Overview
This module is mapped against A1 level in Spanish according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It is for absolute beginners or students with very limited knowledge of the language. No previous knowledge of Spanish is required. Through a variety of methods students will develop a very basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking Spanish and an understanding of basic Spanish grammar. At the end of this 12-week module students will have reached a low A1 proficiency level in the CEFR and will be able to carry out very simple everyday tasks in Spanish. Students will be able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. They will be able to introduce themselves and others and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know and things they have. They will be able to interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. They will have a basic understanding of significant aspects of life and culture of the country and intercultural skills necessary for their language proficiency level.
Syllabus
Functional content:
- Giving and requesting personal details.
- Saying hello and goodbye.
- Asking about words.
- Expressing intentions.
- Explaining the reasons why we do things.
- Speaking about our abilities in different languages.
- Expressing existence and location.
- Talking about the climate.
- Speaking about physical appearance and character.
- Expressing and comparing likes, dislikes and interests.
- Asking about likes and dislikes.
- Speaking about personal relationships.
- Speaking about habits.
- Expressing frequency.
Grammatical content:
- Gender and number agreement.
- Present tense conjugations: -ar, -er, -ir.
- The verbs ser, llamarse and tener.
- Some uses of a, con, de, porque.
- The definitive article: el, la, los, las.
- Qualifiers: bien, bastante bien, regular, mal.
- Some uses of hay.
- The verb estar.
- Indefinite articles: un, una, unos, unas.
- Quantifiers: muy, mucho/mucha/muchos/muchas.
- Question words: qué, cuál, cuáles, cuántos, cuántas, dónde, cómo.
- The verb gustar.
- Quantifiers: muy, bastante, un poco.
- Possesives
- También/tampoco.
Lexical content:
- Numbers
- Nationalities
- Professions
- The alphabet.
- Learning languages.
- Leisure activities.
- The weather.
- Geography
- Tourist attractions.
- Daily activities.
Weekly schedule
Week 1
Unidad 0: En el aula.
Week 2
Unidad 1: Nosotros y nosotras.
Week 3
Unidad 1: Nosotros y nosotras.
Week 4
Unidad 2: Quiero aprender español.
Week 5
Unidad 2: Quiero aprender español.
Week 6
Unidad 3: ¿Dónde está Santiago?
Week 7
Unidad 3: ¿Dónde está Santiago?
Week 8
Unidad 4: ¿Cuál prefieres?
Week 9
Unidad 4: ¿Cuál prefieres?
Week 10
Unidad 4: ¿Cuál prefieres?
Week 11
- Revision.
Week 12
Written and speaking tests will take place this week. Completing the assessment is required for students taking the course as part of their degree. For all other students, taking the tests is also strongly recommended, as a measure of your progress and learning.
Textbook details:
Aula Internacional 1 Plus Híbrida, Difusión, ISBN: 9788418032189, approx. £30.
We recommend our students to buy their textbooks from Blackwell’s on campus. They have a price match policy and you can pre-order over the phone with them and pick the book when you are on campus.
Study Hours
The total number of study hours for this module is 150 hours, in line with undergraduate university modules. This includes class meetings, assessment preparation and self-directed study in line with guidance from the course lecturer.
If you are studying on the extracurricular mode, we recognise that the total number of hours that you may be able to study every week may depend on your availability and previous experience studying languages, however, expected contribution to classes, homework completion, and learning outcomes will not vary.
Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier if courses are over- or under-subscribed. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.
Course Lecturer: Paula Fernández Soler
Paula was born in Galicia, located in the Northwest of Spain. She graduated in English Language and Literature from the University of Santiago de Compostela and holds a Master´s Degree in Teacher Training for Compulsory Secondary Education and Upper Secondary Education from the Autonomous University of Madrid. Her master’s thesis focused on the use of ICT tools in the foreign language classroom. In 2022, she joined the University of Liverpool as a Language Assistant in Spanish. She always tries to incorporate various artistic expressions into her teaching to enhance engagement among students.
Fees for language courses are £180/£90.
Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier if courses are over- or under-subscribed. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.
Visit our fee bands page to see which fee applies to you.
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