- Jorge Luis Borges: “Los dos reyes y los dos laberintos”

SPANISH I (100-150) – 4 US Credits
DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
The course is aimed at students with some very basic knowledge of Spanish at the elementary
level or no prior knowledge of Spanish. The main goal of the course is to provide students with
the appropriate atmosphere for them to acquire and develop basic communicative skills. This
will be achieved through practice involving the four language skills: listening, speaking,
reading, and writing. The speaking skill will be emphasized by means of daily sessions devoted
to oral Spanish, where students will participate in activities such as roleplays, interviews, etc.
All functional and grammar contents will be approached from a communicative perspective
which will assume and value active participation of the students in the class at all times.
SYLLABUS
Main functional contents:
-Giving and asking for personal information
-Greetings
-Expressing intention and interests
-Explaining why we do something
-Describing places
-Identifying objects
-Expressing needs and likes
-Expressing frequency and talking about habits
-Asking for and giving general information
-Talking about past experiences
Main grammar points:
-Gender and number
-The three conjugation types (-ar,-er,-ir)
-Present indicative tense: regular and irregular forms
-Definite and indefinite article
-Indefinite and demonstrative adjectives
-Question words (qué, dónde…)
-Tener que + infinitive
-Some uses of hay/estar/ser
-Present perfect
-Some uses of a/con/de/por/para
-Subject pronouns
-Superlative adjectives
The oral component of the language will be worked on in specific sessions held daily on the
third hour of instruction.
Classes will be implemented with regular visits to the multimedia laboratory, where students
will have the chance to improve their pronunciation by means of the state-of-the-art software
available to them.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Classes will be based on a textbook and/or exercises and activities created by the instructor and
taken from different sources like the following:
-Álvarez Martínez, Sueña 1: Nivel Inicial, Universidad de Alcalá, Anaya, 2001.
-Castro, Francisca: Uso de la gramática española: Nivel Intermedio, Edelsa, Madrid, 2000.
-Cerrolaza, M., Cerrolaza, O. y B. Llovet, Planet@ 1: Libro del alumno y Libro de
referencia gramatical. Madrid, Edelsa, 1999.
-Domínguez et al.: Actividades comunicativas, Edelsa, Madrid, 1995.
-Knorre, et al.: Puntos de Partida, 5ª ed., McGraw-Hill (textbook & workbook)
ASSESSMENT
The final grade will be calculated according to the following grade breakdown:
Participation: 10%
Homework: 20%
Compositions: 15%
Tests: 20 %
Oral section: 15 %
Final exam: 20%
™ Notes:
- Before the beginning of instruction, students will need to take a placement test in order to
determine their Spanish level.
- Since class attendance is essential for the acquisition of the four skills, student attendance will
be checked daily. Missing classes will negatively affect the student’s final grade.
- The grading system, as well as the assessment standards, will be the same as those used in the
U.S.A.
SPANISH II (200-201) – 4 US Credits
DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
The main goal of the course is to provide students with the appropriate atmosphere for them to
develop their communicative competence from a high-elementary level towards an intermediate
one. This will be achieved through practice involving the four language skills: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. The speaking skill will be emphasized by means daily sessions
devoted to oral Spanish, where students will participate in activities such as roleplays. All
functional and grammar contents will be approached from a communicative perspective which
will assume and value active participation of the students in the class at all times.
SYLLABUS
Main functional contents:
-Giving personal information
-Talking about intentions and habits
-Expressing likes and preferences
-Expressing coincidence
-Interacting in presentations, greetings…
-Narrating and relating past events
-Expressing the wish to do something
-Talking about experiences and giving an opinion
-Giving advice
-Talking about moods
Main grammar:
-Reflexive verbs
-Tener que / Hay que / Lo mejor es / Pensar / Empezar a + infinitivo
-Estar + gerund
-Uses of tú and usted
-Ir a + infinitive
-Ya / Todavía no
-Impersonal SE
-Direct object pronouns
-Form and some uses of Indefinite Preterite
-Present perfect vs. Indefinite Preterite
-Uses of ser and estar
-Command forms: tú
The oral component of the language will be worked on in specific sessions held daily on the
third hour of instruction.
Classes will be implemented with regular visits to the multimedia laboratory, where students
will have the chance to improve their pronunciation by means of the state-of-the-art software
available to them.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Classes will be based on a textbook and/or exercises and activities created by the instructor and
taken from different sources like the following:
- Arnal, C. Y A. Ruiz de Garibay, Escribe en español. Madrid, SGEL, 1996.
- Ascarrunz Gilman, G. y C. Benito-Vessels, Horizontes: Cultura y Literatura. Boston, Heinle
& Heinle, 1997.
- Baralo, M., Gibert, B. Y B. Moreno de los Ríos, Preparación Certificado Inicial Español
Lengua Extranjera, Madrid, Edelsa, 1994.
- Blanco Canales, A. (ed.): Sueña 2: Nivel Intermedio, Universidad de Alcalá, Anaya, 2001.
- Bretz, M.L., Dvorak, T. y C. Kirschner, Pasajes: Lengua. Boston, McGraw Hill, 1997.
- Bretz, M.L., Dvorak, T. y C. Kirschner, Pasajes: Cultura. Boston, McGraw Hill, 1997.
- Castro, F. Uso de la gramática española. Nivel Intermedio. Madrid, Edelsa, 2000.
- Cerrolaza, M., Cerrolaza, O. y B. Llovet, Planet@ 2: Libro del alumno y Libro de referencia
gramatical. Madrid, Edelsa, 1999.
