BA Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

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This course unit consists of language tuition in spoken and written Spanish at proficiency level and focuses on the practice of a wide variety of language and language-related skills which will help learners use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. On successful completion of the course, students should be able to perform at Level C1/C2 of the Common European Framework for Languages. 

Students on the Modern Languages and Business & Management Programme take a strand of the translation and writing skills seminars where the thematic focus is on business and management issues. 

• to enable students to communicate with a high level of fluency, accuracy, and confidence in Spanish through oral, aural, and written exercises (prose and translation);
• to enable students to produce texts in Spanish with a detailed knowledge of all areas of grammar and syntax;
• to improve translation skills by increasing students’ sensitivity to issues of register, style and perspective when translating to and from Spanish across a range of media. 

Students should be able to demonstrate:

• A good working knowledge, both practical and theoretical, of written and spoken Spanish including different registers of language
• An understanding of the language in its broader cultural context
• A broad knowledge and a critical understanding of the cultures and societies of the Hispanic world
• An ability to translate to and from Spanish in a variety of different literary, journalistic, and semi-specialist contexts
• An enhanced awareness of translation issues and the ability to critically evaluate the outcomes
• Intercultural awareness, understanding and competence

• Ability to summarise information from different sources in the target language, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. 

• Capacity to use language creatively and precisely for a range of purposes and audiences. 

• Ability to engage with and interpret layers of meaning within texts and other cultural products. 

• Capability to contextualise from a variety of perspectives and organise and present ideas within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument. 

• Advanced ability to think critically and analytically. 

• Capacity to use and present material in the target language in written and oral forms in a clear and effective manner. 

• Further ability to manage own learning and work independently. 

• Honed writing skills: production of clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects. 

• Access resources and use information and communication technologies (ICT) appropriately. 

• Further developed skills in oral, written, interpersonal and non-verbal communication. 

• Ability to work creatively and flexibly with others as part of a team. 

• Skills in mediating and negotiating. 

• Increased self-reliance and adaptability. 

• Intercultural skills and business awareness. 

A written examination (essay writing) - 25%

A written examination (translation into Spanish) - 25%

A written examination (summary and translation into English) - 25%

Oral exam - 25%

• J. Butt and C. Benjamin, A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish. 6th edition (London: Routledge) /

• Oxford or Collins Spanish Dictionary (not concise versions) / Real Academia de la Lengua Española dictionaries on www.rae.es 

• R. E. Batchelor & M. A. San José, Using Spanish Vocabulary (CUP) 

• C. Pountain & T. de Carlos, Practising Spanish Grammar: A Workbook (London: Arnold) 

• M. Á. Novella & E. Mayorga, Crónicas de América Latina: narrativa de no-ficción (New York: Routledge) 

• M. Benedetti et al, Colección audiolibros: Relatos del Río de la Plata. Habla con eñe.