BA Russian and Spanish / Course details

The course unit consists of language tuition in spoken and written Spanish at post-A level standard, with special emphasis on grammatical accuracy and vocabulary. Students of Spanish and Business and Management will be allocated to one weekly class for integrated skills where the thematic focus is on business and management issues, although the skills acquired will be the same for all students. They will share the 2 hour grammar and writing class with students of other degree programmes.

Students who take this course must have passed A-Level Spanish or have an equivalent level of competence. This course is not available as a free-choice option.

The course aims:

• to provide students with materials leading to the acquisition of a solid understanding of Spanish grammar and syntax;
• to enable students to communicate correctly in Spanish through a range of written, oral, and comprehension exercises, including prose and translation.

• Passive and active knowledge of a whole range of grammatical structures of the Spanish language.
• An ability to communicate effectively in written and oral Spanish in a variety of situations.
• An awareness of cultural potential problems of translation.
• Responsibility for their own learning.

• The ability to understand selected texts in Spanish, through knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and cultural awareness.
• the ability to develop powers of analysis and use them to solve problems;

• An ability to communicate in written and oral Spanish.
• The ability to manage time and work to deadlines.
• The ability to participate in pair and team work.
• Creativity

• Communication and presentation skills, both oral and written through presentations and teamwork.
• Self-management and study skills, including learning how to learn through self-reflection activities and self-evaluation.
• Self-confidence.
• Showing capacity to improvise.
• Role adaptability.
• Computer literacy.

Students will regularly receive individual written feedback on completed and marked assignments and oral presentations plus face-to-face discussion if desired. Besides, the tutor will provide in-class comments on homework, presentations and other exercises.

Additionally, global feedback (delivered orally in class/posted to Blackboard/as a hand-out) on frequent errors or omissions will be provided to the whole class to indicate problem areas and allow questions and discussion.

Finally, the collaborative group work and pair work used in these classes to practice presented language also facilitates peer feedback.

Summative feedback on Semester 1 examination will be given in the form of the mark given and/or a general description on how the group of students performed in the exam. Additionally, the answers to the exam questions will be made available through Blackboard.

Set texts:        

- P. Muñoz and M. Thacker, A Spanish Learning Grammar (London: Arnold). Students are strongly recommended to begin work on this book BEFORE the semester starts.

- Diccionario Oxford español-inglés, inglés-español (O.U.P.)

Recommended texts:

- E. Spinelli, English Grammar for Students of Spanish (Arnold)

- L. Aragonés y R. Palencia, Gramática de uso de español para extranjeros: Teoría y práctica (SM)

- R. E. Batchelor & M. A. San José, Using Spanish Vocabulary (Cambridge University Press)

- Diccionario didáctico del español. Básico (SM)