Spanish
Spanish for Beginners
Aims and objectives:
- To acquire the basic vocabulary necessary for basic communication.
- To assimilate and practise basic grammar and functions in various basic contexts.
- To develop and improve aural and oral skills mostly, and to respond to visual and written stimulus, all in a communicative context.
- To get acquainted with Hispanic countries and their cultures, and the basic variations of the Spanish language.
- To develop an awareness of learning methods.
The course will concentrate on basic functions and grammar points and will be task-based. At this level, you will learn how to use Spanish in order to:
- Greet people and introduce yourself (and your company/college)
- Give personal details (such as age and nationality)
- Talk about your family and friends
- State where you live and what you do
- Talk about your studies, interests and hobbies
- Tell time
- Book a table; order a snack, a drink and a meal
- Ask for directions, understand them and give them
- Book a hotel/conference room
- Use the telephone for basic messages
- Understand and use public transport
- Go shopping
- Make enquiries
- Describe minor ailments
- Understand and appreciate Hispanic fiestas and events
Intermediate Spanish
Intermediate 1 (Lower) - Wed 2-4
Spanish lower intermediate syllabus
Intermediate 2 (Middle) - Wed 4-6
Spanish middle intermediate syllabus
Intermediate 3 (Upper) - Thur 4-6
Spanish upper intermediate syllabus
Aims and objectives:
- To revise and reinforce basic vocabulary and structures necessary for communication.
- To assimilate and practise lower-/upper-intermediate grammar and functions in various contexts.
- To develop and improve aural and oral skills mostly, and to respond to visual and written stimulus, all in a communicative context.
- To get acquainted with Hispanic countries and their cultures, and relevant work and social aspects.
- To develop the necessary communication skills to link the student’s culture and profession to those of people in Hispanic countries.
- To develop an awareness of learning methods.
Prime importance is given to messages conveyed. The course will start with a revision of basic functions and grammar points before progressing into lower-/upper-intermediate ones. There is a choice of emphasis on oral communication, grammar or technical Spanish.
At this level, you will revise how to use Spanish in order to:
- Give personal details, talk about your family and friends
- Describe where you live, your studies, interests and hobbies
- Tell time and make enquiries/arrangements
- Ask for/Give directions and to use public transport
- Use the telephone
- Go shopping
- Describe minor ailments
You will extend your use of Spanish to link these functions to those used to:
- Express opinions on people and/or relatively simple issues
- Make comparisons and express opinions
- Talk about events in the past
- Make future arrangements
- Understand and express opinions with respect to Hispanic issues (e.g. work-related)
Advanced Spanish
Thur 2-4
Aims and objectives:
- To revise, reinforce and build on upper-intermediate vocabulary and structures necessary for communication.
- To develop futher all four communicative skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing), putting particular emphasis on individual needs.
- To extend the knowledge of Hispanic culture, particularly in the fields of technology.
- To stimulate critical, informed thinking about Hispanic issues and how to approach them.
- To encourage students to learn more independently
The course will cater for the individual needs of students and the class as a whole. There is a choice of emphasis on oral communication, grammar or technical Spanish.
3rd year Project
Topics
- Airbus / Telecommunications Spain
- Energy and its exploitation in the Hispanic world
- Dams and canals in Spanish America
Summary
Students will be encouraged to research, dissect and find solutions to technology and its application to the Hispanic world. This should be done by using all four linguistic skills and a specific knowledge of the correct terminology and structure of Spanish.
Aims
- To use Spanish in the context of ‘languages for work and life’ by including specific scientific and engineering tasks which require specific technical input and knowledge.
- To encourage students to adopt the mode of ‘learning languages for life’ by stimulating independent study and research.
- To increase language performance by means of practice and reinforcement of all four linguistic skills (listening, reading, writing and particularly speaking) so as to be able to operate to a satisfactory level in Hispanic countries or regions.
- To extend technological knowledge and understanding of Hispanic industry in its historic and socio-political environment.
- To encourage the handling of authentic materials in Spanish in any particular format.
4th year Module
Outline of 4th year module
Module Curriculum (Teaching Office website)
Links to external online resources
Sites helpful for learning Spanish exlinkim($lupath)
- Quia
- Fun quizzes
- Grammar exercises
- Brightly coloured and silly exercises for learning vocab
- Useful site with bilingual chatroom and penpal service
- BBC's Learn Spanish page
- Transcripts of BBC 'Talk Spanish' programme
- Useful gathering of information by University of Strathclyde
Newspapers, etc exlinkim($lupath)
- Si, Spain - Interactive site about Spain
- Links to most newspapers published in Spanish in Spain and Latin America
- Useful interactive encyclopdia in Spanish
Technology websites exlinkim($lupath)
In Spain
- Engineering institute of Spain
- Building designed by famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava (visited on Spain trip)
- Another building by Calatrava
- Websites of 'parques científicos y tecnológicos'
- Science council in Andalucía
- An important museum of sciences in Spain
