SPAN312-24S2 (C) Semester Two 2024

Advanced Spanish Seminar

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 15 July 2024
End Date: Sunday, 10 November 2024
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 28 July 2024
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 29 September 2024

Description

This course is designed to place students’ practical knowledge of Spanish within a broader, and scientific framework. Students will be introduced to a variety of linguistic and sociolinguistic topics including a general overview of the history and formation of the language, the sound system, morphology, syntax, varieties of Peninsular and Latin American Spanish, writing styles and register, and idiomatic expressions. The content of this course is designed to engage students to reflect on the use and formation of the Spanish language from a theoretical and a practical approach, and on significant cultural aspects of the Hispanic world, so that they can develop critical skills and do further research while they master their communicative and writing proficiency.

This course is designed to place students’ practical knowledge of Spanish within a broader, and creative framework. Students will be introduced to a variety of linguistic approaches, including syntactic structures, discourse analysis, and stylistic nuances, which will enhance their understanding of how Spanish functions in different contexts. Additionally, they will explore creative writing techniques such as narrative construction, poetry, storytelling, and other forms of expression that encourage experimentation with language and style. Through the study of contemporary and historical texts, media, and other cultural artefacts, students will explore topics such as identity, social issues, traditions, and the arts. This theoretical and practical integration allows students to build a strong foundation in language theory while simultaneously applying their knowledge in creative and engaging ways. By the end of the course, students will have developed enhanced critical thinking skills and the ability to conduct further research on topics of interest.

Learning Outcomes

  • By the end of the course students will...

  • Have developed heightened linguistic proficiency in the Spanish language across the four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) through the acquisition of advanced knowledge of complex grammatical structures and parts of speech (C1 level ) which will enable them to communicate clearly, accurately, and effectively on a variety of topics, and with Spanish speakers from Hispanic communities/countries in the global network.
  • Master colloquial speech patterns and idiomatic expressions in Spanish enabling them to comprehend natural speech patterns produced by native speakers in a given community.
  • Have developed advanced reading comprehension skills through the reading and analysis of, and reflection on a variety of advanced literary, historical, political and academic style texts in Spanish, available on a diverse range of media types.
  • Be able to write accurately analytical essays on a variety of topics that require the use of a wide range of verbal tenses, idiomatic expressions, and cultural knowledge that foster reflection and awareness of their own culture and others’ cultures in Aotearoa New Zealand and in the global network.
  • Show a good level of critical thinking and argumentative skills, thus further engraining critical competence in students, which extends far beyond Spanish studies, through active participation in class, writing up analytical essays, and oral presentations.
  • Have gained confidence in public speaking (rhetoric: argumentation and persuasion), a highly employable trait for many disciplines practice, and enhanced their debating skills, thanks to class discussions and an oral presentation.
  • Have acquired a deeper understanding of the cultures of the Hispanic world and the multifaceted nature of the people who inhabit Spain and Latin America today alongside the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, through the analysis of relevant texts and documentaries, and the writing up of analytical essays.
  • Have developed intellectual curiosity and be able to comprehend the influence of global conditions on Spain and Latin America, and Aotearoa New Zealand, and, thus, acquired enhanced global and intercultural understanding and competency in engaging with global, bicultural and multicultural contexts.
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

      Engaged with the community

      Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

SPAN302 or equivalent

Restrictions

Timetable 2024

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 14:00 - 15:00 James Logie 517
15 Jul - 25 Aug
9 Sep - 20 Oct
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 14:00 - 16:00 James Logie 517
15 Jul - 25 Aug
9 Sep - 20 Oct

Contact Person

Victoria Escaip

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Analytical Essays (2) 20% due weeks 7 and 12
Oral Test (1) 10% held week 11
Oral Presentation (1) 10% due week 9
Written Tests (2) 30% held weeks 6 and 12
Online (Supersite) Homework 15% due weekly
Attendance and Participation 15% weekly

Textbooks / Resources

Vista Higher Learning; Taller de Escritores: Grammar and composition for Advanced Spanish; 3rd Edition; Vista Higher Learning, 2021 (Digital version only).

Available at: Vista Higher Learning to receive the discounted price for UC students.

There is a Learn (Moodle) component to this course.

Other material, which may be helpful, can be found in the Library Subject Guides

Useful websites:

Language learning apps (free and paid):
o Guadalingo video game
o www.duolingo.com
o www.lingrolearning.com
o www.thefablecottage.com
o www.lingualia.com    
o es.babbel.com
o www.memrise.com
o www.clozemaster.com
o www.hello-hello.com
o www.lingohut.com
o www.busuu.com
o fluent-forever.app
o www.lingq.com

Online dictionaries:
o www.wordreference.com – free (based on bilingual entries)
o www.linguee.com – free + context (based on a text corpus)
o iate.europa.eu - free (terminological database)

Online tools for learning vocabulary:
o www.quizlet.com – useful for learning vocabulary through flashcards
o apps.ankiweb.net - useful for creating your own vocab flashcards

Course links

Library portal

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,687.00

International fee $7,900.00

* 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 SPAN312 Occurrences

  • SPAN312-24S2 (C) Semester Two 2024