Extra-curricular Languages Programme - Course Outlines
Spanish 1 (Fast Track)
Spanish 1
Spanish 2
Spanish 3A
Spanish 3B
Spanish 4A
Spanish 4B
Extra-curricular Languages Programme
The aims and content of this course are basically the same as Spanish 1 but it is hoped that more rapid progress will be possible. Students following the course will be expected to work in their own time.
The course is designed for complete beginners. You will learn basic survival skills in a variety of situations including topics such as:
- greetings
- giving information about yourself
- describing people and places
- asking for and giving directions
- shopping for food
- your daily routine
Although the main emphasis will be on speaking Spanish, you will also develop your listening and reading comprehension. You will be introduced to the way modern Spanish speakers use their language to talk about everyday activities and ideas; in particular, how they use the two Spanish ‘to be’ verbs (ser and estar) to express different shades of meaning. You will also be shown how to express yourself in the past and the future.
On successful completion of the course you should be able to:
- recognize familiar words and basic phrases concerning yourself, family and common locations
- understand simple notices and posters
- use simple phrases and sentences to describe where you live and the people you know
- ask and answer simple questions relating to your past, present and future needs
To successfully complete the course you will need to invest some time on study between sessions.
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Spanish 1
The course is designed for complete beginners. You will learn basic survival skills in a variety of situations including topics such as:
- greetings
- giving information about yourself
- describing people and places
- asking for and giving directions
- shopping for food
- your daily routine
Although the main emphasis will be on speaking Spanish, you will also develop your listening and reading comprehension. You will be introduced to the way modern Spanish speakers use their language to talk about everyday activities and ideas; in particular, how they use the two Spanish ‘to be’ verbs (ser and estar) to express different shades of meaning.
On successful completion of the course you should be able to:
- recognize familiar words and basic phrases concerning yourself, family and common locations
- understand simple notices and posters
- use simple phrases and sentences to describe where you live and the people you know
- ask and answer simple questions relating to your needs
Although homework is not a requirement of the course, you will gain greater satisfaction if you are able and prepared to invest some time on study between sessions.
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Spanish 2
This course is for those who have completed Spanish 1 or have some knowledge of Spanish used in the present tense. You will develop your skills in a variety of situations including topics such as:
- describing your home and saying where you live
- saying what you like and what you like doing
- describing people
- going to the doctor
- dates and celebrations
- ordering drinks and snacks
- asking about travel; buying tickets and accommodation
- saying where you went on holiday and what you did
Although the main emphasis will be on speaking Spanish, you will also develop your listening and reading comprehension. Grammar points will be dealt with as they arise and in particular the past tenses will be introduced and you will learn to express yourself in the past and the future.
On successful completion of the course you should be able to:
- understand phrases and common vocabulary related to yourself
- read very short texts, advertisements, menus and timetables
- handle very short social exchanges
- use a series of phrases or sentences to describe your family and home, educational background and job
Although homework is not a requirement of the course, you will gain greater satisfaction if you are able and prepared to invest some time on study between sessions.
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Spanish 3A
This course is for those who have completed Spanish 2 or equivalent and understand the formation of the past tenses. You will develop your skills in a variety of situations including topics such as:
- talking about past events
- talking about the weather
- making comparisons
- saying how long ago and how long for
- ordering food and saying what you like
- talking about your dreams and ambitions
- instructions and commands
- making plans
Although the main emphasis will be on speaking Spanish, you will also develop your listening and reading comprehension skills. Grammar points will be dealt with as they arise and in particular the use of the past tenses.
On successful completion of the course you should be able to:
- understand the main points of clear speech on familiar matters
- understand texts consisting of everyday language
- understand descriptions of events, feelings and wishes in a personal letter
- deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in a Spanish-speaking country
- start a conversation on familiar topics
- connect phrases in a simple way to describe experiences, hopes and ambitions
Although homework is not a requirement of the course, you will gain greater satisfaction if you are able and prepared to invest some time on study between sessions.
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Spanish 3B
This course is for those who have completed Spanish 3A or equivalent and wish to develop their skills to a more advanced level. A general revision of grammar will be followed by an introduction to common expressions involving future uncertainty. Simple articles for discussion in class will be provided on a variety of topics.
Although the main emphasis will be on speaking and reading Spanish, you will also develop your listening comprehension skills.
On successful completion of the course you should be able to:
- understand and follow discussions on a variety of familiar topics
- read and understand simple articles on contemporary topics
- express your opinion on related topics
- understand native speakers on familiar topics
You will need to spend time on preparation before each class. This could involve completing grammar exercises and developing texts.
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Spanish 4A
This course is for those who have completed Spanish 3B or equivalent and wish to develop their skills to a more advanced level. Newspaper and magazine articles of general interest will be used to demonstrate the correct application of grammatical rules and provide topics for discussion in Spanish.
Although the main emphasis will be on speaking and reading Spanish, you will also develop your listening comprehension skills.
On successful completion of the course you should be able to:
- understand extended speech and follow complex lines of argument on familiar topics
- understand most TV news and current affairs programmes
- read articles concerning contemporary topics
- take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts
- present clear and detailed descriptions on a range of subjects within your field of interest
- explain a viewpoint on a topical issue
You will need to spend time on preparation before each class. This could include the completion of grammar exercises and the development of articles for discussion in class
This course is for those who have completed Spanish 4A or equivalent and wish to develop their skills to an advanced level. Topics for discussion in Spanish will be provided using articles of cultural interest and texts will be used as an introduction to modern Spanish literature. You will be encouraged to express yourself and to understand native speakers through the use of audio and visual media. Some of the complexities of advanced grammar will be explained.
You will need to spend time before each class on preparing texts and completing grammar exercises. The more time you are able to spend the faster will be your progress.