Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Seminars / Tutorials | 4 hours per week |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 20%: 8 written assignments, 4 of them under exam conditions (those taken under exam conditions counting twice as much as the others); 20%: listening comprehension (4 tests); 10%: oral (4 marks based on attendance, active contribution and performance in small oral groups). | 50% |
| Semester Exam | The oral Examination takes the form of a 15-minute interview with one member of staff. During this interview the candidate will be asked: (a) to offer a brief presentation (maximum 5-7 minutes) in the target language on a selected topic and (b) to engage in a general conversation arising in the first instance from the presentation itself. Some weeks before the oral exam, students will be provided with five topics taken from the topics covered during the oral classes throughout the year. They will need to prepare all five of these topics as only one of them will be given to the student in the exam. The final exam topic will be provided to the candidate at the beginning of the examination. There will be no period of preparation time immediately beforehand. Candidates are reminded that they are not allowed to read from a script and are not allowed to bring any notes into the examination room; they must not deliver a previously learnt speech. The presentation should lead into (and be constructed so as to lead into) a conversation and further discussion of the topic. A more general conversation will follow. | 20% |
| Semester Exam | 3 Hours written examination in semester 2 | 30% |
| Supplementary Exam | 3 Hours If the module has been failed, the supplementary exam will consist of a 3-hour written examination which will count for 100%. If the student has failed the oral exam but has a passing average without the oral exam being taken into consideration, the supplementary exam will consist of an oral examination only (same format as in May/June). The mark of this supplementary oral exam will be integrated into the final mark. | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- identify an increase in their own skills in independent language study since A level
- demonstrate the improvement in their linguistic knowledge and skills since A level
- display proficiency in Spanish grammar and syntax at the appropriate level
- translate selected passages from and into Spanish
- identify registers of written Spanish
- use a range of linguistic structures
- communicate in written and oral Spanish at a standard appropriate to Level 1
- use a relatively extensive Spanish vocabulary
- give their own insights into key aspects of Spanish society
- participate in debate at a standard appropriate to Level 1
- respond with clear understanding of spoken Spanish
- demonstrate familiarity and confidence in the spoken application of Spanish grammar
- perform role plays in Spanish
- make individual presentations in Spanish
- demonstrate an improvement in fluency and accuracy in pronunciation since entry
- make both supervised and independent use of the facilities available in the Language Resource Centre (video, audio, satellite television)
Brief description
This is a thin module with 3 hours per week and one hour per fortnight extending over Semesters 1 and 2. Students will do a range of listening/writing/oral exercises. All classes will be devoted to the integrated study of the Spanish language in its cultural context. Exercises will be set regularly. Marks for these - and for occasional tests in class - will constitute the CA mark for the course.
Reading List
Should Be PurchasedCollins or Oxford Spanish Dictionary Primo search Butt, John and Benjamin Carmen (2004) A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish 4th Hodder Arnold Primo search Kattan-Ibarra, Juan and Howkins, Angela (2008) Spanish Grammar in Context 2nd Edition Hodder & Arnold Primo search
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 4