At the end of this 4-credit course students will be able to:x
Express themselves in a variety of contexts
Relate different pieces of information
Establish cause and consequence
Converse with ease in limited formal and informal situations
Research has demonstrated that study abroad can enhance every aspect of language ability. One of the most important general findings of this research is, however, that study abroad is most beneficial for the development of abilities related to social interaction. Students who go abroad can learn to do things with words, such as requesting, apologizing, or offering compliments, and they may also learn to interpret situations calling on such speech acts in ways that local people do…In short, and logically, study abroad has been shown to enhance the aspects of communicative competence that are most difficult to foster in classroom settings (IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication, p. 6).
Prerequisites:
In this course the student is able to express self in a variety of contexts and also is able to relate information and establish cause and consequence, converse with ease in limited formal and informal situations.
Attendance policy:
Attendance is mandatory for all IES classes, including field studies. Any exams, tests, presentations, or other work missed due to student absences can only be rescheduled in cases of documented medical or family emergencies. If a student misses more than three classes in any course half a letter grade will be deducted from the final grade for every additional absence. Seven absences in any course will result in a failing grade.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve the outcomes for the Novice Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below:
I.Intercultural Communication
A. Students will be able to meet simple everyday needs using verbal and non-verbal communication, and they will be able to use compensatory strategies when they do not know the word or expression (paraphrasing, repetition, talking around the point, body language etc.).
B. Students can recognize some appropriate and inappropriate expressions and behaviors in the host language.
C. Students will be able to distinguish between simple representations of formality and informality in the language.
D. Students will identify some differences between cultural stereotypes and generalizations between the home culture and the host culture.
E. Students will start to make informed comparisons between their host culture and the home culture.
II.Listening
A. Students will be able to understand simple statements, requests, descriptions, and questions in specific cultural context relevant to them (hosts’ interactions, Center interactions, studying, shopping, transportation, meals).
B. Students will be able to use context to understand the gist of some spoken language they overhear, including the media, conversations between others, and announcements.
III.Speaking
A. Students will be able to use simple phrases appropriately in everyday situations with increasing accuracy (home, the IES Abroad Center, and the community).
B. Students will be able to express simple needs by asking questions, and get what they need in uncomplicated, everyday situations.
IV.Reading
A. Students will be able to identify and understand simple sentences and deduce meaning from context if it is relevant to their studies.
B. Students will be able to interpret main ideas in short passages and news headlines if they are relevant to them.
V.Writing
A. Students will be able to write short texts about concrete topics, such as themselves, their families, their friends, their likes, dislikes, plans, experiences and their daily routines.
B. Students will be able to send simple emails, text messages, and fill out some simple forms.
C. Students will be able to write with increased accuracy, although using some native language structures.
Method of presentation:
Language instructors will use the classroom as a space to structure the practice of Spanish language through role plays, activities, dialogues, structured reading, and written practice to facilitate learning. Students are expected to take initiative and engage with the community.
Required work and form of assessment:
Midterm: 10%; Final Exam: 20%; Oral Exams (2 exams): 10%; Quizzes (6 quizzes minimum on listening, speaking, reading, writing, intercultural communication): 15%; Video/Oral presentation: 10%; Compositions: 15%; Field studies: 10%; Class participation: 10%.
content:
Week 1, Unit 1
1.Functional: Biography of the ideal candidate for a job position; Talking about habits in the present.
2.Grammatical: Preterite Perfect
3.Vocabulary: Working environments in Spain and the US
4.Culture: Working contracts, Vacations
Week 2, Unit 1
1.Functional: Talking about experiences in the past; beginning, duration, and location of an action at any specific time
2.Grammatical: Periphrasis and Gerund
3.Vocabulary: Professions
4.Culture: Changes when living abroad
Week 3, Unit 2
1.Functional: Talking about rules for class and society; talking about habits
4.Culture: Tongue-twister, new ways of communicating
Week 7, Unit 6
1.Functional: Expressing emotions, talking about the past.
2.Grammatical: Contrast of past tenses,
“estar+gerund”.Time conjunctions.
3.Vocabulary: Time markers, historical events, emotions
4.Culture: Spanish culture: history of Spain and other special moments in history.
Week 8, Unit 6
1.Functional: Express emotions, talk about the past.
2.Grammatical: Contrast of past tenses,
“estar+gerund”.Time conjunctions.
3.Vocabulary: Time markers, historical events, emotions
4.Culture: Spanish culture: A history of Spain and other special moments in history.
Week 9, Unit 7
1.Functional: Asking for information and favours.
Ways of granting favours. Asking permission.
Ways of granting permission. Courtesy: t?/usted.
To give excuses and justifications. Different ways to say thank you.
2.Grammatical: Verbs: dar, pasar, prestar-dejar, tener, traer and llevar.
The structures: Poder + infinitivo; Importar + Presente; Importar + si + Presente
The conditional tense (politeness).
Es que + conjugated verb.
3.Vocabulary:
Daily objects and places (clase, casa, bares, restaurante); Verbs used for asking: dar, pasar, prestar-dejar, tener, traer y llevar.
