Spanish Level Proficiency

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Spanish level 5+ at UCL CLIE or post-A Level training; an extended stay in a Spanish speaking country actively using the language.

Term duration

10 x 2-hour classes

Progression

After 20 hours students may progress to level proficiency

Aims and Objectives

The course is designed for very advanced level students requiring the language for vocational and professional purposes. The course comprises knowledge and understanding both of the structure of the Spanish language and of its use in professional environments. It covers cultural and professional contexts, negotiating and interacting, reading specialist texts note-taking and debates as well as other related topics. These areas will be related to the students’ individual needs. The course will enhance knowledge and use of complex structures (a variety of styles and registers from a range of authentic material).
The course is designed for very advanced level students requiring a good mastery of the language for vocational or professional purposes. The course comprises knowledge and understanding both of the structure of the Spanish language and of the social, historical, cultural and professional contexts of Hispanic countries. It will enable participants to use their language skills in social and professional environments and will cover topics and areas related to the student’s individual needs.
The proficiency level will enhance knowledge and use of very complex structures and provides a variety of styles and registers from a range of authentic material. 

Functions

• Hablar de tu formación y carrera profesional.
• Conocer y comparar sistemas educativos, costumbres horarias de diferentes países.
• Escribir una carta de presentación para una empresa.
• Hablar de relaciones interpersonales y de estereotipos. 
• Hacer hipótesis; expresar una opinión y argumentarla.
• Comparar discursos formales e informales.
• Escribir un texto de carácter divulgativo sobre convenciones culturales.
• Entender la correspondencia entre los tiempos de presente y pasado en oraciones subordinadas.
• Hacer una presentación oral y participar en un debate.
• Expresar deseos, maldiciones y sentimientos.
• Expresar voluntad y prohibición.
• Dar órdenes, conceder permiso y dar consejos e instrucciones. 
• Valorar y enfatizar la actitud y el comportamiento de alguien.
• Comparar y describir de formar detallada en el pasado. 

Course Content 

Main topics/themes to be covered:

Topics will be chosen by the tutor in order to cover grammar aspects, and they will be related both to Spain and Spanish speaking Latin American countries. The course may include some of the following topics:

• Current affairs: cultural, politic and social issues.
• History and traditions.
• Arts (music, literature, cinema, arts, cultural heritage).
• Geography and nature: cities, regions, countries.
• Working life: work and studies.
• Science and technology.
• Health and lifestyle.
• Economy.
• Media and new technologies.
• Sports and leisure activities. 

Grammar

• Consolidación y contraste de los tiempos de pasado.
• Perífrasis de continuidad y de cambio (seguir + gerundio, seguir sin + infinitivo, (no) dejar de + infinitivo).
• Recursos para comparar (mientras que, antes que + infinitivo, más / menos que).
• El futuro y el condicional (simple y compuesto) para expresar hipótesis.
• Correlacion temporal en las oraciones subordinadas (presente e imperfecto de subjuntivo).
• Construcciones con como + subjuntivo. Valores de hasta que + subjuntivo.
• Expresiones idiomáticas con preposición y con Ser y Estar.
• Consolidación del futuro y condicional simple con valor del pasado.
• Oraciones subordinadas sustantivas.
• Ser + adjetivo (de falsedad o virtualidad) + que.
• Ojalá, así + subjuntivo.
• Verbos con doble significado según se construyan con indicativo o subjuntivo.
• El imperativo con pronombres de objeto directo e indirecto.
• La reduplicación de los pronombres objeto.

Learning Resources

Course Books: the two course-books listed below are the preferred for this level. The decision will be left at tutor's discretion. 

• C de C1, Publisher Difusión. Chapters: A de Aprendizaje, F de Fronteras, H de Horarios. Online platform campus.difusion.com (materials to be used in class, as homework and for self-study; details will be provided in class). For this online platform, students will need to open their own account and then, for full access, purchase a premium account for a year access. We recommend you to acquire your book (C de C1), or the platform, or both through the European Bookshop.
• Nuevo Prisma C1, Publisher Edinumen. Chapters: 1-4. Online platform edinumen.es (materials to be used in class, as homework and for self-study; details will be provided in class). For this online platform, students will need to open their own account and then, for full access, purchase a premium account for a year access. We recommend you to acquire your book (Nuevo Prisma C1), or the platform, or both through Edinumen.

Additional Material
Authentic written material from various sources such as El País, El Mundo, El Diario, El Diario in partnership with the Guardian etc.
Authentic audio and audio-visual material (www.rtve.es)
Spanish and Latin American films.
Articles, pieces of news, videos, and documentaries extracted from Internet.

Additional Material

• Authentic written material from various sources such as El País, El Mundo, etc.
• Authentic audio and audio-visual material (www.rtve.es)
• Spanish and Latin American films.
• Articles, pieces of news, videos, and documentaries extracted from Internet.