SPA105 Language, Culture and Society

The course is connected to the following study programs

• Spanish, One-year Programme

Teaching language

Spanish

Recommended prerequisites

Language skills equivalent to level 2 in upper secondary school (general studies branch)/ B1 Common European Framework for Languages are recommended.The main language of instruction is Spanish. It will be very demanding to follow the course without any previous knowledge.

Course contents

The course provides an introduction to the diversity of the Spanish speaking world. Working practically with different types of texts (oral, written, films and electronic resources) the students will develop their linguistic competence to be able to use Spanish in different communicative situations. The course also provides a theoretical and practical knowledge of Spanish grammar and phonetics.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge:

Upon completion of the course students shall have knowledge about

• basic grammatical structures in Spanish

• basic sounds in Spanish and their articulation

• specific cultural expressions in the Spanish speaking world

• specific political and social conditions in Spain

Skills:

Upon completion of the course students shall be able to

• communicate with understandable pronunciation and intonation in Spanish

• use a varied vocabulary in different communicative situations

• use Spanish in different written and oral communicative situations

• master basic language structures in the Spanish language

• be able to reflect individually on the themes that are discussed in the various courses

• read texts of various genres in Spanish

• place texts in a political and historical context

General competency:

Upon completion of the course students shall be able to

• master basic academic writing

• present the topics of the course in a clear and structured way both orally and in writing, and with references

• retrieve academic literature related to the subject

• express opinions about the subjects of the course

• explain and assess his/her own work and the process of learning languages, Spanish in particular

Examination requirements

The following must be completed and passed:

• Portfolio with mandatory assignments (to be further described in the semester plan)

• Mandatory attendance requirements (70%)

• Students in the teacher education: Practice period

• All other students: Project work

Teaching methods

Lectures, workshops and group work. Student active work-forms. Practice for students in the teacher education, level 5-10 and 8-13. Student active participation in practical exercises is necessary for the development of language proficiency. Consequently there are mandatory attendance requirements for parts of the course. The workload is estimated at 400 hours.

Evaluation

The study programme manager, in consultation with the student representative, decides the method of evaluation and whether the courses will have a midterm- or end of term evaluation, see also the Quality System, section 4.1.

Admission for external candidates

No

Offered as Single Standing Module

Yes. Subject to availability.

Assessment methods and criteria

Oral examination in Spanish. Graded assessment.

Reduction of Credits

This course’s contents overlap with the following courses. A reduction of credits will occur if one of these courses is taken in addition:

Course	Reduction of Credits
SPA116 – Literature and Culture 1	10
SPA102 – Spanish Grammar	5
SPA115 – Spanish Language 1	5