Spanish Language, Written and Oral (MLS2001)

Staff	Dr Juan Garcia Precedo - Convenor
Credit Value	30
ECTS Value	15
NQF Level	5
Pre-requisites	MLS1001 or equivalent
Co-requisites	None
Duration of Module	Term 1: 11 weeks; Term 2: 11 weeks;

Module aims

The aim of this module is to:

Increase the students understanding of the target language in both its written and spoken forms
Improve capacity for self-expression in Spanish
Instil habits of accuracy and correctness of expression
Develop an in-depth knowledge of the uses of the Subjunctive versus the Indicative in all the subordinate clauses

Written work consists of translation from Spanish into English and from English into Spanish, together with a variety of reading comprehension and compositional exercises; oral work includes a number of short presentations in Spanish, together with group debates, vocabulary expansion and clarification of grammar points where necessary.

ILO: Module-specific skills

1. Apply knowledge of a broad range of grammatical features of the target language to a variety of linguistic tasks
2. Translate passages from a variety of authentic written sources (literary as well as journalistic) into the target language
3. Present a detailed argument in written Spanish in answer to essay questions on a range of topics
4. Engage in discussion of a range of (mainly contemporary) topics in oral Spanish, articulating your own opinions and responding to the opinions of others
5. Give short oral presentations in the target language on a defined topic to a small group of listeners and engage in group discussion and debate on the topic presented

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

6. Recognise and understand core linguistic terminology individually and as part of a group
7. Use a bilingual and a learners monolingual dictionary to get information about meaning, register, usage and grammatical forms
8. Engage, under guidance, with the Spanish language printed and online media

ILO: Personal and key skills

9. Communicate competently in Spanish
10. Express and discuss views in front of a group of listeners

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

Spanish reading and listening comprehension in the target language
Grammar knowledge and oral skills
Current affairs
Information about the year abroad
Employability skills, such as CVs or job interviews
Uses of the Subjunctive mode versus the Indicative in complex sentences
Subordinate clauses in Spanish
Listening comprehension and oral skills
Translation into English
A range of topics relevant to the year abroad, such as the Spanish education system, Spanish and Latin-American current affairs

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
66	234	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	22	Developing and enhancing listening comprehension skills and written composition practice. Special attention is placed to the study of the subordinate clauses
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	22	Oral class. Students and tutors engage in structured small group discussions in Spanish
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	11	Seminar. Developing and enhancing reading comprehension skills. Systematic grammatical points are covered
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	11	Translation into English. Guidance in translation using a variety of text
Guided Independent Study	234	Private study

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
6 formative tasks covering some or all of the following areas: Grammar, writing, listening, reading, speaking, translation.	Variable	1-10	Written and oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
50	25	25

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Portfolio	50	As described on the ELE page	1-10	Written and oral
Written Exam	25	1 hour	1-2, 7-8	Written and oral
Oral Exam	25	20 minutes	1, 4-6, 8-10	Written and oral

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Portfolio	Portfolio	1-10	Referral/deferral period
Written Exam	Written Exam	1-2, 7-8	Referral/Deferral period
Oral Exam	Oral Exam	1, 4-6, 8-10	Referral/Deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – If you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for aÃ?Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã?Â¯re-assessmentÃ?Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã?Â¯taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

You will only be required to retake any failed assessments. Marks for any passed assessments will be carried forward. If you have failed any assessments but managed to pass the module overall, you will not be allowed to retake the failed assessments.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Jaime Corpas, Agustín Garmendia Nuria Sánchez, Carmen Soriano, Aula 4 Internacional (Difusión. Barcelona, 2007) ISBN: 978-8443-234-0. Reprinted December 2011
Practising Spanish Grammar (a workbook) , Christopher J Pountain, Teresa de Carlos and Angela Howkins. Hodder Arnold 2006
Ejercicios de Léxico (nivel avanzado). Pablo Martínez Menéndez. Editorial Anaya 2001
¡Exacto! A practical guide to Spanish grammar. Arnold Publishers 2002
A bilingual dictionary, e.g. C Smith, Collins Spanish-English, English-Spanish Dictionary (6th edition 2000)
A monolingual dictionary, e.g. Larousse, Pequeño Larousse ilustrado
Speed up your Spanish (Strategies to avoid common errors). Javier Muñoz Bassols, Marianne David and Olga Nuñez Piñeiro. Routledge 2010

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1425
Cervantes institute: www.cervantes.es

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Regular showings of Spanish and Latino American films during the year and a very comprehensive audiovisual section in the library. A good set of resources also for developing language skills at the Foreign Language Centre

Available as distance learning?

Origin date

01/01/1998

Last revision date

03/08/2020

Key words search

Spanish, language, written, oral, Latin-America, Spain