- Pinilla, Raquel y Rosanna Acquaroni, ¡Bien dicho! Ejercicios de expresión oral. Madrid,
SGEL, 2000.
- Rodríguez Rodríguez, María, Escucha y aprende. Ejercicios de comprensión auditiva. Madrid,
SGEL, 2003.
- Sánchez, A., Mª T. Espinet y P. Cantos: Cumbre. Nivel Intermedio. Madrid, SGEL,1996.
ASSESSMENT
The final grade will be calculated according to the following grade breakdown:
Participation: 10%
Homework: 20%
Compositions: 15%
Tests: 20 %
Oral component: 15 %
Final exam: 20%
™ Notes:
- Before the beginning of instruction, students will need to take a placement test in order to
determine their Spanish level.
- Since class attendance is essential for the acquisition of the four skills, student attendance will
be checked daily. Missing classes will negatively affect the student’s final grade.
- The grading system, as well as the assessment standards, will be the same as those used in the
U.S.A.
SPANISH III (300-301) – 4 US Credits
DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
The main goal of the course is to provide students with the appropriate atmosphere for them to
develop their communicative competence from an intermediate level towards a highintermediate one. This will be achieved through practice involving the four language skills:
listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course will focus on specific grammar aspects that
will be approached from a communicative perspective. This perspective will assume and value
active participation of the students in the class at all times.
SYLLABUS
Main functional contents:
-Narrating past experiences
-Expressing prohibition, obligation, impersonality, wish, complaint and need
-Talking about habits, customs and circumstances in the past
-Debating and providing reasons: opinions and disagreement
-Recommending, advising and giving instructions
-Giving and asking for permission, advice
-Providing justification and showing gratefulness
-Talking about future actions and situations
-Expressing condition
-Formulating hypotheses
-Reporting commands, requests and advice, and past speech (me dijiste que…)
-Making hypotheses and conjectures
Main grammar points:
-Verb periphrases with infinitive and gerund forms
-Soler / es normal / habitual / frecuente / raro + infinitive
-Uses of imperfect tense
-Indefinite Preterite vs. Imperfect Preterite
-Conditional sentences
-Relative clauses: indicative / subjunctive, prepositions.
-Some uses and forms of the future tense and future perfect
-Seguramente / probablemente / posiblemente / seguro que / supongo que + futuro
-Time clauses
-Indicative and subjunctive structures to express different degrees of certainty
-Reported speech with a past main verb form
-Forms and uses of imperfect subjunctive
The oral component of the language will be worked on in specific sessions held daily on the
third hour of instruction.
Classes will be implemented with regular visits to the multimedia laboratory, where students
will have the chance to improve their pronunciation by means of the state-of-the-art software
available to them.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Classes will be based on a textbook and/or exercises and activities created by the instructor and
taken from different sources like the following:
-Abanico, Barcelona: Difusión, 1995.
-Gente 3, Barcelona: Difusión, 2005.
-Planeta 3, Madrid: Edelsa, 2002.
-Prisma. Avanza, Madrid: Edinumen, 2004
-Sueña 3, Madrid: Anaya, 2001.
ASSESSMENT
The final grade of those students interested in getting credit for the units completed in the
course, will be calculated according to the following grade breakdown:
Participation: 10%
Homework: 20%
Compositions: 15%
Tests: 20 %
Oral component: 15 %
Final exam: 20%
™ Notes:
- Before the beginning of instruction, students will need to take a placement test in order to
determine their Spanish level.
- Since class attendance is essential for the acquisition of the four skills, student attendance will
be checked daily. Missing classes will negatively affect the student’s final grade.
- The grading system, as well as the assessment standards, will be the same as those used in the
U.S.A.
SPANISH IV (350): High Advanced Spanish (4 US Cr.)
DESCRIPTION AND AIMS
The main goal of the course is to provide students with the appropriate atmosphere for them to
develop their communicative competence from an advanced level towards a high advanced one.
This will be achieved through practice involving the four language skills (listening, speaking,
reading, and writing) and through the focus on specific grammar aspects in an advanced context.
The course will specifically address subordinate clauses and conjunctions, both of which will
ultimately help students speak a fluent and coherent Spanish.
SYLLABUS
Main functional contents:
-Expressing wish, hope and feelings
-Reporting information
-Reacting showing feelings
-Rejecting what someone else said
-Expressing veracity: la verdad / de verdad / francamente
-Starting a conversation
Main grammar points:
-Forms and uses of Present and Imperfect Subjunctive
-Time clauses – indicative/subjunctive
-Use of subjunctive in noun clauses
-Forms and uses of Present Perfect and Pluperfect Subjunctive
-Relative clauses – indicative/subjunctive
-“Aunque” clauses
-Conditional clauses
-Sea lo que sea, fuera lo que fuera…
-Reported speech
The oral component of the language will be worked on in specific sessions held daily on the
third hour of instruction.
Classes will be implemented with regular visits to the multimedia laboratory, where students
will have the chance to improve their pronunciation by means of the state-of-the-art software
available to them.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Classes will be based on a textbook and/or exercises and activities created by the instructor and
taken from different sources like the following:
BOROBIO, V., ELE. Curso de español para extranjeros, Madrid, S.M., 1994.
CASTRO, F y MARÍN, F., Ven. Español Lengua Extranjera, Madrid, Edelsa, 1994
CASTRO, Francisca, Uso de la gramática española, Madrid, Edelsa, 1997.
CHAMORRO, M.D., Abanico, Barcelona, Difusión, 1995.
FERREIRO, P. y ZAYAS-BAZÁN, E., Cómo dominar la redacción, Madrid, Playor, 1991.