Spanish

Prerequisite for entry

For complete beginners or those who have had only very little contact with the language.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the course is to enable students to function at a basic everyday survival level (basic vocabulary, grammar, morphology, syntax and phonetics). Students should be able to communicate in and understand Spanish on a number of practical everyday matters. Language learning skills, including autonomous learning and how to approach some authentic materials, will be introduced. Some transferable skills will also be covered.

Functions

• Saying hello and goodbye, introducing yourself and asking someone’s name
• Giving and requesting personal details: nationality, profession/studies, age, etc.
• Explaining the reasons why we study Spanish and do things
• Expressing intentions and speaking about skills in other languages
• Talking about family and relationships, marital status, and age
• Describing someone’s physical appearance and character
• Explain the location of items, what items/things are present and where, describing your city or town
• Talking about the weather
• Identifying places and objects, talking about preferences, expressing needs
• Shopping: asking for items, asking about prices, etc.

Course content

Main topics/themes to be covered

• Greetings and farewells, introductions
• Countries and nationalities, languages
• Jobs, places of work and studies
• Personal details: address, telephone number and email address
• Family and relationships
• Physical appearance and character
• Cities, towns and regions
• Objects, shopping, money and currencies
• Phonetics
• Basic rules of the Spanish pronunciation

Grammar and linguistic structures

• The alphabet and spelling words
• Numbers
• Subject and reflexive pronouns
• Subject pronouns: tú versus usted
• Verbs: Regular and irregular verbs in the Present tense
• Verbs: ser versus estar and some uses of hay
• Nouns: gender and number
• Adjectives: gender and number; agreement between nouns and adjectives
• Definite and indefinite articles: el, la, los, las - un, una, unos, unas
• Possessive adjectives: mi, tu, su
• Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns: este/esta/estos/estas, esto
• Interrogatives adjectives, pronouns and adverbs: qué, cuál/cuáles, cuántos/cuántas, dónde, cómo
• Adverbs and prepositions of place: cerca, lejos, en, al lado...

Learning resources

• Course Book:  Aula Internacional 1 (student’s book English version: Difusión.  ISBN-13: 9788415846772) Chapters:  1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (only 'family'). Can be purchased from campus.difusion.com
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC)

Prerequisite for entry

Basic knowledge of Spanish (successful completion of Spanish syllabus 1 at UCL CLIE or GCSE a long time ago).

Aims and Objectives

The aim of the course is to enable students to function at a basic everyday survival level (basic vocabulary and grammar). Students should be able to communicate in and understand Spanish on a number of practical everyday matters. Language learning skills, including autonomous learning and how to approach authentic material will be enhanced.  Some transferable skills will also be covered.

Functions

• Expressing and comparing likes, dislikes and interests
• Agreeing and disagreeing about likes and dislikes
• Speaking about personal relationships
• Talking about daily routines
• Talking about leisure and free time activities
• Asking and telling the time
• Ordering and giving information about food and drinks in a restaurant
• Describing neighbourhoods, towns and cities
• Asking for and providing information on how to get to different locations

Course Content

Main topics/themes to be covered

• Personal likes, dislikes and interests
• Daily routine activities
• Domestic tasks
• Leisure and free time activities, sports
• Chronological time, days of the week
• Food and drinks, at the restaurant
• The neighbourhood, city or town
• Services and locations in cities
• Phonetics
• Basic rules of the pronunciation of spoken Spanish

Grammar and linguistic structures

• Verbs gustar and encantar
• Prepositional pronouns
• The Present tense: regular, irregular, stem-changing and reflexive verbs
• Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se
• Expressions of frequency: a veces, normalmente, todos los días…
• Adverbs of time, degree and frequency
• Prepositions and adverbs of place: a, en, al lado de, lejos, cerca...
• Quantifiers: algún, ningún, muchos…

Learning Resources

• Aula Internacional 1 (student’s book, English version. Difusión.  ISBN-13: 9788415846772) Chapters:  5 - 6 - 7 - 8
• 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.
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC)

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Spanish Level 1+ at UCL CLIE or for learners who have studied the language before, for instance up to GCSE level, and have good knowledge of the Present tense.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of the course is to give students an opportunity to revise their survival skills and acquire more sophisticated ways of dealing with practical matters.  This includes revision and consolidation of vocabulary, grammar, morphology, syntax and phonetics. Cultural awareness will be developed.

