Studying at York
Spanish Language & Society II - LAN00012I
Module summary
This is a second-year module that studies international development issues affecting Spain and Latin America in the last two centuries. Through the appraisal of topics such as freedom and democracy, human rights, and policy-making in education, students will strengthen the most common language functions, structures, and vocabulary at Proficiency Level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
This module is intended to enable students to appraise key aspects of modern Spanish and Latin American culture and society through the study of international development issues and their effect on policy making in the last two centuries.
Through the analysis of a variety of written and aural materials in the target language, students will engage in critical discussion, interpersonal and presentational tasks. By integrating language and content instruction, this module seeks to enhance and invigorate students’ linguistic proficiency while deepening their understanding of the themes studied.
Module learning outcomes
- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of key international development issues in modern Spanish and Latin American cultures and societies.
- Critically interpret complex written and aural authentic materials.
- Employ a refined level of language proficiency and increased control in the use of language registers
- Present and develop engaging, persuasive and sophisticated arguments in both written and spoken Spanish
Module content
n/a
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 40 |
| Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 30 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 30 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 40 |
| Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 30 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 30 |
Module feedback
Feedback on formative work
- Oral commentary and dialogue within class on oral and written language work. Given immediately both to individuals and to group
- Oral commentary and dialogue on seminar presentation, given to the individual presenter following the seminar
- Written comments and mark on University scale given to individual students for practice essays, with opportunity for individual consultation; the essays will be returned to students two weeks after seminar
- Model answers may be given for class exercise/ past exam papers, with class discussion of difficulties
Feedback on summative assessment
1. Two-week open exam (Paper 1), focusing on reading and writing competencies and consisting of writing an essay that follows general academic guidelines.
- Due: Week 10, Spring Term
2. Online exam (Paper 2), covering reading comprehension, use of language and writing.
- Timing: Weeks 5-7, Summer Term
Feedback on written assessment: Written feedback to be provided within 20 working days.
3. Oral presentation, 15 minutes in total, a succinct presentation and follow-up questions.
- Timing: Weeks 3-4, Summer Term
Feedback: Individuals will be given a feedback sheet for the oral examination.
Indicative reading
Teaching materials will be supplied during the course as well as their relevant bibliographical references.
Students should also have:
- a good notebook to record vocabulary and idiomatic phrases
- a good bilingual dictionary: Collins Spanish-English dictionary (8th edition) ISBN: 0007183747
- a good monolingual dictionary: Clave Diccionario de uso del español actual ISBN: 8434851938