THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, ST. AUGUSTINE
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND EDUCATION
CENTRE FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING
COURSE DOCUMENTATION
COURSE CODE: SPAN 1104
COURSE TITLE: LEVEL 2B SPANISH
NO. OF CREDITS: 2
SEMESTER: I, II
LEVEL: ALL LEVELS
PREREQUISITES: LEVEL 2A SPANISH/SPAN 1103 or a proficiency level of Independent
user A2/B1 in the Common European Frame of Reference.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is a communicative course designed to work on the four skills, (listening, speaking,
reading and writing) and building on the work done in Level 2A Spanish/Span 1103. Students
will be able to function more independently in all four skills in a variety of familiar situations
and topics. The goal is to help students improve their receptive, as well as their speaking and
writing skills. In addition to the textbook, the lecturer will provide authentic material which will
enable students to become familiar with the sociolinguistic and cultural aspects of the Spanish
language, as well as further the language practice. The approach of the course is student-centered
and as part of the course the lecturer will encourage the student to build strategies to become
autonomous learners.
COURSE RATIONALE:
This course will give students the opportunity to further their study of one of the languages
spoken in the Caribbean region. It will equip them with the necessary communicative skills to be
able to deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling or working in an area where the
language is spoken. It will also enable students to acquire new learning strategies.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Name: Ms. Shawna Sealey
Office address and phone: Office 2, CLL second floor, Centre for Language Learning. Ext:
83895
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: By appointment
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LETTER TO THE STUDENT
Dear Student,
Welcome to the Level 2B Spanish course at the CLL. At the end of this course you are expected
to reach an intermediate level, so we are going to work to get you there. We hope we can
continue to help you develop your language skills as well as motivate you to expand your
cultural knowledge and your ability to be an independent learner. Remember to walk with your
tools of the trade when you come to class. We hope you continue to enjoy this educational
experience that you’ve begun!
Warm regards,
Your tutor
CONTENT:
The course focuses on developing students’ knowledge of the Hispanic language and culture
with an aim to achieving an A2/B1 competence in Spanish. The following are the communicative
skills and grammar topics that will be covered in this course.
Communicative skills
 Talking about and describing one’s living arrangements, furniture, chores, comparing life
cycles locally and in Spanish speaking countries, debating social and affective relationships.
Grammar
 Verbs related to the above mentioned themes, the use of the subjunctive mood to give
recommendations, state desires, and express emotions. Also the use of the future and
conditional tenses to express what will and would happen.
Greater detail will be provided in the course calendar.
GOALS/AIMS:
At the end of this course the student should be in the lower intermediate stage of proficiency, on
his/her way to becoming an independent B1 user according to the Common European
Framework of Reference (CEFR) for the language. A more detailed description can be found at
https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=0
90000168045bb52.
This course aims to help students:
 Attain a high A2 level in writing, speaking and listening
 Attain a B1 level in reading
 Further their understanding of Spanish grammar and syntax
 Know further characteristics of life and culture in the Hispanic world
 Continue to develop themselves as adult language learners
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GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
Students in this programme will be able to:
 Communicate simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information
on familiar and routine matters.
 Describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters
in areas of immediate need.
 Handle very short social exchanges.
 Understand texts that consist mainly of high frequency every day or job-related language, the
description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, students will:
 Show appropriate understanding of written texts by summarizing and answering questions in
Spanish after reading texts related to the topics mentioned or others that are familiar to them
 Talk about familiar topics and activities (housing, chores, relationships, lifestyles)
 Write short simple personal letters and notes/messages relating to matters or areas of
immediate need
 Develop a deeper understanding of basic Spanish grammar and syntax
 Know further characteristics of life and culture in the Hispanic world
 Develop a basic understanding of themselves as adult language learners
ASSIGNMENTS:
Course Assignments
During the course students will be expected to fully participate in all class activities. These
activities include but are not limited to:
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Listening to and responding to specific questions. e.g. greetings, housing, chores and
relationships
Communicating with classmates in the target language
Listening to recordings/videos for specific information
Reading and locating specific information in articles or other reading materials
Applying grammatical knowledge to written activities
Writing simple texts on familiar or predictable topics using intermediate Spanish syntax and
grammar
Engaging in debates
Assignments for Credit Students
Students pursuing a Spanish course at the CLL for credits will need to submit a portfolio which
is worth 20% of their overall mark. This portfolio should be submitted no later than week 12 of
the semester in which they are enrolled. The portfolio, which can be submitted online via
Edmodo or another online learning platform, should consist of the following documents:
1. One essay
2. Two audio recordings
3. One comprehension activity
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4. One presentation (PowerPoint or video)
1. The essay should be written in Spanish and no more than 150-180 words. The topic of choice
for the essay should be based on a topic covered during the semester. Students have the option
of submitting the essay before week 10 for comments and feedback. The essay can then be
rewritten and resubmitted. The assignment carries 2 marks.
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Topics
My house and my dream house
Chores and my childhood
My personal ad
Changes I will make moving forward
2. The audio recordings (2) are to be done in Spanish and should be between 30 seconds and 2
minutes long. The topic of choice for the audio should be based on a topic covered during the
semester. There is no option for feedback on this item. Each audio recording carries 2 marks.
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Topics
My house and my dream house
Chores and my childhood
My personal ad
Changes I will make moving forward
3. The comprehension exercise requires that students source an excerpt of a written, audio or
video (movie, etc.) item in the target language and present a summary of it in English. The
summary must be based on their understanding and not an English translation. The excerpt
should be approximately 250 words in length or no more than 5-8 minutes of video or audio
and the summary should be no more than 150 words. Students should submit both items in
their portfolio. This assignment carries 4 marks.
4. The presentation will be based on a social or cultural aspect of a Spanish-speaking country to
be chosen by the student. Students should also state why they chose their topic. These aspects
can include but are not limited to history, politics, gastronomy, tourism, the environment,
current affairs or any other relevant topic. Presentations should be 3 – 5 minutes in length and
can take the form of a PowerPoint presentation with voice overlay or video presentation. The
presentation should be in Spanish and carries 10 marks.
In-Course Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing),
as well as on aspects of language structure and intercultural competence1.
Students must attend 75% of classes in order to be eligible for tests. Tests will use various
formats e.g. limited response, short answers, oral interview, essay, as appropriate to the skill/subskill being tested.
1
Intercultural competence is the ability to develop targeted knowledge, skills and attitudes that lead to
visible behaviour and communication that are both effective and appropriate in intercultural interactions.
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Results and exam papers for Test 1 will be released the week following the exam. Results and
exam papers for Test 2 will be released during the registration period of the following semester,
either semester 1 or 2.
MAINSTREAM STUDENTS
Assessment
100% in-course testing
Test 1*
50% of the overall mark
Test 2*
50% of the overall mark
CREDIT STUDENTS ONLY
Assessment
100% in-course testing
Test 1*
40% of the overall mark
Test 2*
40% of the overall mark
Credit assignment
20% of the overall mark
*In each test listening is 30%, speaking 30%, reading 20% and writing 20%.
TEACHING/LEARNING STRATEGIES:
This course is designed to develop the level of communicative competence of the students by
using, the textbook, exercises designed for their level as well as authentic materials where
appropriate. It also sensitizes participants to some aspects of Hispanic culture. The course will
place special emphasis on developing communicative skills (listening and speaking). Authentic
audio material as well as material tailored for this level will be used weekly in the language lab
and, while we will work on reading and writing skills, a communicative approach will be used in
every class.
Classroom sessions
These sessions include but are not limited to:
 Pair work and group discussions
 Interviews and role plays
 Vocabulary and grammar drills
 Use of recordings either in the language laboratory or in the classroom
 Exercises from the textbook
 Discussions on pertinent cultural aspects of the language
COURSE EVALUATION:
Summative evaluation will be conducted using The UWI’s SELC System.
RESOURCES:
Required reading
Dawson, L. Farell, J. & González, T. (2012). Dicho y hecho (10th ed.). New Jersey: John Wiley &
Sons. Chapters 10-11.
Students will use internet resources provided by the tutor as well as those at the CLL wikispaces
website http://cll-spanish2b.wikispaces.com to review, revise and practice their language
learning skills.
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HOW TO STUDY FOR THIS COURSE:
Students are required to attend their chosen classes with a total teaching time of 4 hours per
week. Remember that you must attend 75% of classes in order to be eligible for tests.
Studying commitment: manage your time well. We recommend that students spend at least 3-4
hours per week engaged in studying. This includes reviewing your notes and ensuring that
concepts are understood. Jot down any questions you may want to research or ask the tutor. This
is also the time you take to complete your assignments. It is also important to read up on what
you have learnt and practice with a partner, perhaps someone from your class or another class,
but at your level or higher.
Preparation time: 2 hours per week. Have a look at the course outline and review or research the
material for the upcoming class. Make a note of any questions that may arise, after the
explanation by the tutor it may be clearer, if not, ask your question.
GRADING SYSTEM:
The following is the UWI mark scheme:
Grade
GPA
Mark%
Grade
GPA
Mark%
A+
4.3
90-100
C+
2.3
55-59
A
4.0
80-90
C
2.0
50-54
A-
3.7
75-79
F1
1.7
40-49
B+
3.3
70-74
F2
1.3
30-39
B
3.0
65-69
F3
0
0-29
B-
2.7
60-64
COURSE CALENDAR:
Week
1
2
3
Content
ASÍ ES MI CASA – UNIT 1
 Review preterit tense conjugation rules
 Review prepositions of place
 Vocabulary related to parts of the house,
furniture
ASÍ ES MI CASA – UNIT 1
 Review imperfect tense conjugation rules
 Review adverbs of frequency
 Vocabulary related to household chores
ASÍ ES MI CASA – UNIT 1
 Informal commands (positive & negative)
6
Objectives
 To describe your living
accommodations
 To talk about popular living
arrangements in Trinidad vs
Spanish-speaking countries
 To talk about household
chores
 To talk about the difference
between your childhood and
adult life re: chores
 To give orders
 To talk about some aspects of
4
5
6
 Review numbers
ASÍ ES MI CASA – UNIT 1
 Present perfect tense
 Review unit vocabulary (rooms in the
house, furniture, chores)
 Acabar de
ASÍ ES MI CASA – UNIT 1
 Past perfect tense
 Review unit vocabulary (rooms in the
house, furniture, chores)
Paraguay & Uruguay
 To talk about what has
happened
 To understand the difference
between the preterit and the
present perfect
 To talk about what had
happened
 To understand the difference
between the present and the
past perfect tenses
 To compare and contrast
ASÍ ES MI CASA – UNIT 1
 Comparisons and superlatives
persons, places and things
 To familiarize oneself with
Hispanic culture: los patios
Test 1 LISTENING AND ORAL
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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13
Test 1 READING AND WRITING
 To talk about the cycle of life
AMIGOS Y ALGO MÁS – UNIT 2
 To compare Hispanic
Feedback from in-course test
Vocabulary related to the stages of life
weddings to local wedding
traditions
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To
create a personal ad
AMIGOS Y ALGO MÁS – UNIT 2
 Learn about Panamá: the
Vocabulary related to the stages of life
Review question formulation
Panama canal
Introduction to the subjunctive mood
 To express wishes and
AMIGOS Y ALGO MÁS – UNIT 2
The subjunctive mood
requests related to other
Vocabulary related to telephone calls
people’s actions
 To express oneself over the
phone
 To express emotional
AMIGOS Y ALGO MÁS – UNIT 2
The subjunctive mood
reactions and feelings about
other people’s actions.
 To talk about what will and
AMIGOS Y ALGO MÁS – UNIT 2
Introduction to the future and conditional
would happen
Test 2 (READING, WRITING, LISTENING AND ORAL)
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