Course Content

Main topics/themes to be covered

• Discussing past experiences
• Describing personal skills, abilities, qualities and flaws
• Discussing difficulties in language learning; giving others advice
• Describing and comparing the places where we live, saying where things are within the house
• Greetings
• Asking for a favour, asking to borrow something, saying yes or no, giving excuses or explanations
• Discussing plans and projects

Grammar/Functions

• Pretérito perfecto de indicativo
• Saber vs poder
• Adjectives to describe character/personality
• Revision: irregular verbs in the present tense
• Expressing duration with desde, hace, and desde hace
• Expressing obligation
• Locating objects in space, prepositions of place
• Making comparisons
• Estar + the gerund
• Me puede(s)/podría(s) + infinitive
• Me da(s)/deja(s) + noun
• Puedo/Podría + noun
• Ya vs. todavía no
• Ir a + infinitive
• Linguistic Structures/Phonetics
• Basic rules of the pronunciation of spoken Spanish

Learning Resources

• Aula Internacional 2, Editorial Difusión (units 1 and 3-5). ISBN: 9788415640103
• Aula Internacional 1, Editorial Difusión (unit 9 only)
• 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.
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC).

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Spanish Level 2 at UCL CLIE or for learners who have studied the language before, for instance up to GCSE level.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of the course is to enable students with a good knowledge of basic Spanish to reach an intermediate level and to communicate in and understand Spanish.

Course Content

Main topics/themes to be covered

• Discussing past events, e.g. holidays
• Giving our opinion about people, things and events in the past
• Expressing our wish to do something
• Discussing problems/issues and giving advice
• Discussing our mood and our health
• Discussing habits, customs and circumstances of the past
• Telling personal anecdotes
• Culture and history from Spain and Latin America

Grammar/Functions

• Pretérito indefinido de indicativo
• Preterito Imperfecto de indicativo
• Me gustaría + infinitive
• Pasárselo bien/mal
• Caer bien/mal
• The verb parecer
• Qué + adjective/noun
• The imperative
• The verb doler
• Ser vs. estar
• Ya no vs. todavía
• Linguistic Structures/Phonetics
• Revision of basic rules of the pronunciation of spoken Spanish

Learning Resources

• Course book: Aula Internacional 2, Editorial Difusión (units 2 and 6-9). ISBN: 9788415640103
• 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.
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC)

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Spanish Level 2+ at UCL CLIE or for learners who have studied the language before, for instance A levels.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this course is to enable students to communicate and interact at a basic intermediate level and to further develop their skills and knowledge of the target language and culture.

Functions

• Asses and evaluate experiences
• Talk about films and give personal opinion
• Talk about how we met people in our life
• Talk about our work experience
• Interact in small conversations and stories
• Talk about the past
• Express personal experiences
• Express when actions started, finished, repeated or continued
• Describe and express duration of past actions
• Express the relationship among moments in the past
• Relate actions form different moments in the past
• Describe the situations and circumstances when something occurred, and express its cause

Course Content

Main topics/themes to be covered

• Tourism and travels
• Learning Spanish: skills and good practice
• Work Experience
• Moments in a Life: important experiences and people
• Anecdotes and small stories
• Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends
• Talking about cinema, synopsis of films
• Linguistic Structures/Phonetics
• Revision of basic rules of the pronunciation of Spoken Spanish

Grammar and Vocabulary

• Past Tenses: Present Perfect, Preterit Tense, Imperfect, Pluperfect and continuous
• Esta mañana he visto a Manuel. Ayer fui al teatro. Cuando era una niña no me gustaba la leche. Cuando llegué a clase no había nadie
• Periphrasis to continue, repeat or give up actions: dejar de + infinitive, volver a + infinitive, seguir / llevar + gerund
• Indicating origin of activities: Estudio español desde que llegué a Londres
• Temporal references for different past tenses : Ayer fui… Esta semana he estado…
• Contrast within Past Tenses: Esa mañana hacía mucho frío. Fui a tomar un café. Cuando la policía llegó ya había llegado la ambulancia
• Nexus in stories: En aquel momento, de repente, entonces, por eso, sin embargo…
• Causal sentences: Como no tenía zapatos no podía ir a la fiesta
• Evaluating experiences or events : Me encantó esa obra… Me gustó bastante la película
• Direct and Indirect objects: lo / la/ les...
• Vocabulary to tell stories: Pues una vez me pasó una cosa
• Vocabulary to interact: Cuéntame… ¡No me digas! ... !Qué suerte!
• Vocabulary to talk about work life: Empecé a trabajar hace 10 años. No tenía experiencia ni formación especializada
• Vocabulary to talk about personal relationships: Nos conocimos en un curso y me cayó genial
• Vocabualry to talk about cinema: Va de una pareja… Está ambientada en los 80…

