Prerequisite for entry
For complete beginners or those who have had only very little contact with the language.
Term duration
10 x 2-hour classes.
Progression
After 20 hours students may progress to level 1+
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.Ìý
- Expressing intentions and speaking about skills in other languages.
- Talking about family and relationships, marital status, and age.Ìý
- 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.Ìý
- 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.Ìý
- Countries and nationalities. Languages.
- Jobs, places of work and studies.
- Personal details: address, telephone number and email address.Ìý
- Family and relationships.
- Physical appearance and character.Ìý
- Cities, towns and regions.Ìý
- Objects. Shopping. Currencies.Ìý
Phonetics
Basic rules of the Spanish pronunciation.
Grammar and linguistic structures
- The alphabet. 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: ÌýAula Internacional 1 (student’s book English version. Difusión. ÌýISBN-13: 9788415846772) Chapters: Ìý1 - 2 - 3 - 4 – 5 (only family).
- 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 (Aula Internacional 1), or the platform, or both through the European Bookshop
- In addition, there is a range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre (SAC).
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