More than four hundred million people speak Spanish today (forty million of them have Spanish as a mother tongue in the USA) and the number is increasing quickly every year. The Spanish language is one of the international languages of communication in the world and is the second language of choice of many university students in Europe.

Today, one finds the presence of Spanish in new technologies such as the Internet. Hispanic literature, music, cinema, art, architecture and business are vehicles of a language and culture that reflect a vibrant latino world.

Knowledge of and interaction with other cultures and human beings is a great opportunity that today’s world offers in many ways. The learning of other languages is the most important of them. To learn a new language is to enter inside of a new, rich and different world, that shows the life and history of a people, and it helps us to know the world in which we are living.

The courses of Spanish as a foreign language are a good chance to learn basic communicative and receptive skills (oral and writing) in Spanish at four levels during the academic year. Music, literature, movies and learning in real communicative situations are keys to becoming an autonomous learner of other languages and cultures.

The program of Spanish courses offered by the Language Centre is correlated with proficiency levels established within the Common European Framework: A1-A2-B1. Teachers work with students to reach these levels, with particular attention being paid to learner needs and objectives for language acquisition. Many paths to learning, and enjoying, Spanish are possible.

Course Descriptions

LAN 085/086   Spanish - Beginner level I/II
Listening: Understanding of articulate, slow and paused messages. Following of short and simple instructions. In a conversation, understanding everyday expressions to satisfy concrete needs.

Reading: Understanding of short and simple texts: postcards, easy instructions, concrete information, public signs.

Speaking: Communicating using simple everyday words that require an interchange of direct and simple information about current and ordinary matters: greeting people, reaction to the expressions of others, asking for concrete things and services, answers to questions about oneself, purchases, time references.

Writing: Writing information about personal details, short and simple messages, completing application forms and transcription of information.

By the end of the second semester, students are expected to function at the A1 (Breakthrough) level of the Common European Framework for language learning.

Prerequisite:  For LAN 086 is LAN 085 or equivalent.

LAN 087   Spanish - Intermediate level I
Listening: Understanding information about themes relating to basic needs: personal and family information, purchases, residence, job, and following simple instructions. Sufficient understanding to satisfy basic needs, identifying the main themes in a conversation. Understanding short, clear and simple messages and information. Comprehending essential information in recorded messages about current matters, pronounced with clarity. Following television news.

Reading: Reading short and simple texts, identifying the general idea of the argument. Finding specific information in current everyday texts like menus, notices, prospectuses and timetables. Understanding personal letters. Understanding safety and use rules. Finding specific information in newspapers, encyclopedia, web sites.

Speaking: Communicating with basic vocabulary and exchanging information about current matters. Asking for -and offering- normal services. Describing one’s family, other persons, life conditions, education and job. Exchanging opinions to express thoughts in direct dialogue. Managing social exchanges and short conversations. Expressing feelings. Exchanging opinions, agreeing or disagreeing, suggesting, etc..

Writing: Writing notes and short messages, relating to immediate needs as well as simple personal letters. 


 

By the end of the semester, students are expected to be able to function at the A2 (Waystage) level of the Common European Framework for language learning.

 

Prerequisite: LAN 086 or equivalent.

LAN 088   Spanish - Intermediate level II
Listening: Understanding the aim of ideas and specific details about information and debates related to everyday activities. Following of conferences about general themes, detailed instructions, radio news, recordings about current themes and TV programs.

Reading: Understanding short texts related to background knowledge. Finding specific information in a variety of documents and the most meaningful ideas in journal articles. Following instructions to use appliances. comprehending expressions about facts and feelings in personal letters.

Speaking: Resolve travel situations. Exchanging and verifying information, opinions and arguments. Participate in improvised conversations, expressing feelings, beliefs, agreeing and disagreeing. Participate in formal meetings, being able to repeat what  has been said to confirm comprehension. Present people, situations, and report facts and experiences, and narrate a book argument or film expressing one’s own reactions. Explain plans, actions and opinions.

Writing: Writing simple and coherent texts about matters of current or personal interest. Narrate experiences and facts and write short reports. Communicating information, setting out the most important aspects and writing personal letters describing experiences, feelings and impressions in a substantive fashion.

By the end of the semester, students are expected to be well on their way to functioning at the B1 (Threshold) level of the Common European Framework for language learning.

Prerequisite: LAN 087 or equivalent.