Beginners' Spanish A

Learning Outcomes

• As a student in this course you will acquire skills in all four areas of the language (reading, writing, speaking and listening). By the end of the course you should be able to:
  1. Understand the main idea and most of the supporting details of spoken and written Spanish  
    geared for university students of Spanish on current affairs and topics related to students’ daily
    life;
  2. Speak in complete sentences about familiar topics with sufficient grammatical accuracy;
  3. Read edited articles with an understanding of the main ideas and most of the supporting details;
  4. Write brief and coherent paragraphs on a familiar topic with sufficient grammatical
    accuracy as to be understood by a native speaker of Spanish;
  5. Understand significant cultural traits (i.e., lifestyles, attitudes, customs, and geography).
  
  In addition, students will:
  
  
• demonstrate critical competency to sustain elementary oral and written exchanges of information and ideas in Spanish. SPAN101 has been designed to introduce students to the Spanish language and the many facets of Hispanic culture. Active engagement with the content of this course allows students to develop the skills to critically analyse linguistic and cultural patterns by transforming elementary knowledge of pronunciation, vocabulary, verb forms, syntax, and grammar into effective communication in Spanish.
  
  
• develop specific skills, abilities and knowledge that are essential for a successful career. SPAN101 combines practical-oriented tasks with grammar-focused interactive activities. Students will be able to communicate confidently in a wider range of social interactions including formal situations and simple professional contexts. This interactive learning environment will help students to develop their language proficiency, to successfully engage in social interaction and acquire conversational techniques at the elementary level.
  
  
• identify patterns of interaction that are relevant in different cultural settings. By critically examining cultural beliefs, values and aspects of everyday life, students will demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives and products of the culture studied in in Spanish speaking nations. This, in turn, will allow them to become increasingly aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand.
  
  
• foster a sense of community engagement through the study of Spanish language and culture.
  Since students will develop their proficiency in order to be able to communicate and exchange points of view with Spanish speakers, they will also gain a broad understanding of the diversity of Hispanic cultures through a study of these societies’ literary and cultural contributions, traditions, and perspectives. This will enable them to reflect on their own cultural frame of reference in order to help integrate community interactions with Spanish speakers through a variety of academic and cultural assignments that will be mutually beneficial for the students and the community.
  
  
• develop an understanding of and appreciation for other cultures and/or subcultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Students 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.

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.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .