Spanish Level 1

On successful completion of this module, you will be better prepared to:

• respond to and produce a basic range of spoken language in very familiar contexts;
• respond to and produce simple written texts;
• demonstrate the relevant level of intercultural awareness in your handling of everyday social interactions in Spanish and your use of language;
• engage with a basic range of digital language-learning tools to support your production.
  

 In this module, you will cover the following linguistic structures:

• the present tense, the imperative and the near future;
• personal and object pronouns;
• articles (definite, indefinite) and possessive adjectives;
• the declension of nouns and pronouns;
• reflexive verbs;
• the preterite tense;
• prepositions, conjunctions and quantifiers;
• impersonal forms;
• verbs like gustar.

These linguistic structures will be applied to the following topics:

• making contact;
• directions and travel;
• expressing opinions;
• work, training and the professions;
• eating and drinking;
• holidays and leisure;
• family and relationships;
• providing and understanding information;
• social and behavioural norms;
• selected cultural areas and personalities from Spanish-speaking countries.

In line with MFL communicative and active learning methodologies in-class activities cover all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and include: pair work and groupwork (dialogue practice, information gap exercises, discussion and collection of key terms/ideas followed by report to plenum);  individual tasks (face to face and online); discovery and formulation of rules; work with texts, audio and video material to develop learning and communicative skills. Homework and coursework tasks give you the opportunity to revise and consolidate knowledge and skills and to develop awareness of how to use language learning tools independently. This approach not only ensures you engage with a wide range of tasks but also supports different learning styles.

Your coursework will be marked and returned within two weeks. Rubrics and revision guidance (how-to guides) will be included as needed with each coursework. You will receive detailed feedback alongside suggestions for improvement and an overall percentage showing your provisional grade for that assessment.

The module includes formative as well as summative assessment. Homework tasks (theory revision, reading, writing, listening, etc) are set every week on the Virtual Learning Environment, following a flipped-classroom approach to ensure face-to-face time is devoted to interactional learning and communicative skills acquisition. This means that you will be provided with materials to study independently beforehand and then apply these during classroom time. Your lecturer will provide you with support materials and guidance to reinforce topics covered at your own pace.  

You will need to complete two pieces of summative coursework (set toward the end of autumn term and mid-spring term), which will include rubrics and revision guidance to ensure you are supported when completing your work and so that you are aware of the assessment expectations. There will also be a 1-hour in-class examination (scheduled at the end of spring term), and one practical - in the form of an oral examination (at the end of spring term or during the summer term). The coursework, examination and practical contribute to your final grade.

• Coursework (25%): Portfolio of tasks, at the end of autumn term, integrating receptive (reading/ listening) and productive (writing/ speaking) skills (including written task of c. 100 words).
• Coursework (25%): integrated skills task-based pack, in mid-spring term, including: listening, speaking and writing (c. 100 words).
• Examination (25%): In-class test, run on the Virtual Learning Environment (Bring Your Own Device). This 1-hour test will take place at the end of spring term. It will include a grammar/ lexicon quiz, a reading comprehension and a writing task (120-150 words).
• Practical (25%): Oral exam (end of spring term), including graded, open conversation on topics seen in class and unprepared communicative task (e.g. role-play, describing an image, Q&A, etc.) (approx. 10 minutes).

• 7.5 ECTS points awarded on successful completion of the module.
• Available to take for credit towards your degree, where your department allows. Also available for extra credit. The Module options by department page has a full list of the credit options.
• You must be prepared to attend all classes and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week in addition to the assessment.
  
  

Coursebook: Aula Internacional Plus 1: Student's book + Exercise book + Mp3 audio download (English ed.), Jaime Corpas et al. Ed. Difusión, 2020, ISBN: 9788418224157*

*Please note that purchase of the designated coursebook will be required, as this is an essential tool for study and revision and will be used on a daily basis in the class.

Handout materials will be provided in class. Extra grammar practice, exercises and recommended resources for independent learning will be available on Blackboard.

Other coursebook related resources

Campus Difusión

Further grammar support

Collins Easy Learning Spanish Grammar & Practice, Harper Collins 2016, ISBN: 9780008141646.