Newcastle University > Undergraduate > Find a Degree > Module

• Offered for Year: 2021/22

• Module Leader(s): Mr Samuel Anaya-Guzman
• Lecturer: Professor Ian MacKenzie
• Other Staff: Ms Gloria Alvarez, Ms Maria Zubelzu de Brown, Ms Lucy Hill, Miss Raquel Beltran Puig

• Owning School: Modern Languages
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Aims

In consonance with the overall aims of the degrees offered in the SML, this module will:

1. focus on further developing students' written communicative and oral/ aural competence in the
foreign language gained in Level B (including fluency, grammatical and lexical accuracy and range; register and pronunciation);
2. prepare students for the future study of the language (written communicative and oral / aural skills);
3. facilitate students' ability to establish and maintain effective social and working relations with
speakers of the foreign language in written and spoken media during their intercalary year. This includes students’ ability to use and understand authentic material and produce their own written and spoken output.

Outline Of Syllabus

Communication: development of spoken and written communicative competence by study of the following thematic programme dealing with a range of aspects of Spanish and Latin American culture and contemporary society:

1. El mundo hispano
2. La sociedad
3. Literatura
4. La educacion
5. Los jovenes
6. El medio ambiente
7. El mundo del trabajo
8. El ocio y la cultura
9. La salud
10. La vivienda y el transporte

- further study and practice of a wide-ranging coverage of the grammar system of modern Spanish including the noun, adjectives, adverbs, articles, the major tenses, the indicative and subjunctive moods; and
- further systematic development of lexis in a wide range of contemporary themes and settings.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Jointly Taught With

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

1. Teaching in the language seminars will focus on oral communication skills while reading, listening and writing skills are developed in the preparation and in the associated work after the language seminar. The recorded lecture materials will focus on key study skills and the formal structures of the language.

2. Independent learning and learner autonomy are further developed through the means of online grammar videos and related activities, online guided tasks, pair and group work, assessment preparation and completion, and self-study, via the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas and the Language Resource Centre. Particular initiative is expected from students at this level, e.g. course participants will be asked to contribute their own materials to the classes and activities and be very pro-active in their language study.

3. All students will be supported in their study of formal and informal aspects of the Spanish language and their study skills via a weekly synchronous drop-in surgery.

Note if there are further Covid-19 restrictions the provision for the seminars will be to have one zoom hour with half of the group whilst the other half does some guided activities online and swap during the second hour.

THIS COURSE WILL BE TAUGHT AND ASSESSED IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams

Exam Pairings

Other Assessment

Formative Assessments

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Coursework Written Exercise 1 (20%) is to be submitted online towards the end of Semester 1 (20%). This assessment will test students’ ability to produce a well-structured Spanish text based on the comprehension and analysis of written source material.

Coursework Written Exercise 1 (20%) is to be submitted online before the Easter break. This assessment will test students’ ability to produce a well-structured Spanish text based on the comprehension and analysis of audio / video source material.

The Oral test (20%) takes place in the revision week of Semester 2: This assessment will test students’ ability to conduct independent research, critically evaluate authentic material, and present their own output orally in a clear and structured manner. It will also assess their ability to speak freely in a discussion of these findings and general matters.

The written exam (40%) takes place during the exam period of Semester 2. This assessment will test students’ ability to type to produce a well-structured text in Spanish based on the comprehension and analysis of provided written sources.

Assessment apart from the Written Exercises will take place on campus. If this is not possible, then a 24-hour exam will replace the written exam and the oral test will take place online at the arranged time.

Reading Lists

• SPA2061's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• SPA2061's Timetable