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Spanish Language and Cultures: Intermediate - LFA00220L

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  • Department: Language and Linguistic Science
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: F
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
    • See module specification for other years: 2024-25

Module summary

This course is aimed at students who already have a good level of competence in Spanish, i.e. students who have completed the Spanish Language and Cultures Lower Intermediate course or their AS in Spanish (or equivalent). The module will take students to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), in the understanding and use of written and spoken Spanish.

Related modules

AS in Spanish or successful completion of the module Spanish Language and Culture: Lower Intermediate or equivalent.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2023-24
B Semester 2 2023-24

Module aims

This module will steadily build the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to communicate and interact in Spanish over the course of a semester. It will focus on developing a communicative competence at intermediate level, to about B1 level standard of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Students will engage, individually and/or in groups, in communicative activities and tasks emphasising three modes of communication:

  1. reception activities (oral, audio-video and reading comprehension);

  2. production activities (oral and written production);

  3. interaction activities (oral, written and online interaction).

The mediums of instruction are English and Spanish.

Module learning outcomes

On completion of the course, students will be able to:

  • understand straightforward factual, authentic texts with a satisfactory level of comprehension

  • produce short, complex texts on topics of interest and express and justify their opinion.

  • summarise, report and give their opinion about factual information

  • fill in forms and write emails, short letters and brief accounts of events in Spanish with a reasonable level of accuracy

  • express personal opinions and exchange information on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g. family, hobbies, work, travel and current events)

  • cope appropriately with most unexpected situations, problems and negotiations in Spanish

  • generally respond appropriately to the most commonly used cultural cues to discuss in appropriate terms different perceptions of culturally determined actions.

Module content

Topics may include:

  • the past (one's family’s past & origins), migrations and diasporas, happiness and personal development

  • traditions and festivities, storytelling (its role and power then and now)

  • languages: indigenous languages, one's mother tongue(s), foreign languages, “dead” languages, regional languages, their origins/ borrowings; loanwords, Esperanto

  • Performing arts (street festivals, the circus, theatre etc) and cinema

  • the Web: its uses, selfies, apps, social media, YouTubers, hashtivism; the digital divide, digital illiteracy

  • the media (its uses, its dangers); infobesity (information overload), infoxication, fake news; advertising (its uses, its dangers- incl. sexist advertising)

  • the endangered planet: throw-away behaviours vs recycling; climate change and its impacts; ecological/environmental citizenship

  • inequalities and protest movements; incivility and complaining about uncivil behaviour

  • human/ political rights, equality: sexism, racism, helping others

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) 60
Oral presentation/seminar/exam 40

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) 60
Oral presentation/seminar/exam 40

Module feedback

Students’ performance will be monitored through formative work throughout the semester and assessed via end of semester exams.

Formative assessment and feedback

  • Formative tasks done individually or in groups throughout the module

  • Feedback will include written comments for written formative work

  • Oral feedback during class discussions.

Summative assessment and feedback

Students will be given written feedback and marks for their work within the University mandated schedule.

Indicative reading

Course materials and guided readings will be provided by the module convenors via the VLE at the start of the semester.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.