High Intermediate

Prior to enrolling in courses at this language level, students must have completed or tested out of a minimum of three semesters (or five quarters) of college-level Spanish at their home university in the U.S.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL II

1. Course Description
This course is directed toward students that have already incorporated the principle structures and grammatical functions of the language and can participate in formal and informal communicative situations. Grammar skills deepen along with pronunciation and conversation developed in previous levels. Special emphasis will be put on the improvement of the student’s grammatical competency, the end result being to significantly
increase the spectrum of situations in which the
student can perform. It is important to point out that the course involves intensive Spanish and that, in addition, the student will find him or herself immersed in the community that uses the language, and therefore will be obligated to use it in daily situations. These characteristics collaborate in dynamic learning and acceleration of the language. This intensive course encourages the student to utilize their exposure to the unique characteristics of Argentine culture, while stimulating contact with the language through various outlets and local media.

2. General Proposition and objectives
A. The purpose of this course is to deepen the development of the student’s linguistic skills. Upon completing it, the students should be able to narrate and describe in the past, express possibility, doubt, suggestions, and advice. Additionally they should be able to formulate hypothesis, express probability and conjecture, and realize logical and temporal connection. Also, the incorporation of vocabulary within context, the acquisition of correction in the oral registry (working especially with pronunciation) and writing, and the organization of information in texts will be emphasized.

B. Objectives of the course:
1. Incorporate vocabulary and grammatical knowledge according to the level of understanding that the students possess.
2. Contextualize the grammatical elements from the point of view of real communication.
3. Emphasize the relationship between language and culture as a way of understanding how one can be learned through the other.

3. Contents
Unit 1: Presentation of the phonetic characteristics, morphosyntax, and Argentine vocabulary. Brief revision of the Present Indicative Mood. Revision of the contrast between Imperfect/Indefinite. Revision of the principle uses of the Present Subjunctive. Revision of pronoun replacement.

Unit 2: Other uses of the Present Subjunctive: in final propositions, concessive (only “aunque”), relative manners. The relative pronouns. Alternate Indicative-Subjunctive-infinitive. Changing verbs (ponerse, volverse, convertirse en, transformarse, hacerse, llegar a ser): function and use.

Unit 3: Preterite Imperfect of the Subjunctive Mood: morphology and uses. Preterite Perfect of the Subjunctive Mood: morphology and uses. Pluscuamperfect of the Subjunctive: morphology and uses. Temporal correlation: time sequences of the Subjunctive Mood. [Espero que venga- Esperé/esperaba que vinera- Espero que haya venido- Esperé-esperaba que hubiera venido].

Unit 4: Conjecture and probability. Future Imperfect and Simple Conditional. Future Perfect and Composed Conditional: morphology and uses.

Unit 5: Direct and indirect style. Correlation of time. Condition with “si”. Outline conditional phrases. Concession with “aunque”. Outline concessive phrases. Passive voice. Passive with “se”.

Unit 6: The adverse constructions with links like ‘pero, mas, sino, mas bien, sin embargo, no obstante,’etc. Cause and consequence. Links. Use of the moods in the expression of cause and consequence. Expression of consequences with and without intensification. Use of prepositions. Revision of ‘para/por.’ Verbs + preposition.

3.1 Cultural Contents:
As stated above, one of the objectives of the course is to emphasize the relationship between language and culture. It is our belief that when studying a foreign language it is imperative that cultural guidelines of the linguistic community are incorporated into the language learning. The cultural components of this course will be integrated through the use of texts, movies, songs, visits to museums, etc…

4. Didactic Material
Intermediate II Spanish Workbook, Intensive Spanish Courses for Foreigners, Belgrano University.

5. Methods
Students will work on different types of written and oral exercises, lectures, comprehension, and analyze different texts; written productions, oral presentations, debates, songs, games, Argentine movies with Spanish subtitles. The Department of Spanish as a Foreign Language also makes use of the university language lab.

6. Evaluation
Classroom activity will correspond with the homework given. Likewise, the students will complete brief written assignments. In the allocation of final points, participation will include the completion of homework, various compositions, and every other form of active involvement with classroom exercises.