I. COURSE CHARACTERISTICS:
An advanced level course, corresponding to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages which aims, from a communicative perspective, to develop in an integrated and significant way, the fundamental linguistic skills (listening and reading comprehension, written and oral expression). The course has a strong focus on lexical and grammatical content whilst always seeking to respond effectively to the communicative and academic needs of the students.
II. PRE-REQUISITES: Placement Test.
III. METHODOLOGY:
The program is communicative in nature, both in its learning outcomes and the teaching methodology employed. As a result, all of the course's learning objectives are set in terms of the student's ability to use the language. The course content is directly linked to the learning objectives; and the teaching methodology is based on communicative activities accompanied by the necessary reflection on the language to facilitate its assimilation and a good command of its structures.
IV. EVALUATION SYSTEM:
The final grade for the course is distributed in the following way.
| CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT | Participation, effort and commitment throughout the course (10%) Progress test 1 (10%) Progress test 2 (10%) 1 oral presentation (10%) 2 written compositions (20%) |
60 %
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| FINAL EXAM |
40%
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V. GRADING AND CLASSIFICATION SCHEME:
In assessed pieces of work, progress tests and the final exam, the following grading and classification scheme will be used:
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Final Course Grade: (60% continuous assessment + 40% final exam)
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Quantitative Grade
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Qualitative Grade
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The student will fail in any of the following cases: |
Unsatisfactory Performance
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| 5,0 - 6,9 |
Adequate Performance
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| 7,0 - 8,9 |
Good Performance
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| 9,0 - 10 |
Excellent Performance
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VI. ATTENDANCE POLICY AND WORKLOAD:
As language study is a cumulative process which requires continual practice to assimilate knowledge and skills, attendance is obligatory. In order to receive a final grade, students must attend a minimum of 80% of classes. In exceptional cases, and for justified reasons authorized by the appropriate committee, students will be allowed to be absent for more than 20%, providing that absence is not greater than 40% of the course.
In order to ensure the maximum benefit is gained, students are required not only to attend classes, but also to participate actively in class and to dedicate a minimum of one hour of study outside of class on a daily basis. During this time, students will undertake tasks set by the professor and revise material covered.
Students must submit work in strict accordance with the deadlines set. Failure to do so will result in the assignment mark being lowered by one point for every day after the hand-in date.
VII. COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Communication Skills
By the end of the course the student will:
• be able to understand the main ideas of complex texts dealing with both concrete and abstract themes. Such texts may be theoretical in nature, but the topics will fall in the student's area of experience and expertise.
• be able to interact with native speakers in a natural way and with a degree of fluency that makes the communication process effortless for those involved.
• be able to communicate with conviction, clarity and politeness in a register appropriate to the situation and the people involved.
• be able to produce clear and detailed texts on a variety of topics.
• be able to defend a point of view on general subjects, indicating the pros and cons of the different options available.
Language Competencies
By the end of the course the student will:
• be able to communicate with clarity without having to adapt what they want to say.
• have a broad enough range of language structures available to give clear descriptions, express points of view and to develop arguments using complex sentences without needing to search for words.
• have a wide range of vocabulary relating to both general topics and topics within their own area of experience and expertise.
• be able to avoid repetition by using a variety of language structures to express the same idea, even though a lack of vocabulary may result in hesitation and the need to communicate in a more roundabout way.
• be able to demonstrate a high level of accuracy when using vocabulary. Some errors in the choice of words will be made, but these should not hinder the communication process.
• be able to show a good command of grammatical structures, despite minor errors being made from time to time. Such errors should not be systematic and should be retrospectively corrected.
• have a clear and natural pronunciation and intonation.
VIII. COURSE CONTENTS:
• NOTIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL CONTENTS
• Giving and receiving information, instructions and orders. Making and receiving requests.
• Corroborating and denying what other people have said.
• Asking for, giving and refusing permission
• Expressing (and asking about):
o Hopes and needs
o Intentions, conditions and objectives
o Total or partial agreement and disagreement
• Justifying, arguing, criticizing and defending opinions, proposals and ideas
• Showing (and responding to other people showing)
o Displeasure and dissatisfaction
o Surprise, happiness, sympathy and disappointment
o Fear, worry and resignation
o Gratitude and regret
• Making promises
• Conjecturing and expressing possibility and impossibility
• Expressing different degrees of certainty and probability
• Giving advice and responding to advice being given
• Preventing, recommending and warning and responding appropriately
• Referring to personal and collective habits and customs
• Telling anecdotes and talking about events and stories from the past
• Describing changes in someone's life or personality.
• GRAMMATICAL CONTENTS
Morphology
• Introduction to compounding and derivation (nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs)
• Characteristics of prefixes, suffixes and compounding in Spanish.
• Rules of inflection for gender and number.
• Qualifying adjectives:
o Position.
o Semantic and stylistic values.
• Special usages of the system of pronouns and determiners: Personal, demonstrative, possessive, interrogative and relative pronouns.
• Different uses of quantifiers: numerical (cardinal and ordinal), multiplicative, distributive and collective.
• Groups of indefinite pronouns
• The verb
• Consolidation of knowledge of the tense and mood system and systemization of their usage and contrasts between them. Special cases.
o Various uses of the infinitive and the gerund and their compounds.
• Reflexive and pronominal verbs.
• Periphrasis: systemization and special cases.
• Prepositions: Norms of usage.
• The use of the pronoun "se" in impersonal constructions and to substitute the passive voice.
• Adverbs ending in "-mente": discursive uses.
• Linking expressions: además, incluso, entonces, de todas maneras, en cualquier caso...
• Formal register coordinating and subordinating connectors.
• Noun, adjective, verb and adverb phrases in Spanish.
Syntax
• Systemization and consolidation of knowledge of the diverse structures of noun clauses.
• Systemization and consolidation of knowledge of reported speech.
• Relative phrases with prepositions (en, con, sobre el/la/los/las que...). Alternation with que/quien.
• Comparative constructions (es como / una especie de...+ noun; no tan... como...; mucho más... que... ).
• Pronominal constructions (acordarse de, interesarse por) and alternative syntactic structures (interesarle algo a alguien / interesarse alguien por algo).
• Subordinate clauses (causal, concessive, conditional, time and purpose): systemization of syntactic constructions and the use of less common conjunctions.
Lexical content
Sufficient vocabulary (words and expressions) to deal with the following topics with the required level of accuracy, abstraction and adaptation to context.
• Personal information
• Professional and academic Curriculum Vitae
• Health and the body
o Gestures and postures
o Position and movement
• Illness and accidents
• The city
• Municipal and social institutions
• Administrative processes
• Nature and the environment
• Geography
• Society and State
• Public administration
• Political parties and trade unions
• Population and quality of life
• Customs and cultural values
• Leisure and tourism
• Work and professional life
• Jobs and professions
IX. COURSE MATERIAL:
During the first class, the professor will indicate the textbook and/or dossier of material which will be used in the course.
X. ADDITIONAL COURSE ACTIVITIES:
Throughout the course, different complementary linguistic activities will take place to give students opportunities to put into practice the skills and knowledge acquired in class.
XI. REFERENCE MATERIAL: