SPANISH 104

Beginners' Spanish 1


Please note: this is archived course information from 2021 for SPANISH 104.

Description

This course is for students who have no previous knowledge of the Spanish language, that is, true beginners. It helps them acquire basic linguistic structures and develop conversational competence. The four language skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing - and knowledge of the cultures and traditions of Spain and Spanish America are integrated into the four class hours per week. Language learning is reinforced through in-class practice, audiovisual activities, aural and reading comprehensions, homework assignments and independent work using a richly populated course website. Attendance at all lectures is strongly recommended in order to benefit from interactive activities which help develop communicative skills and ensure steady progress.

There is extensive exposure to Spanish in class so that students become acquainted with its sounds and rhythm and start building the vocabulary and grammar they need to express themselves in this language. We begin by learning how to greet people, introduce ourselves and provide basic personal information such as occupation, nationality and phone number. We journey through the Spanish-speaking world to discover how to talk about locations (e.g., the city and house where we live and the place where we work) and how to give and ask for directions to go from one place to another. We then learn to talk about the food we like and how to order it at a restaurant, how to describe the physical appearance of people as well as their personality and how to shop for clothing and describe what people are wearing. Lastly, we learn to narrate the activities of our daily routine and how to break away from it by making invitations to different types of social events.

Lessons are interactive, with opportunities for you to practise in pairs, small groups or with the whole class.

Note: Students who have achieved 16 credits in Level 2 NCEA Spanish within the last two years are not true beginners. Thus, they must enrol in SPANISH 105 instead. Bear in mind that SPANISH 104 does not count towards a major in Spanish.

Assessment

Coursework + exam

Availability 2021

Summer School, repeated Semester 1 and 2

Lecturer(s)

Lecturer(s) Associate Professor Eduardo Piñeros

Reading/Texts

Prescribed Textbook: Nuevo Ven 1. Libro del Alumno (Unidades 1-8). It comes with two CDs for audio practice.

Prescribed Workbook: Nuevo Ven 1. Workbook (Unidades 1-8). It comes with one CD for listening exercises. The answers to the questions are provided on pages 62-64 so that you can check the accuracy of your work.

The textbook and workbook for Nuevo Ven 1 are required texts and are used regularly in class. These texts are available at the Ubiq university bookshop.

Course Website: Available for this course is a website, which you may access via Canvas. The SPANISH 104 website is a rich repository of electronic materials that will help you study and practise your Spanish.

Assessment

Coursework + exam

Points

SPANISH 104: 15 points

Restrictions

SPANISH 107. May not be taken if a more advanced language acquisition course in this subject has previously been passed