Learning Resources Required

• Course Book: Aula Internacional 2 (student’s book) Chapter 10
• Aula Internacional 3 (student’s Book). Difusión. (ISBN: 978-84-15640-11-0) Chapters 1, 8 and 4
• 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.
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC)

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Spanish level 3 at UCL CLIE or for learners who have a good command of the language and its main grammatical structures or have recently achieved a good grade at A-Level.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this course is to enable students to communicate and interact at an intermediate level and to further develop their skills and knowledge of the target language and culture.

Functions

• Express future plans and projects; expressing probability
• Express prediction and hypothesis
• Describe and discuss cultural behaviours and social norms
• Ask and give cultural references and information
• Talk about different habits in different countries
• Making assessments and judging situations, events and states
• Expressing dissatisfaction about current affairs
• Expressing necessity, complaining and claiming
• Talking about public services and searching for solutions
• Describing scenarios in ads and movies

Course Content

Main topics/themes to be covered

• Ecology and resources
• Life in the future, new technologies
• Social and cultural norms and customs
• Habits and Stereotypes
• Society and urban problems; Infrastructures
• Advantages and disadvantages of living in a city
• Education
• Movies, scripts and scenarios
• Publicity and ads

Grammar

• Future tense to predict: Tendremos más zonas verdes, Habrá más variedad
• Conditional with future: Si voy a la fiesta me encontraré con Lola
• Hypothesis about future: Seguramente vendrá… Supongo que querrá acompañarnos… Posiblemente estará enfermo…
• Prohibition and obligation: No se puede fumar. Esta prohibido cantar. Es obligatorio el casco. Se debe apagar el móvil
• Impersonal clauses: Se dice, la gente dice, uno dice…
• Impersonal clauses for habits: Es normal comer… Es habitual no decir… Lo habitual es llegar… Vas alli y hablas con todos… Ponen mucha comida… La gente come mucho
• Quantifying people: La mayoria, casi todos, casi ninguno, todos, casi nadie, todo el mundo, la mitad de la clase…
• Impersonal structures to relate adds: Se ve un bosque, se oye una voz…
• Use of subjunctive (present tense):
• Complaint and desire: exigimos que cambien el sistema, queremos que revisen la propuesta, pedimos que cambien los horarios, esperamos que nos contesten, deseamos que nos escuchen
• Expressing good wishes: ¡Qué lo paséis bien! ¡Qué tengáis buen viaje!
• Time clauses: cuando vengas, en cuanto me escriba, antes de que lleguen…
• Contrast indicative/subjunctive. Times clauses: Cuando, en cuanto, después de que…
• Imperativo afirmative and negative: Ven a Costa Rica. No crea lo que dicen
• Conditional tense to make proposals: Deberían prohibir esas prácticas. Habría que hacer algo más…
• Deepening in direct and Indirect objects: lo / la/ les / se

Learning Resources Required

• Course Book: Aula Internacional 3 (student’s Book). Difusión. ISBN: 978-84-15640-11-0, Chapters 2, 3, 6 and 5
• 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.
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC)

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Spanish level 3+ at UCL CLIE or for learners who have a good command of the language and its main grammatical structures or have recently achieved a good grade at A-Level.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of the course is to enable students who have an upper-intermediate knowledge of Spanish to acquire a better fluency in the language. Students will be able to follow discussions and debates on current issues as well as communicate in all situations using complex and linguistically more accurate structures. Cultural awareness will be further developed.

