Spanish Language in Context: Independent Abroad III
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In this course, students will expand their linguistic and communicative competence through the effective use of linguistic resources (grammatical, lexical, and communicative) that are provided throughout the course (see Contents). In this sphere, we pursue a triple objective: consolidate previous knowledge and facilitate its practical use; allow the students to succeed in more advanced discursive environments (for example, communicating on a more abstract and complex level to develop their skills in more difficult communicative situations) and promote the students’ oral and written fluency.
Student Profile: Students who enter this level are able to accomplish everyday needs required to live in a new culture. In this course, students will develop independence and autonomy so that, when communication does break down, they have enough tools at their disposal to resolve these challenges on their own. Students should welcome correction and guidance from their instructors, hosts, and others in the community as they progress. They will also begin to recognize their own and their peers’ errors.
By the end of this course, students will begin to converse at a rate of speed approaching normal conversation. They will be creative, spontaneous and self-reliant as they solve problems, interpret texts, negotiate, express their opinions, likes and dislikes in the culture. Although students will still make errors and experience communication breakdowns, they are much more likely to resolve these on their own. Students will understand a variety of colloquial expressions and slang, and will be able to understand a wider variety of native speakers from different backgrounds. By the end of this level, students will be capable of achieving the learning outcomes outlined below.
Class attendance is MANDATORY. Each student will be allowed only two unexcused absences throughout the whole course. For each unexcused absence beyond this there will be a reduction in their final grade.
Punctuality: Students who are late to class on a regular basis will also receive a reduction in their final grade.
Students who are placed in this level should be capable of achieving the outcomes defined by the Emerging Independent Abroad level as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication.
By the end of the course students will be able to achieve the outcomes for Independent Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below:
- Intercultural Communication
- Students will be able to identify and describe at a basic level key host cultures, subcultures, habits, norms, and behaviors in a variety of settings, and they will be aware of the risk that generalizations can lead to stereotypes.
- Students will be able to discuss the validity of their own cultural beliefs, behaviors, and values by contrasting and comparing them with the host cultures.
- Students will be able to interpret gestures and body language, and they will integrate some of those non-verbal actions into their interactions with native speakers.
- Students will know how to conform to socio-cultural norms in almost any transactional event.
- Listening
- Students will be able to understand most spoken communications of moderate complexity (media, speeches, music, conversations, etc.) on a wide range of concrete everyday topics as well as abstract topics covered in classes.
- Students will be able to understand native speakers from a variety of backgrounds and limited experience with non-native speakers, and they will comprehend common colloquial expressions and slang.
- Speaking
- Students will be able to speak on and discuss a wide range of concrete everyday and personal topics, abstract topics covered in classes as well as other topics of particular interest to them.
- Students will be able to participate, initiate and respond actively in a wide variety of interactions.
- Students will be able to narrate sequences of events with some degree of accuracy.
- Reading
- Students will be able to read and understand a wide variety of articles, stories, and online texts using background knowledge to aid their comprehension.
- Students will be able to read and understand academic texts with assistance.
- Writing
- Students will be able to meet their everyday writing needs (notes, text messages, emails, chats, letters, and online forums).
- Students will be able to write brief essays for class that narrate, describe, report, compare, contrast, and summarize on a wide range of topics.
- Students will be able to edit their own and their peers’ writing.
- Creating communicative situations inside the classroom
- Working in groups and in pairs to practice language in a safe context
- Semi-controlled and free activities with an increasing degree of difficulty
- Input processing activities
- Grammatical awareness tasks
- Output activities
- Research project which must be related to Spanish culture, society, or lifestyle
- IES Abroad Salamanca Moodle platform as an additional learning tool
- Class participation - 10%
- Language journal and written compositions - 20%
- Midterm - 20%
- Final - 20%
- Research written paper - 10%
- Oral presentation - 10%
- Field study - 10%
Week |
Content |
Assignments |
Corresponding Learning Outcome(s) |
Week 1 |
Functional:
Grammatical:
Vocabulary:
Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 9-40. Language journal: Composition (200 words) |
I.A., II.A., III.A., III.B., IV.A., V.B. |
Week 2 |
Functional:
Grammatical:
Vocabulary:
Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 41-70. Literary blog (Moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words) Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading Language journal: Composition (200 words) |
I.B., II.A., III.A., III.B., IV.B., V.B.
