Composition Instructions - 211



The Spanish 200 series approaches composition as a process; the writing of each composition involves a process, and learning to write better during the three-quarter series represents a process.  In order to learn to draft and edit in Spanish, you must complete every step of this process on your own, with no help from tutors, friends, native speakers, former instructors, or benevolent strangers.  (See "Tutoring Suggestions and Policies" on the course homepage.)  Your grade will depend on how well you follow the process.  If you write all or parts of your composition in English and use an on-line translation tool, you will receive a 0 for the assignment.  These programs make idiosyncratic errors, which your instructor can easily identify.

Before you write your first composition, you must acquire a composition folder, in which to file a copy of these instructions in addition to all notes, outlines, drafts, and graded final versions of your compositions this quarter.  For example, when you turn in your second composition to your instructor, submit it in your folder, along with all materials from your first composition.  This way, both you and your instructor can follow your progress as a writer during the quarter.

The final version of your composition draft must be double spaced.  Print out your draft with double spacing as well to help you identify errors during editing. 

 GRADING CRITERIA

PROCESS (10%):  A substantial part of your grade will reflect the extent to which you followed a process of note-taking, outlining, drafting and editing.  Each step in the process must clearly build on the previous step(s).   (Note that criteria in other categories also take process into account.)

IDEAS/CONTENT (40%):  Your content must rely almost solely on vocabulary, structures, and ideas from the textbook and/or Activities Manual.  Avoid dictionary usage.  Content and vocabulary should be rich and detailed.  (Choose vocabulary carefully - these are very short compositions.)  Your composition must bear an original title that reflects the content and/or point of view.

GRAMMAR (30%):  Your composition must be free of errors in agreement, ser and estar, verb conjugations, and accents.   Your draft ("borrador") must reflect careful application of the editing process described in Appendix C (pages 500-501 of the text).  Whenever possible, you should incorporate structures we have studied in the text.  Grammar must reflect the limits of students at the 200 level.  This means applying the rules of Spanish grammar that you know and avoiding complex structures you haven't studied.  Avoid  direct translation from English to Spanish, idiomatic expressions, and other non-literal language usage that will not translate.

ORGANIZATION (20%):  Your composition must reflect a clear organization of content.  The order of ideas must be logical and smooth.  Your prose must be fluid and free of strings of short, choppy sentences.  The beginning and end of your paragraph must frame your ideas and lead your reader gracefully.


Composition 1

The instructions for the first composition in Spanish 211 are found in the "Redacción" section of Chapter 1 in your text (pages 40-41).  Follow those instructions carefully and note the following:
Composition 2

The instructions for the second composition in Spanish 211 are found in the "Redacción" section of Chapter 2 in your text (pages 83-84).  Follow those instructions carefully and note the following:

Composition 3

The instructions for the third composition in Spanish 211 are found in the "Redacción" section of Chapter 3 in your text (pages 128-129).  Follow those instructions carefully and note the following: