Spanish 200 - Intermediate Spanish

Course Summary

This course is designed for students who have a basic set of Spanish language skills. The focus of the course is on the use of language and grammar contents that allow the students acquire a greater communicative competence.

Student will be fully immersed in an environment of Spanish and will be obligated to use it in routine situations. These characteristics collaborate to teach the students in an accelerated and dynamic way. This intensive course encourages the student to utilize their exposure to the unique characteristics of Argentine culture, while stimulating contact with the language through various outlets and local medias.

2. General Purpose and Objectives of the Course

A. Purpose:
The general purpose of the course is to amplify the range of communicative contexts in which the student is able to participate. Upon completion of the course, the students should be capable of relating stories, describing the past, expressing possibilities, doubts, suggestions, and advice. From a grammatical point of view, special emphasis will be placed on the difference between: ser/estar, para/por, indefinite/imperfect. Focus will also be placed on incorporating vocabulary, oral and written self-correction, and the organization of information in texts.

B. Objectives of the Course:
1. Incorporate vocabulary and grammar at the intermediate level
2. Contextualize grammatical elements
3. Emphasize the relationship between the language and the culture as a way of understanding how one can be learned through the other

Unit 1: Presentation of the phonetic characteristics, morfosyntax, and Argentine vocabulary. Review of the uses of the past imperfect and of the past indefinite of the indicative mood. Presentation of the imperfect/indefinite. The past pluscuamperfecto of the indicative mood. The connection among actions of the past. Ser y Estar: main uses.

Unit 2: Uses of the future imperfect in the indicative mood. Uses of the conditional simple: temporary value, the expression of courtesy. Hypothetical value in the future imperfect and of the conditional simple.

Unit 3: Direct and indirect object pronouns. Positions and when to use object pronouns. Verbs like 'gustar'. The imperative mood. Mandates and pronominal phrases.

Unit 4: Basic uses of prepositions. Presentation of por/para

Unit 5: The subjunctive mood. The concept of 'verbal moods' in Spanish. Presentation of the present form of the subjunctive: morphology. The present subjunctive to express will, emotion, persuasion, influence, doubt, and possibility.

3.1 Cultural Contents:

As stated above, one of the objectives of the course is to emphasize the relationship between language and culture. It is our belief that when studying a foreign language it is imperative that cultural guidelines of the linguistic community are incorporated into the language learning. The cultural components of this course will be integrated through the use of texts, movies, songs, visits to museums, etc…

4. Didactic Material

Intermediate I Workbook, Intensive Spanish Courses for Foreigners, Belgrano University.

5. Methods

Students will work on different types of written and oral exercises, lectures, comprehension, and analize different texts; written productions, oral presentations, debates, songs, games, Argentine movies with Spanish subtitles. The Department of Spanish as a Foreign Language also makes use of the university language lab.

6. Evaluation

Classroom activity will correspond with the homework given. Likewise, the students will complete brief written assignments. In the allocation of final points, participation will include the completion of homework, various compositions, and every other form of active involvement with classroom exercises. Students will also be evaluated by a final oral and written examination.