Spanish I for International Students
Spanish is spoken by more than 580 million people worldwide presently. Mastering the Spanish language and having knowledge of the history, community and social life, and literature of the Spanish-speaking countries is a valuable skill and knowledge, and can possibly make a difference when you apply for a job!
Spanish I for International Students is intended for those who have studied to at the minimum Spanish level 3 either in upper secondary school or means of our preparatory courses, and who lack the entry requirements in `Swedish. The student will take six different modules: Texts and Literature I and II, Grammar, Phonetics and Pronunciation, and The Spanish-speaking World I and II: Culture, society and nature. These courses taken together will provide you with good basic knowledge in and about Spanish and the Spanish-speaking countries. You will acquire basic language skills via reading both fiction and non-fiction texts, via written exercises and via training in oral communication. Basic grammar is systematically reviewed. By means of lectures and exercises in specialist texts about the Spanish-speaking world, you will gain insight into the special cultural, social and natural conditions in the wide-ranging Spanish-speaking world that exist historically and in the present. The teaching takes place primarily in Spanish, to facilitate the development of your language skills as much as possible.
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Course structure
The overall document for a course is called the course syllabus. Among other things, this contains a description of the contents of the course, its modules, forms of teaching. and forms of examination. The course syllabus can be found on SU’s website. This document, the course structure and organisation, sometimes called the course description, clarifies how in practice we implement the course. The course description should provide good guidance, but is not comprehensive. Further clarifications in verbal or written form will be given by the teacher during the classroom sessions. Do not hesitate to ask the teacher if question marks would remain for the implementation of various tasks. To see which particular teachers are teaching on the course, and for information about schedules and examinations, see Schedule. Information about the Literature Lists and required reading for the course can be found under Course Literature. Further information about examinations can be found under Taking an examination in the Department of Romance Studies and Classics (see our website and Educational Programme/Study Information).
Study participation: The course is given during the daytime (except for a few introductory lectures in basic grammar, which will be given in the evening) and with full-time study, meaning that you will need to invest about 40 hours a week in Spanish studies (time for lectures, practice review, verbal repetition, and preparation for the next classroom session). All learning requires you as a student to be actively engaged, which is all the more important in learning a language. Therefore you will need to prepare well for each classroom session prior to the lesion as well as actively participate during the classroom sessions.
Modules
The students will take the following six modules in Spanish I: Texts and Literature I and II, Grammar, Phonetics and Pronunciation, and The Spanish-speaking World I and II: Culture, society and nature.
1. Texts and Literature I, 5 credits
This module is an introduction to text analysis. You will read simple Spanish-language fiction literature and primarily work with written production by writing short texts in Spanish. You will do simple analyses in Spanish of literary texts and learn how to identify different literary genres. The teaching consists of lectures, as well as seminars and exercises in groups. The examination for the course is by means of written assignments throughout the course.2. Texts and Literature II, 5 credits
This module is a continuation of the former (module 1) and involves an in-depth reading of Spanish-language fiction along with literary criticism. Expanded efforts in work with text analysis sharpens your ability to write texts in Spanish several academic genres. You will learn fundamental analytical methods, literary concepts, and writing strategies. The teaching consists of lectures, as well as seminars and exercises in groups. The examination for the course is by means of written assignments throughout the course.3. Grammar, 7.5 credits
You will study linguistic basics and basic grammatical terminology during the first weeks of the course. The purpose of basic grammar is to increase one’s analytical skills and linguistic awareness. After this, the module consists of lectures in Spanish grammar, mixed with practical exercises and systematic training of central areas of Spanish language structure. The teaching consists of lectures (introductory lectures in basic grammar, lectures about grammar) and exercises in groups (language structure exercises in small groups). The examination for the course is by means of two written assignments (according to a binary grading scale Pass/Fail (G/U) and a final on-campus examination (according to the seven-degree grading scale A-F) which becomes the final grade for the module.4. Phonetics and Pronunciation, 5 credits
This module deals with the central concepts of phonetics and phonology, and phonetic and phonemic transcription, the sound system and prosodic characteristics of Spanish, and the primary regional characteristics of the pronunciation. You will practice pronunciation via practical exercises. The teaching consists of lectures, seminars, and exercises and practice in the language studio. The examination for the course is by means of a pronunciation test (according to the Pass/Fail grading scale (G/U)) and an on-campus examination (according to the A-F grading scale) that becomes the final grade for the module.5. The Spanish-Speaking World I: Culture, Society and Nature, 3.5 credits
