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SPAN20080

Academic Year 2024/2025

Spanish Language II a (SPAN20080)

Subject:
Spanish
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Languages, Cultures & Linguis
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Eva Bru-Dominguez
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is designed for students who are progressing towards a higher-intermediate level of Spanish. It builds on the foundations provided in the level 1 Spanish language modules. It is a core module for students pursuing Spanish to degree level but it is also suitable as an elective for students of other subjects and disciplines.

Its aim is to develop competent independent learners.
This module will enable students:
a) to develop and consolidate essential grammatical structures in order to be able to write texts with a high level of accuracy and b) to improve listening and reading comprehension as well as oral skills, emphasising socio-cultural aspects of the Hispanic world. Students will be expected to explore Technology Enhanced Learning and engage in VLE activities outside the classroom on a regular basis.

At the end of this module students should have consolidated level B1 of the Common European Framework and should be progressing towards level B2. Students who have achieved at least a B grade in this module are deemed to be successfully progressing towards Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

- understand the main points of the storyline when watching selected Spanish TV series and travel programmes;
- display a high degree of grammatical control and accuracy in the use of past and subjunctive tenses in Spanish when writing stories & reporting dialogues in the past;
- demonstrate an understanding of the information conveyed in written texts in Spanish about news and current affairs;
- communicate with reasonable accuracy in pair and group discussions when expressing opinions and describing feelings and emotional reactions in Spanish;
- recognize and employ a wide range of Spanish vocabulary drawn from authentic materials and communicative situations in and outside the classroom;
- manage and reflect about their own learning through the completion of specified learning activities and self-assessment.

Indicative Module Content:

This module is divided in four units which integrate audio-visual, grammar, oral, written and socio-cultural elements of the Spanish language. Each one of them deals with a topic and a language aspect in Spanish.

The first unit deals with narration of short stories in the past and you will learn how to use and contrast past tenses in Spanish.
In the second unit you will learn how to transmit dialogues, statements and requests of other people in the past, through the use of film and TV series in Spanish.
In the third unit you will learn how to express emotional reactions and opinions about the news in Spanish.
The fourth unit is dedicated to learning about verbs denoting change and verbal periphrasis in Spanish while discussing experiences of living abroad.

This information is indicative and may undergo changes.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

46
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Small Group

22
Total

108

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
An integrated approach to the learning of the language is adopted, requiring students to participate actively in class, and to work autonomously outside the classroom.

As the learning objectives of seminars may be compromised by social distancing and the wearing of facemasks, all classes will take place online, and are scheduled according to the university timetable. Active participation in these classes is required. In addition to that, full engagement with material and tasks made accessible in Brightspace is expected every week.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

This module presupposes that students have passed SPAN 10050, or equivalent (Level A2/B1 of the Common European Framework).


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
SPAN10050 - Spanish Language I b

Incompatibles:
LANG10230 - Spanish Gen Purp 1, LANG10240 - Spanish Gen Purp 4, LANG10260 - Spanish Gen Purp 2, LANG20030 - Spanish Gen Purp 3, LANG20100 - Spanish Gen Purp 5, LANG20390 - Spanish General Purposes 3a, LANG20400 - Spanish General Purposes 3b, LANG20470 - Spanish General Purposes 4, LANG20490 - Spanish General Purposes 6


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (In-person): In-class audio-visual test. Week 9 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
35
 No
Exam (In-person): This in-class audiovisual test consists of an audiovisual comprehension exercice followed by a written passage on it. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
45
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Weekly Brightspace tasks throughout the semester focused on grammar, writing, audiovisual comprehension and oral production Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
20
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 1 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

-Writing and grammar: Students will submit writing tasks for peer review, as well as one on Week 3 which will be graded by the tutor with appropriate feedback to students. -Specified Audio-visual comprehension activities on selected TV programmes, which will be set and submitted in different weeks during the semester and will be self-assessed by students with answer key provided on Brightspace after the submission date has passed. -Class Test on Week 9 [Writing and Audio-visual comprehension]: A series of audio-visual comprehension exercises on different extracts of previously seen selected TV programmes, and \ or some completely new clips & a written passage on an unseen short video. Class and individual feedback by week 12. -Oral: Students will take part in two group oral activities, on Week 5, for which they will receive individual feedback by Week 9, and on Week 12, for which they will receive feedback by the end of the trimester. -Final assessment: end of module written exam.

Students are advised to purchase one good grammar book to be consulted over the duration of the degree programme. We recommend Batchelor, Ronald E., A Student Grammar of Spanish, Cambridge University Press; or Pilar Muñoz and Mike Thacker, A Spanish Learning Grammar (London; New York: Routledge). For those who are sure they wish to pursue a degree in Spanish Studies, we highly recommend John Butt and Carmen Benjamin A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish (London: Hopper, 2004 or later) to be used as a reference text (consider it a grammar encyclopedia) alongside grammar books with exercises. You should also consider purchasing a monolingual Spanish dictionary such as the RAE or Maria Moliner; this will be necessary in your final year exam so you should become familiar with a monolingual dictionary as soon as possible.

Class and specified learning materials will be made available on Brightspace at the appropriate times during the module.

Name Role
Dr Diana Battaglia Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Javier Carpes Salar Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mariama Alves Tutor
Dr Mary Farrelly Tutor
Dr Hannie Lawlor Tutor
Mr Julio Sanz Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Small Group Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 10:00 - 10:50
Autumn Small Group Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 10:00 - 10:50
Autumn Small Group Offering 1 Week(s) - 4 Wed 10:00 - 10:50
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