Expressions for giving thanks.
4.Culture: Courtesy and Spanish people.
Different levels of formality according to different situations. How to deny favours adequately.
Week 10, Unit 7
1.Functional: Asking for information and favours.
Ways of granting favours. Asking permission.
Ways of granting permission.
Courtesy: t?/usted. To give excuses and justificate. Expressions for giving thanks.
2.Grammatical: Verbs: dar, pasar, prestar-dejar, tener, traer and llevar.
The structures: Poder + infinitivo; Importar + Presente; Importar + si + Presente
The conditional tense (politeness).
Es que + conjugated verb.
3.Vocabulary:
Daily objects and places (clase, casa, bares, restaurante); Verbs used for asking for something: Dar, pasar, prestar-dejar, tener, traer y llevar.
Expressions for thanking.
4.Culture:
Courtesy and Spanish people.
Different levels of formality according to different situations.
How to deny favours adequately.
Week 11, Unit 8
1. Functional: Talking about future actions and situations.
Expressing conditions.
Structures to formulate hypothesis.
2.Grammatical: The Future tense.
Structures:
Si + Presente de Indicativo + Future
Depende (de) + sustantivo
Words expressing probability: seguramente, probablemente, posiblemente, seguro que, supongo que.
3.Vocabulary: Problems of the world: clima, contaminaci?n, pobreza, etc.
About circumstances and situations related to life experiences: Casarse, tener ?xito, hacerse rico, tener hijos, etc.
4.Culture: Comparing the problems that worry the Spanish and the Americans.
Week 12, Unit 9
1.Functional: Narrating in present tense.
Summarize a movie’s plot. To tell jokes in Spanish.
2.Grammatical: Forms and uses of the pronouns:
DO and IO. The Present Tense.
3.Vocabulary: Genres: Pel?culas, obras de teatro, novelas y programas de televisi?n.
About cinema: Gui?n, sinopsis, director, productor, etc.
4.Culture: The Spanish sense of humour. Different types of jokes.
Required readings:
Textbook (LA):
Corpas, Jaime; Garmendia, Agust?n y Soriano, Carmen (2005). Aula 3 Barcelona: Difusi?n.
Notes:
This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.
At the end of this 4-credit course students will be able to:x
Research has demonstrated that study abroad can enhance every aspect of language ability. One of the most important general findings of this research is, however, that study abroad is most beneficial for the development of abilities related to social interaction. Students who go abroad can learn to do things with words, such as requesting, apologizing, or offering compliments, and they may also learn to interpret situations calling on such speech acts in ways that local people do…In short, and logically, study abroad has been shown to enhance the aspects of communicative competence that are most difficult to foster in classroom settings (IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication, p. 6).
In this course the student is able to express self in a variety of contexts and also is able to relate information and establish cause and consequence, converse with ease in limited formal and informal situations.
Attendance is mandatory for all IES classes, including field studies. Any exams, tests, presentations, or other work missed due to student absences can only be rescheduled in cases of documented medical or family emergencies. If a student misses more than three classes in any course half a letter grade will be deducted from the final grade for every additional absence. Seven absences in any course will result in a failing grade.
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve the outcomes for the Novice Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below:
I.Intercultural Communication
A. Students will be able to meet simple everyday needs using verbal and non-verbal communication, and they will be able to use compensatory strategies when they do not know the word or expression (paraphrasing, repetition, talking around the point, body language etc.).
B. Students can recognize some appropriate and inappropriate expressions and behaviors in the host language.
C. Students will be able to distinguish between simple representations of formality and informality in the language.
D. Students will identify some differences between cultural stereotypes and generalizations between the home culture and the host culture.
E. Students will start to make informed comparisons between their host culture and the home culture.
II.Listening
A. Students will be able to understand simple statements, requests, descriptions, and questions in specific cultural context relevant to them (hosts’ interactions, Center interactions, studying, shopping, transportation, meals).
B. Students will be able to use context to understand the gist of some spoken language they overhear, including the media, conversations between others, and announcements.
III.Speaking
A. Students will be able to use simple phrases appropriately in everyday situations with increasing accuracy (home, the IES Abroad Center, and the community).
B. Students will be able to express simple needs by asking questions, and get what they need in uncomplicated, everyday situations.
IV.Reading
A. Students will be able to identify and understand simple sentences and deduce meaning from context if it is relevant to their studies.
B. Students will be able to interpret main ideas in short passages and news headlines if they are relevant to them.
V.Writing
A. Students will be able to write short texts about concrete topics, such as themselves, their families, their friends, their likes, dislikes, plans, experiences and their daily routines.
B. Students will be able to send simple emails, text messages, and fill out some simple forms.
C. Students will be able to write with increased accuracy, although using some native language structures.
Language instructors will use the classroom as a space to structure the practice of Spanish language through role plays, activities, dialogues, structured reading, and written practice to facilitate learning. Students are expected to take initiative and engage with the community.
Midterm: 10%; Final Exam: 20%; Oral Exams (2 exams): 10%; Quizzes (6 quizzes minimum on listening, speaking, reading, writing, intercultural communication): 15%; Video/Oral presentation: 10%; Compositions: 15%; Field studies: 10%; Class participation: 10%.
