Spanish Proficiency Unit 3

When & Where

23 April 2024 - 2 July 2024 ( 15 hours, 10 weeks )
Evening, Tuesday
View course timetable
Online

Quick Facts

Availability Yes
Tutor Chloe Tringalas
Course Code W23HMSL04C
Suitable For 19 year olds and up are permitted on this course

What you will learn

This is an interactive online course where students engage in tailor-made activities aimed to enhance their linguistic skills and develop their capacity for critical thinking consolidating and increasing their knowledge and understanding of the language, culture and society of Spanish speaking countries, All topics aim to extend the vocabulary range, develop control of the grammatical and syntactical system to convey meaning accurately, refine all aspects of the language that allow the students to interact effectively with native speakers and become increasingly confident, accurate and independent users of the language, either for personal or intellectual purposes. Students will explore and discuss topics related to contemporary matters, current affairs and cultural issues related to Spanish-speaking countries, read and engage critically with stimulating texts, videoclips, and other materials in the original language, improve pronunciation and develop the ability to research and present a topic of their choice.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Convey meaning and communicate confidently, clearly end effectively for a range of different purposes, with increased accuracy and control of the language system
Develop the ability to structure ideas and information confidently and efficiently, orally and in writing.
Report objectively, express opinion, develop arguments, evaluate and participate actively in discussions.
Develop the ability to listen and respond to a variety of spoken sources and interact effectively with native speakers.
Improve pronunciation and intonation. Increase linguistic autonomy and creativity.

Cost

Full fee

£140

Concession fee

£105

Class format and activities

The course will be delivered through remote classes online. You will need access to Microsoft Teams via a laptop and internet access. This is a communicative course that uses a variety of methods and visuals adapted for online learning. The student-centred approach requires a variety of communicative, collaborative activities involving language manipulation: simulations, debates, discussions, and presentations. These online activities are complemented by extensive reading, reading for gist, and listening activities, including authentic as well as learning specific listening audio recordings and video-clips. Many of the reading and listening activities are completed as a preparatory activity before the lesson, so that more online time is spent in collaborative follow-up activities and commentaries and specially designed tasks geared to improve pronunciation and intonation. Grammar and syntax are also included as communicative learning activities and normally complemented by written follow-up exercises whenever necessary to consolidate learning. Other writing activities such as reports, essay or letter writing, may also be included as well as a translation exercise at the end of each topic. The study of a short literary text is popular choice in this course and a reading guide and questionnaire are provided to encourage analysis and evaluation. Researching and presenting a special subject is optional, depending on students' time and preferences. The preparatory activities, video-clips and recordings are uploaded in Microsoft Teams ClassNotebook or other digital platforms according to requirements. Students are given regular feedback from the tutor, but self-correction and pair correction are also encouraged in a supportive environment.

Entry requirements

A command of the language equivalent to A-level or similar in all four skills: ability to communicate effectively using a good range of vocabulary and structure. An active interest in current affairs and topics related to social, political and cultural issues. Enthusiasm for the subject and commitment are also valuable assets as the course requires the students to be actively involved in knowledge and language acquisition. Devoting sometime during the week for preparation is recommended in order to be actively involved in the online activities.

What you need to know before you enrol

As self-study and preparation are important for progress, students will be able to access the list of activities planned for the following lesson, so they could devote some time before the lesson to prepare and complete homework. The list of the topics for revision and/or preparation before the class are uploaded weekly in Teams ClassNotebook, so that students would be able to actively develop and consolidate them during the lesson, either working individually, in groups or in a plenary session. The participation in a students' collaborative space, either in Teams or other platforms, will be encouraged, so sharing stories, posting questions and generally keeping in touch, during and outside the class, would compensate for the lack of the social contact normally offered by a classroom-based course.

What you need

IIn order to access online resources for your course, you will need Internet access and a device. In some special cases, the College may be able to lend a laptop. Textbook: Nuevo Prisma C2 Libro del alumno (ISBN 978-84-9848-258-4) will be used as backup during the course. Other texts and articles would be provided and uploaded in Teams or sent by email. Also, please bring enthusiasm and curiosity, as these are positively the main factors of success