Functions

• Passing information, requirements and questions
• Suggesting, accepting, and refusing
• Presenting and commenting on information and ideas clearly and efficiently
• Talking about character, feelings and moods
• Describing someone’s character and talking about personal relationships
• Talking about wishes and emotions
• Expressing, supporting and/or questioning different points of view you may agree or disagree with
• Describing objects and their particular characteristics
• Evaluating objects and their uses; giving opinions about objects
• Expressing the purpose of an object, action or event
• Expressing opinions, debating and commenting
• Expressing the cause of an action or event
• Expressing the result or consequence of an action or event

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:

• Talking on the phone
• Different texts and messages
• Media and new technologies
• Personal relationships: expressing feelings and behaviours
• Working life: work and studies
• Objects and qualities
• Shopping and trading
• Environment / Ecology
• Health and lifestyle
• Society and urban problems

Grammar

• Indirect Speech: describing or passing on what others have asked for
• Use of subjunctive (present tense):
• Impersonal structures: es importante que + subjunctive; es necesario que subjunctive
• Complaint and requests: exigimos que + subjunctive; queremos que + subjunctive
• Time clauses: cuando vengas…, antes de que lleguen…
• Wishes and desires: espero que + subjunctive; ojalá que + subjunctive
• Feelings: me fascina que + subjunctive; me pone nervioso que + subjunctive
• Opinion: me parece bien que + subjunctive; no creo que + subjunctive
• Relative clauses with indicative and subjunctive: busco una casa que tiene un jardín muy bonito / busco una casa que tenga jardín.
• Relative clauses with preposition: es un objeto con el que escribo en la pizarra…
• Expressions and structures required to participate in a debate; giving your opinion and showing agreement or disagreement
• Imperative tense (affirmative/negative + pronouns): tómalo frío; no lo tomes, está malo
• If clause (present tense + future tense): si vienes pronto, iremos al parque
• Conditional Tense (simple)

Learning Resources

• Course Book: Aula Internacional 3 (student’s Book). Difusión. ISBN: 978-84-15640-11-0, Chapters 7, 9, 10 and 11
• 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.
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC)

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

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Spanish level 4 at UCL CLIE or for learners who have a good command of the language and its main grammatical structures or have recently achieved a good grade at A-Level.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of the course is to enable students who have an advanced knowledge of Spanish to acquire a better fluency in the language. Students will be able to follow discussions and debates on current issues as well as communicate in all situations using complex and linguistically more accurate structures. Cultural awareness will be further developed.

Functions

• Talking about hypothetical facts and situations in the present
• Expressing probability about the present
• Expressing prediction, hypothesis, possibilities and certainty
• Giving advices and suggestions
• Expressing opinions and interacting in any kind of debate
• Expressing agreement and disagreement
• Presenting facts and ideas clearly and efficiently
• Presenting facts and ideas in a cohesive and effective way
• Composing written pieces about current affairs and about topics related to Hispanic culture
• Improving reading and listening skills using authentic material
• Expressing the cause of an action or event
• Expressing the result or consequence of an action or event
• Expressing the purpose of an action or event
• Expressing, supporting and/or questioning different points of view you may agree or disagree with
• Expressing conditions and settlement of issues
• Suggesting, accepting, and refusing
• Expressing opinions, debating and commenting

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:

• Myths and Legends
• Psychology and Science
• Current affairs: cultural, political and social issues
• Newspapers and TV programmes
• Media and new technologies
• Working life: work and studies
• Tourism and Travel
• History and Traditions
• Arts (music, literature, cinema, arts, cultural heritage)

Grammar

• Future tense for the expression of probability in the present: estará enfermo
• Probability: tal vez, probablemente, etc.
• Verb “creer”: creer algo / creerse algo / creer en algo
• Revision and further use of past tenses: Present Perfect, Preterite Tense, Imperfect, Pluperfect and Continuous
• Use of the passive voice: la revolución fue liderada por el comandante
• Sentences with “se” + verb conjugated in 3rd person: se vende piso
• Anticipation of the direct object pronoun: el tratado lo firmó el presidente
• Use of conditional tenses
• Use of cohesion and connection in sentences: en primer lugar; por un lado/por otro lado; y además, etc.
• Forms and usage of the present subjunctive tense:
• creo que + indicative, no creo que + subjunctive
• es una tontería / impensable + infinitive / que + subjunctive
• Opinion: me parece que…, creo que...
• Expressing conditions: solo si / siempre que / con la condición de que…

