SPAN203-17S2 (C) Semester Two 2017

Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 July 2017
End Date: Sunday, 19 November 2017
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 28 July 2017
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 13 October 2017

Description

Conducted strictly in Spanish, this course will offer students an opportunity to engage in conversation on a number of captivating topics given in a variety of formats with the goal of further developing oral proficiency, improving grammatical accuracy and improving pronunciation. Different types of discourse such as narration, debate, and dramatic dialogue will be emphasized. At the same time, students will also be exposed to other language skills such as listening, reading and writing.

SPAN203 is a mid-intermediate to high-intermediate Spanish conversation course. This course is conducted strictly in Spanish and it will offer abundant opportunities for students to engage in conversations on a number of captivating topics given in a variety of formats.

With the goal of further developing oral proficiency, improving grammatical accuracy and improving pronunciation, students are encouraged to express their ideas, opinions, and their critical views on topics and issues that are important to them. Though the main focus is conversation, students will also be exposed to other language skills such as listening, reading, and writing. As for the latter, short reaction assignments on topics of current interest read outside the classroom will be assigned. This will serve as the basis from which general class conversations and discussions will take place. Class-time is also spent on creating, rehearsing, and presenting different types of discourse such as narration, critical commentary, debate, and dialogue.

Learning Outcomes

As a student in this course you will...

1. Improve your oral communication skills in Spanish (i.e., fluency, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation) by employing conversational strategies and practical vocabulary to function in everyday situations or topics related to students’ interest.
2. Improve your listening comprehension in Spanish. Towards this goal you will regularly view short video clips, which will in turn serve as basis for class discussions.
3. Improve your reading and writing skills in Spanish. Towards these goals you will read a diversity of articles and stories, and will write short reaction assignments.
4. Demonstrate critical competency to sustain elementary oral and written exchanges of information and ideas in Spanish.
5. Be introduced to cultural, social, historical, and artistic themes of Spain and Spanish America. By examining cultural beliefs and values of the Hispanic world, you will also develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for cultures other than your own, including the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand.
6. You will learn how to effectively utilise different critical lenses to examine the conditions, cultural heritage and values of other cultures in a global setting and to recognise distinctive viewpoints through the study of Spanish and texts produced in different cultural contexts. Being able to understand Spanish will enable you to gain important insights which monolinguals cannot.
Being a proficient Spanish speaker will enhance your career opportunities and will make you a valuable candidate for careers abroad. Employers in today’s global economy are seeking for workers who know how to speak different languages and understand other cultures.

Prerequisites

SPAN201 or equivalent

Course Coordinator

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences Head of Department

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Quizzes (6) 10%
Film review 5%
Written commentaries (4) 10%
Oral tests (2) 35%
Oral presentation 15%
Class attendance and participation 25%

Textbooks / Resources

You will also need a good quality English/Spanish Dictionary of your choice.  (Size is usually a good indication of how comprehensive a dictionary is).

Course links

Library portal
LEARN The full Course Outline is available on LEARN (only for students enrolled in this course).

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $732.00

International fee $2,975.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All SPAN203 Occurrences

  • SPAN203-17S2 (C) Semester Two 2017