. If you do not know the name of the show, write the name or number of the channel or the website address where you watched it.
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Option 8:
Read a children's book in Spanish, and write a paragraph to a page summarizing the book, and including any new words that you learned from reading the book. Include the name of the book and how long the book is (number of pages).
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Option 9:
Read a newspaper article in Spanish, and write a summary about what you understood from what you read and any new words that you learned. Include the name of the newspaper, and the date and title of the article. This option may be done once per semester only.
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Option 10:
Have a conversation with a person in Spanish, record your conversation, and either e-mail it to me or play it to me in person. The conversation must have at least ten exchanges (an exchange refers to when person A talks and B responds). You may ask things such as their names, what they like to do,what they do on the weekends, etc.
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Option 11:
Order at a restaurant in Spanish, and have the waiter/waitress/cashier to whom you order sign the back of the receipt stating that you ordered in Spanish, and saying how well you did. Submit the receipt to me with your name on it. This option may be done once per semester only.