Learning Resources

• Course Book: Aula Internacional 3 (student’s Book). Difusión. ISBN: 978-84-15640-11-0. Chapters: 12
• Aula Internacional 4 (student’s Book). Difusión. ISBN: 978- 84-15846- 80 -2. Chapters: 1 and 2
• 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.
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC)

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

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Spanish level 4+ at UCL CLIE or AS Level grade (or equivalent); an extended stay in a Spanish speaking country in the recent past is recommended and/or a very good grasp of the language and the ability to conduct a conversation without difficulty. 

Aims and Objectives

The course is designed for advanced level students requiring the language for vocational and professional purposes. The course will enhance knowledge of Hispanic life, society, and culture using complex and linguistically accurate structures (different types of register). Language learning skills, including autonomous learning and how to approach authentic material, will be further enhanced. 

Functions

• Giving advice, opinions about actions and behaviours
• Expressing desires and wishes
• Expressing purposes and aims
• Making suggestions
• Expressing and talking about feelings, qualities and personality
• Talking about cities
• Expressing positive and negative feelings
• Expressing beliefs
• Expressing requirements
• Preparing and giving presentations on complex topics

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, traditions and religion
• Arts (music, literature, cinema, arts, cultural heritage)
• Geography and nature: cities, regions, countries
• Working life: work and studies
• Health and lifestyle
• Sports and leisure activities
• Personal relationships

Linguistic Structures

• Analysing written authentic material from various sources and with different registers
• Improving listening and reading skills by dealing with a variety of authentic materials.

Grammar

• Consolidation of present tense of subjunctive
• Further use of subjunctive in the imperfect and perfect tense
• Use of subjunctive in colloquial expressions: hagan lo que hagan, viniera quien viniera, estés donde estés, etc.
• Relative clauses: quien, donde, en el/la cual, cuyo/a/os/as
• Some uses of para y por
• Connectors: sin embargo, no obstante, además, por un lado, por otro lado, así que / por eso
• Passive voice

Learning Resources

Course Book:

• Aula Internacional 4 (student’s Book). Publisher Difusión. Chapters: 3, 4, 5, 6
• 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.
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC)

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

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Spanish level 5 at UCL CLIE or high A Level grade (or equivalent); an extended stay in a Spanish speaking country in the recent past is recommended and/or a very good knowledge of the language and the ability to conduct a conversation with accuracy and fluency. 

Aims and Objectives

Successful completion of Spanish level 5 at UCL CLIE or high A Level grade (or equivalent); an extended stay in a Spanish speaking country in the recent past is recommended and/or a very good knowledge of the language and the ability to conduct a conversation with accuracy and fluency. 

Functions

• Describing activism and movements
• Giving instructions
• Expressing feelings and moods
• Expressing objective, aims and internationality
• Reported speech
• Combining tenses of the past
• Petitions and warnings
• Storytelling
• Making predictions about the future
• Talking about the environment (causes and consequences)
• Talking about qualities, roles in jobs and describing a company
• Reproaching / regretting
• Talking about not-completed events in the past and their consequences
• Describing, paraphrasing, debating, defining, analysing and evaluating
• Composing written pieces of information for different purposes in formal situations

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; tales and legends
• Arts (music, literature, cinema, arts, cultural heritage)
• Environment
• Working life: work and studies
• Media and new technologies
• Sports and leisure activities.

Grammar

• Use of Gerundio
• Condicional compuesto
• Subordinate clauses
• Use of Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo
• Consolidation of Imperfecto and Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo
• Expressions of time: hasta que, tan pronto como, cuando, mientras, en cuanto, antes y después de que, justo en ese momento, estar a punto de, entonces...
• Connectors of causa y consecuencia: aunque, a pesar de, por mucho que, es decir, esto es, o sea...
• Combination of pronouns: se lo...
• Adjective and nouns structure and position
• Pronominal verbs: ponerse, quedarse...
• Reported speech

Learning Resources

Course Book

• Aula Internacional 5 (student’s Book). Publisher Difusión. Chapters: 1-6
• 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.
• In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.

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

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.

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).

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, 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