Introduction to the Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures I Course Descriptor

Course Overview

This course is designed for students with little or no knowledge of Spanish. It introduces students to the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures through the use of authentic cultural materials and culture-centred activities. Students will acquire basic linguistic skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as the development of transcultural competence. This course explores tasks and cultural perspectives related to daily life in the Spanish-speaking world. 

Course Aims

This course aims to provide:

• Foundational skills in Spanish and an understanding of various aspects of Hispanic culture
• An appreciation of interculturality and diversity

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Professional Skills

Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning strategies for this course will include: 

A minimum of 36 contact hours, typically to include interactive group teaching, co-curriculars, individual meetings, in-class presentations and exams.

Course information and supplementary materials are available on the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Students will receive individualised developmental feedback on their work for this course.

Students are required to attend and participate in all the formal and timetabled sessions for this course. Students are also expected to manage their directed learning and independent study in support of the course.

Assessment

Formative

Students will be formatively assessed in class through class activities, and during office hours. Formative assessments are ones that do not count towards the final grade but will provide students with developmental feedback.

Summative

Further information on the structure of summative assessment elements can be found in the Summative Assessment Briefs.

Feedback

Students will receive feedback in a variety of ways: written (including via email correspondence); oral (within office hours or on an ad hoc basis) and indirectly through class discussion.

Feedback is provided on summative assessment and is made available to the student either via email, the VLE or another appropriate method.

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is used as part of the approval/modification process only.

Books

Experience Spanish 3^rd Edition, McGraw Hill
by María Amores, Anne Wendel, and José Luis Suárez-García

Journals

NA

Electronic Resources

NA

Indicative Topics

• Everyday spoken and written Spanish
• Spanish language contexts
• Hispanic cultures