1. Grammar and Conversation
This course will focus on the following topics:
1. Ser and Estar
-Attributive use
-Non-attributive use
-Auxiliary
-Idioms with ser and estar
2. Indicative Mood
-Use of the verbal tenses: contrasts, alternation
-General scheme of the probable (or approximate)/ exact (or certain) in the indicative.
3. Subjunctive Mood I
-Temporal forms of the subjunctive
-Verbs that take the subjunctive: negation and subjunctive
-Independent clauses: Subjunctive /Indicative mood
4. Subjunctive Mood II
-Subordinate nouns
5. Subjunctive Mood III
-Adjectival-relative subordinates
6. Subjunctive Mood IV: adverbial subordinates II
-Temporal adverbial subordinates
-Ending adverbial subordinates
7. Subjunctive V: adverbial subordinates II
-Causal adverbial subordinates
-Consecutive adverbial subordinates
-Comparative adverbial subordinates
8. Subjunctive VI: adverbial subordinates III
-"Subordinadas adverbials concesivas"
-Conditional adverbial subordinates
9. Uses of "Se" and reflexive verbs
-Passive form of "se"
-Basic uses of "se"
-Impersonal construction of "se"
10. Prepositions
-Preposition uses
-Prepositions and nominalization
-Adjectives with prepositional rules

Conversation:
I. Theoretic-practical review of the following grammatical topics:
1. Alphabet (peculiarities, phonetic traits), spelling, punctuation marks, capital letters
2. Accentuation: dipthongs, triphthongs, hiatus. Monosyllable words, compound words.
3. Indicative tenses: present-values and uses
past-uses and differences
future and conditional-probability
4. Uses of pronouns
5. The correlation of tenses
6. Indirect style. Complications
7. Subordinate noun clauses
8. Relatives: uses
9. Adjectival subordinate clauses
10. Adverbial subordinate clauses
11. "Ser/Estar"
12. Prepositions
The exercises and explanations regarding the above themes are related to the topics covered in the grammar class.

II. Presentations-analysis of errors
Students will have to do a presentation (10 minute minimum) over an assigned theme. The professor will facilitate the materials necessary for the research of these themes. Possible themes include: colloquial Spanish, the university, Spanish cuisine, means of transportation in Spain, ecology, terrorism, Flamenco, film, etc.

III. Compositions
Students will write a composition of 150-200 words that discusses a theme related to the previously discussed grammatical topics such as: onomatopoeia, synonyms, past tenses, point of view, prepositions, etc.

IV. Dictation
"Se haran dictados para completer la preparación grammatical, ortográfica y lexica del alumno. Se cita a continuación una muestra:
1. Vicente Soto. La Zancada -Práctica de diminutivos
2. Julio Cortazar. Historia de cronopios y de famas practica de léxico
Práctica de léxico
3. Ramón J. Sender. La tesis de Nancy Las palabras en su contexto
4. Martin Santos. Tiempo de Silencio Practica de pronombres
Interpretación del texto. Comentario posterior
5. Eugene Ionesco. La cantante calva Práctica de las oraciones subordinadas.

2. Oral Comprehension

The primary objective of this course is to help students obtain a linguistic capability that allows them to hold a prolonged conversation in Spanish as well as working on pronunciation and language usage. Students participate in a variety of discussions and presentations to help them with their oral communication skills.

Students will choose between various proposed themes or topics of their interest and prepare a short presentation in which they will also lead a class discussion over the presentation. Proposed themes may include the following: immigration, drug abuse, Spanish society, the Spanish education system, etc.

Students will also participate in group exercises in which each student will lead a discussion in their group utilizing different grammatical topics discussed in previous classes. The professor as well as the students will work together in making grammar, pronunciation, and language usage corrections.

3. Written Comprehension

This course will consist of reading and discussing a diverse group of texts including periodicals, literary and scientific texts that reflect aspects of Spanish culture and daily life. Special attention will be placed on writing compositions and vocabulary acquisition.

The following themes and texts will be discussed and used in this course:
I. Shopping
Text: "Aprovecha las rebajas, pero no bajes la guardia"
-Vocabulary: commercial language. Synonyms and antonyms
-Discuss the differences between "rebajas", "saldos" and "liquidaciones"
-Cultural: Get to know the customs and business hours.
-Written exercises: "¿Te gustan las rebajas? ¿Son iguales th tu país?
II. An image of Spain
Text: "Malas costumbres. Texto extraído de Guía de malas costumbres españolas.
-Vocabulary: identification of adjectives
-Cultural: Defects and virtues of Spaniards
-Writing exercises: ¿Qué le falta a Madrid?
III. Tell me a story
Text: "La otra"(Incomplete text)Rosa Montero
-Vocabulary: synonyms and antonyms, olloquial language.
-Give and ask for information about the characters.
-Writing Exercise: The student will write the ending of the text read.
IV. Politics
Text: "La nueva resistencia" Fernando Savater
-Vocabulary: political language
-Political changes in Spain
-Writing exercise: give opinion on article
V. Suite 347
Text: Biography of Picasso
-Vocabulary: artistic language
-Writing exercise: visit the Suite 347 exposition and write a brief commentary
VI. Windmills
Text: "Don Quixote de la Mancha"
-Cultural: An introduction to Quijote. Visit Alcalá de Henares
VII. "La Fiesta de San Isidro"
Text: "Los niños y los toros" Joaquín Vidal
-Discuss changes and transformations
-Discuss the importance of the festival of bulls
VIII. Spain and Brussels
Texts: "Analisis de la commission Europea para España"
-Vocabulary: political language
-Cultural: discuss aspects of Spanish international relations
-Writing exercise: brief essay on differences between Spain and students' country
IX. Juvenile Delinquency
Text: "Condenado a aprender Castellano"
-Vocabulary: law terminology
-Cultural: Discuss the modern legal system of Spain.
XX. Health
Text: "La donación de sangre" J. Sanchez
-Discuss the informative campaigns promoting illness prevention.
XI. Lets go to the Movies!
Text: "El ultimo sueño" Pedro Almodóvar (Interview 9/14/1999)
-Discuss familial situations and way of life in Extremadura
-Writing exercise: write about the way of life of the people from your hometown