This course is aimed at students who already have a good level of competence in Spanish, i.e. students who have completed the LfA Spanish Lower Intermediate / 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 LfA Spanish Lower Intermediate / Spanish Language and Cultures: Lower Intermediate or equivalent.
Module will run
Occurrence
Teaching period
A
Semester 1 2024-25 to Semester 2 2024-25
Module aims
This module will steadily build the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to communicate and interact in Spanish over the course of a year. 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:
reception activities (oral, audio-video and reading comprehension);
production activities (oral and written production);
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
Assessment
None
Special assessment rules
Pass/fail
Additional assessment information
The course is non-assessed but students will receive an LFA Certificate of Completion if they participate in at least 13 sessions out of 18.
Reassessment
None
Module feedback
Regular homework tasks will provide opportunities for ongoing feedback on progress.
In addition, students will have the opportunity to complete coursework. Its purpose is not to provide a summative assessment of students’ performance but to provide the basis for relevant tutor’s feedback and feedforward.
Indicative reading
Course materials and guided readings will be provided by the module convenors via the VLE at the start of the year.