By means of lectures and exercises in specialist texts about the Spanish-speaking world, you will gain insight into the special cultural, social and natural conditions in the wide-ranging Spanish-speaking world that exist historically and in the present. You will learn how to analyse how non-fiction text is structured and how it differs from fiction text, and practice improve your verbal ability via oral exercises and making oral reports on the texts read. The teaching consists of lectures and seminars. The examination for the course is by means of oral reports that are made throughout the course.6. The Spanish-Speaking World II: Culture, society and nature, 4 credits
This module is based on the former (module 5) and involves an in-depth specialist text reading that is linked as a background to the fictional texts read during module 2 (Texts and Literature II). You will analyse the conditions of non-fiction in relation to the rhetorical grip of fiction in detail. You will obtain training in verbal interaction about the material studied during the course, with the focus on culture and social issues. The teaching consists of lectures and seminars. The examination for the course is by means of a final oral examination in the form of a group debate.The final grade for the course is weighted, based on the part of 30 credits (ECTS) that a particular module represents. Note that the possibility of turning in supplementary assignments to raise a grade of Fx up to a passing grade is not possible with the on-campus examination (applies to modules 3. Grammar and 4. Phonetics and Pronunciation).
Teaching format
Teaching consists of lectures, seminars, group exercises and training in the language studio. See Testing of knowledge and examination d).
For more detailed information, refer to the course description. The course description is available on the department’s website no later than one month before the start of the course.Assessment
All examination is in Spanish
1. Texts and Literature I, 5 credits
The examination for the course is by means of written assignments throughout the course.2. Texts and Literature II, 5 credits
The examination for the course is by means of written assignments throughout the course.3. Grammar, 7.5 credits
The examination for the course is by means of two written assignments (according to a binary grading scale Pass/Fail (G/U) and a final on-campus examination (according to the seven-degree grading scale A-F) which becomes the final grade for the module.4. Phonetics and Pronunciation, 5 credits
The examination for the course is by means of a pronunciation test (according to the Pass/Fail grading scale (G/U)) and an on-campus examination (according to the A-F grading scale) that becomes the final grade for the module.5. The Spanish-Speaking World I: Culture, Society and Nature, 3.5 credits
The examination for the course is by means of oral reports that are made throughout the course.6. The Spanish-Speaking World II: Culture, society and nature, 4 credits
The examination for the course is by means of a final oral examination in the form of a group debate.Examiner
Juan Carlos Cruz Suárez
Anthony Lappin
Rakel Österberg -
Schedule
The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course. -
Course literature
Note that the course literature can be changed up to two months before the start of the course. -
Course reports
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More information
On the Athena learning and collaboration platform, teachers post additional materials that you are expected to access to become familiar with. You will find here, among other things, practice material. Further clarifications of the content of the course and implementation can be found here. You will also be able to see messages on the learning and collaboration from the teachers to the students; therefore it is important that you use Athena to regularly update yourself with what is happening. The course syllabus indicates what knowledge you are expected know (intended learning outcomes), or what you are expected to be capable of doing, after each module has been completed. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor if you have any questions.
For the on-campus examination, it is necessary to register no later than 10 days prior to the examination session.
If special measures are required for you to be able to take the course, information about this is available on SU’s website. The contact person for these questions at the Department of Romance Studies and Classics is the study counsellor.The take-home assignments (i.e. essays, short independent work and writing assignments) should be written in one’s own words and based on one’s own reflections on the subject. All quotations must be stated correctly and in quotation marks, plus with a citation to the source. A take-home assignment may not consist primarily of quotations. These may only be used to illustrate one’s own reasoning. If there are no citations to sources or if they are very deficient and the course teacher detects plagiarism, this will lead to a report to the Vice-Chancellor being filed. Keep in mind that it is important to use your own formulations, even in oral reports. For the writing assignments in the course, these will be reviewed by an electronic text matching tool. For general information on cheating and plagiarism, refer to Stockholm University’s Guidelines for Examinations and Disciplinary Matters at Stockholm University (Book 2 of the Rules & Regulations).
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