Spanish: Intermediate (106813753)

General information

Type:

OBL

Curs:

Period:

S semester

ECTS Credits:

2 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
	Francesco Spinoglio	Sección Español	ESP

Prerequisites

To study at this level, students need to have acheived the first part of A2 level of Spanish (A2.1-A2.2 Common European Reference Framework - CEFR).

Previous Knowledge

To study at this level, students need to have acheived the A2 level of Spanish (A2.1-A2.2 Common European Reference Framework - CEFR).

Workload distribution

Every class session includes activities to be carried out outside of class to help students assimilate the content through practice.

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM

In an increasingly globalised world, business is not only undertaken at a regional level or solely with a neighbouring country, but on a far wider scale. For this reason, developing versatile and multilingual communication skills is necessary along with a broad and varied cultural background.

Globalisation also affects the job market, there is ever greater competition and, in the case of students coming to ESADE ,the need to master Spanish is evidently important as it provides access to job markets in places such as in Latin America.

Similarly, mastering a language such as Spanish will allow students to take part in recruitment processes in Spanish-speaking companies and thus be able to find work in any part of the world.

With regard to the programme, learning and mastering Spanish will enable students an to attend classes, lectures and work groups delivered in Spanish as well as interact with their peers without difficulties.

Course Learning Objectives

The aim of this Intensive Intermediate Spanish course is to provide students with the sufficient resources needed to achieve an intermediate level of the language, enabling them to interact relatively easily in day-to-day situations.

Students will be able to develop learning strategies appropriate for their level and be able to converse with native speakers at an appropriate rhythm and speed.

Taking advantage of the immersive situation in which students find themselves, this course also aims to enable students to fully integrate in local social, cultural and academic life, participating actively and sharing spaces with faculty, classmates and others in their social setting.

By completing this level, students are expected to be able to:
- Communicate efficiently in day-to-day situations related to professional and private life.
- Understand the principal ideas of clear, simple texts in standard language related to work, study and leisure activities.
- Produce simple, coherent texts on family topics and others that are of personal interest.
- Describe experiences, desires and aspirations.
- Explain causes and consequences.
- Talk about habits and customs.
- Explain intent, plans and projects.
- Express and evaluate situations and opinions. Express agreement and disagreement. Justify an opinion. Reason.
- Give advice, make suggestions and propose solutions.

CONTENT

1. FUNCTIONAL CONTENT

-Discuss habitual actions in the past.
-Recount past events.
-Evoke past events.
-Describe situations, contexts and circumstances in the past.
-Relate two moments in time.
-Order their discourse in time (antes, después...).
-Tell an anecdote.
-Tell a story.
-Give information.
-Ask for information.
-Argue in favour of an idea or opinion.
-Express agreement and disagreement.
-Evaluate past events.
-Ask for appraisals and opinions.
-Evaluate and express opinions.
-React to news.
-Talk about customs.
-Talk about tastes and preferences.
-Express aversion.
-Propose activities.
-Give orders.
-Give instructions.
-Ask for and give permission.
-Express obligation and need.
-Give and deny permission.
-Make requests.
-Express desires.
-Talk about future actions that depend on a given condition.
-Talk about and express an opinion regarding people¿s personal natures.
-Talk about the future: plans and projects.
-Describe plans and intention.
-Describe states of mind.
-Express resignation, regret and/or embarrassment.
-Appraise/valuate.
-Express physical sensations.

2. GRAMMATICAL CONTENT

- Review of the most important grammatical concepts from the previous level:
- Irregular verbs in the present tense: morphology and use.
- Present Perfect: morphology and use.
- Past simple: morphology and use.
- Contrast Present Perfect/Indefinite.
- Habitual actions in the past: soler + infinitive.
- Indicative Imperfect: morphology and uses:
- Temporal markers for the past.
- Causal connectors (como, por+Infinitive).
- Final connectors (para+infinitive).
- Imperative mode: Affirmative and negative: morphology and use.
- Future Imperfect: morphology and use.
- Ser and estar: uses that change meaning.
- Direct and indirect object pronouns (tonic and atonic).

3. LEXICAL AND THEMATIC CONTENT

- Biographies.
- Health and well-being.
- Literature and films.
- Vocabulary related to leisure and entertainment.
- New technologies.
- Vocabulary to describe people: adjectives to describe people's characters and physical features.
- Facilities and public services.
- Vocabulary related with public services.
- Climate-related expressions.
- Leisure-time activities: sports and games.
- Travelling.
- History and society.
- Festivities and celebrations.
- Universities and studying.
- Vocabulary related to studying.
- Expressions related with emotions.
- Work: unemployment, to be unemployed, to be on unemployment benefit, to be a salaried employee/self-employed (law firm, consultancy firm, tax advisory office).
- Company departments: Human Resources (HR), marketing, etc.

4. CULTURAL CONTENT

- Greetings and introductions.
- Tú versus Usted.
- When to use the different greetings.
- Types of greetings: kiss, shake hands, etc.
- Thank, accept, excuse oneself, reject, congratulate, express condolences, toad and invite.
- Schedules: meals, shops, work, etc.
- Punctuality.
- Clothing: what is and is not appropriate.
- Spain: autonomous communities, provinces and languages.
- Linguistic markers for social relations.
- Use and choice of greetings.
- Ways to address people.
- The appropriate use of por favor and gracias.
- Linguistic expressions related to the human body and colours.
- Positive and negative courtesy.
- Discuss clichés, nationalities and stereotypes.

Methodology

The course will comply with the syllabus, carrying out activities to facilitate students's learning.

The methodology applied in language classes and in Spanish, in particular, is as follows:

- Participatory sessions, giving priority to communicative aspects though without obviating grammar
- Priority to oral skills through presentations, class discussions and interactive activities between students, all in a comfortable setting that facilitates students's learning.
- Quick learning activities that students can easily put into practice.

Due to the worldwide health emergency caused by COVID-19, it is envisaged that at least the first term be done in online mode, combining synchronous classes with flexible offline work.

Assessment criteria

To evaluate students, faculty will consider the objectives described above.

Students' final marks will comprise the following:
1. Ongoing assessment (50%): evaluated class activities.
2. Final exam (50%).
Students must pass the 2 parts (oral and written) to pass this subject.

Attendance is mandatory.

Marks: To pass this subject, students must earn a minimum of 50 points (out of 100) as their final mark for the subject. Final marks will be reflected as a numerical value from 0 to 10.

Students who fail to sit the exam or do not earn a minimum of 5 out of 10 will not pass the course and will have to re-sit the exam.

Bibliography

Gramática de uso del español. B1-B2 Editorial SM.

Timetable and sections

Group	Teacher	Department
	Francesco Spinoglio	Sección Español

Timetable

From 2021/2/5 to 2021/3/19:
Each Friday from 12:30 to 14:15.

From 2021/4/9 to 2021/4/23:
Each Friday from 12:30 to 14:15.