Week 1, Unit 1
1.Functional: Biography of the ideal candidate for a job position; Talking about habits in the present.
2.Grammatical: Preterite Perfect
3.Vocabulary: Working environments in Spain and the US
4.Culture: Working contracts, Vacations
Week 2, Unit 1
1.Functional: Talking about experiences in the past; beginning, duration, and location of an action at any specific time
2.Grammatical: Periphrasis and Gerund
3.Vocabulary: Professions
4.Culture: Changes when living abroad
Week 3, Unit 2
1.Functional: Talking about rules for class and society; talking about habits
2.Grammatical: Prohibition structures; quantifiers; impersonal “se”
3.Vocabulary: Daily life; Spanish situations; Spanish customs: Work, school...
4.Culture: Spanish holidays and daily situations.
Week 4, Unit 3
1.Functional: Talking about the most important moments in recent past times
2.Grammatical: Preterite Imperfect; time markers for past and present; then and now comparisons
3.Vocabulary: Habitual situations in the past; great inventions
4.Culture: History and facts about Spain
Week 5, Unit 4
1.Functional: Designing an advertising campaign. Talking about marketing and commercials.
2.Grammatical: Affirmative and negative; imperative with pronouns.
3.Vocabulary: All about advertising
4.Culture: Spanish commercials, advertising values, etc.
Week 6, Unit 5
1.Functional: Transmit messages and communication strategies. Communication through the phone and short messages.
2.Grammatical: Indirect speech. Pronouns. Pronunciation
3.Vocabulary: Taboo game
4.Culture: Tongue-twister, new ways of communicating
Week 7, Unit 6
1.Functional: Expressing emotions, talking about the past.
2.Grammatical: Contrast of past tenses,
“estar+gerund”.Time conjunctions.
3.Vocabulary: Time markers, historical events, emotions
4.Culture: Spanish culture: history of Spain and other special moments in history.
Week 8, Unit 6
1.Functional: Express emotions, talk about the past.
2.Grammatical: Contrast of past tenses,
“estar+gerund”.Time conjunctions.
3.Vocabulary: Time markers, historical events, emotions
4.Culture: Spanish culture: A history of Spain and other special moments in history.
Week 9, Unit 7
1.Functional: Asking for information and favours.
Ways of granting favours. Asking permission.
Ways of granting permission. Courtesy: t?/usted.
To give excuses and justifications. Different ways to say thank you.
2.Grammatical: Verbs: dar, pasar, prestar-dejar, tener, traer and llevar.
The structures: Poder + infinitivo; Importar + Presente; Importar + si + Presente
The conditional tense (politeness).
Es que + conjugated verb.
3.Vocabulary:
Daily objects and places (clase, casa, bares, restaurante); Verbs used for asking: dar, pasar, prestar-dejar, tener, traer y llevar.
Expressions for giving thanks.
4.Culture: Courtesy and Spanish people.
Different levels of formality according to different situations. How to deny favours adequately.
Week 10, Unit 7
1.Functional: Asking for information and favours.
Ways of granting favours. Asking permission.
Ways of granting permission.
Courtesy: t?/usted. To give excuses and justificate. Expressions for giving thanks.
2.Grammatical: Verbs: dar, pasar, prestar-dejar, tener, traer and llevar.
The structures: Poder + infinitivo; Importar + Presente; Importar + si + Presente
The conditional tense (politeness).
Es que + conjugated verb.
3.Vocabulary:
Daily objects and places (clase, casa, bares, restaurante); Verbs used for asking for something: Dar, pasar, prestar-dejar, tener, traer y llevar.
Expressions for thanking.
4.Culture:
Courtesy and Spanish people.
Different levels of formality according to different situations.
How to deny favours adequately.
Week 11, Unit 8
1. Functional: Talking about future actions and situations.
Expressing conditions.
Structures to formulate hypothesis.
2.Grammatical: The Future tense.
Structures:
Si + Presente de Indicativo + Future
Depende (de) + sustantivo
Words expressing probability: seguramente, probablemente, posiblemente, seguro que, supongo que.
3.Vocabulary: Problems of the world: clima, contaminaci?n, pobreza, etc.
About circumstances and situations related to life experiences: Casarse, tener ?xito, hacerse rico, tener hijos, etc.
4.Culture: Comparing the problems that worry the Spanish and the Americans.
Week 12, Unit 9
1.Functional: Narrating in present tense.
Summarize a movie’s plot. To tell jokes in Spanish.
2.Grammatical: Forms and uses of the pronouns:
DO and IO. The Present Tense.
3.Vocabulary: Genres: Pel?culas, obras de teatro, novelas y programas de televisi?n.
About cinema: Gui?n, sinopsis, director, productor, etc.
4.Culture: The Spanish sense of humour. Different types of jokes.
Textbook (LA):
Corpas, Jaime; Garmendia, Agust?n y Soriano, Carmen (2005). Aula 3 Barcelona: Difusi?n.
This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.