|
Week 3 |
Functional:
Grammatical:
Vocabulary:
Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 70-100. Literary blog (Moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words) Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading Language journal: Composition (200 words) Task before the field study activity: Research on the history of the University of Salamanca (documents and on-line resources) |
I.B., II.A., III.A., III.B., IV.A., V.A.
|
Week 4 |
Functional:
Grammatical:
Vocabulary:
Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 101-131 Literary blog (moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words) Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading Language journal: Composition (200 words) Field study activity: Visit to the old library of the University of Salamanca |
I.B., II.B., III.A., III.B., IV.B., V.B.
|
Week 5 |
Functional:
Grammatical:
Vocabulary:
Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 131-161. Literary blog (moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words) Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading Language journal: Composition (200 words) Task after the field study activity: Each student makes a presentation on one of the books kept at the library (date, author, etc.) Film seminar I:Intacto Fresnadillo, 2001 |
I.B., I.C., II.B., III.A., III.B., IV.A., V.A. |
Week 6 |
Review for mid-term exam Midterm exam (2 hours-written & oral) |
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 162-190. Literary blog (moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words) Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading |
I.B., II.A., III.A., IV.B., V.B., V.C. |
Week 7 |
Functional:
Grammatical:
Vocabulary:
Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 190-222. Literary blog (moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words) Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading Language journal: Composition (200 words) Film seminar II: Intacto Fresnadillo, 2001 |
I.B., I.C., II.B., III.A., III.B., IV.A., IV.B., V.B. |
Week 8 |
Functional:
Grammatical:
Vocabulary:
Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 222-250. Literary blog (moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words) Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading Language journal: Composition (200 words) Task before the field study activity: Read an extract from El manuscrito de piedra García Jambrina |
I.A., I.B., II.A., III.A., III.B., IV.B., V.B. |
Week 9 |
Functional:
Grammatical: Vocabulary: Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 250-280. Literary blog (moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words) Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading Language journal: Bio-bibliographical review on Mario Vargas Llosa Field study activity: Visit to the Cave of Salamanca |
I.C., II.A., III.A., III.B., IV.A., V.A. |
Week 10 |
Functional:
Grammatical:
Vocabulary:
Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 280-308. Literary blog (moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words). Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading. Language journal: Composition (200 words) Literary seminar: Mañas Historias del Kronen (4-page extract) |
I.C., II.B., III.A., III.B., IV.A., V.A. |
Week 11 |
Functional:
Grammatical:
Vocabulary:
Culture:
|
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 308-338. Literary blog (moodle): Critical commentary on the reading (50 words) Glossary creation (Moodle): 10 new words/expressions that appear in the reading Language journal: Composition containing 12 words from the glossary (200 words) |
I.B., II.A., III.A., III.B., IV.B., V.B.
|
Week 12 | Review for final exam |
Required reading: Vargas Llosa Travesuras de la niña mala pp. 338-375. Language journal: Critical review on Travesuras de la niña mala (200 words) |
II.A., III.A., III.B., IV.B., V.B., V.C. |
Week 13 | Final Exam (2 hours) |
- Prisma B1 Progresa (Student book + CD). Equipo Prisma. Madrid: Edinumen, 2003.
- Vargas Llosa, Mario. Travesuras de la niña mala. Madrid: Alfaguara, 2006.
- García Jambrina, Luis. El manuscrito de piedra. Madrid: Alfaguara, 2008.
- Mañas, José Ángel. Historias del Kronen. Barcelona: Destino, 1994 [2011].
- Rosario Alonso
- Alejandro Castañeda
- Pablo Martínez
- Lourdes Miquel
- Jenaro Ortega
- José Plácido Ruiz
- Gramática básica del estudiante de español. Barcelona: Difusión, 2005.