This course introduces the student to the subtleties of the Spanish language, through the use of a theoretical and practical methodology. Classroom and homework exercises are aimed at refining the students’ knowledge and language skills.
The classes will have a mixed methodology of lectures imparted by the professor, class discussions on a variety of topics to practice oral communication between students, several written exercises to evaluate and correct the grammatical structure used, and several reading comprehension exercises.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of these courses, the students should be capable of the following:
o Eliminate speaking and writing vices that hinder the fluidity of communication.
o Increase and apply their critical-analytical capacity.
o Use theoretical instruments for self-correction.
o Elaborate and execute public interventions in Spanish such as: talks, conferences, speeches, and presentations.
o Adequately apply the rules of proper writing in Spanish.
o Write letters, essays, summons, invitations, agendas, minutes, and other formal documents in Spanish.
o Improve the effectiveness of expression in Spanish.
o Combine their oral expression with body language: visual, facial gestures.
o Breathe and articulate adequately during a public intervention.
o Improvise in Spanish during a public intervention.
o Confront unplanned situations while presenting in Spanish to an audience.
Specific Objetives
1. Make brief and extended speeches in Spanish.
2. Giving a speech in Spanish with composture.
3. Practice and perfect the use of written Spanish language correctly.
4. Write argumentative and persuasive essays in Spanish.
5. Properly apply grammatical and writing rules of the Spanish language.
6. Combine oral expression with other forms of nonverbal communication during a presentation in Spanish.
Course Contents
1. Communication
a. Elements
b. Types
2. Oral Communication
a. Advantages and importance
b. Obstacles and difficulties
c. Common Habits
d. Body position and appearance
3. The speaker and the audience
a. Preparing the speaker
b. Knowing your audience
c. Interruptions and negative audiences
4. Different types of short and extended speeches
a. Presentations: self-presentation and the presentation of others, acknowledgements
b. Conferences and seminars
5. The Structure and Preparation of the Speech
a. The parts
b. Steps in preparation
6. Presentation
a. Eloquence
b. Diction and voice
c. Articulation of complex sounds: r/rr, ll, g/j, t/d, qu, ch, ñ, iu/ui, eu/ue, ie/ei, ou/uo
7. Grammatical Rules
a. Common mistakes when writing
b. Punctuation, conditionals and interrogatives
c. Correct accentuation
d. Transition words and their correct usage
e. The noun and its modifiers
f. The use of the 19 prepositions: review
8. Written Structure
a. Typical structure of a text: introduction, development and conclusion
b. Vices of the language: phrases, redundancy, run-on sentences, ambiguity
c. Outline: main and secondary ideas
d. The story
e. Description
f. The letter
g. Telegrams, receipts, checks and bills
TEACHING METHODOLOGY
The Advanced Oral and Written Expression Spanish course uses a methodology based on the progressive model, which consists on the sequential individual process of accessing the cognitive structures of the level immediately above, through previous knowledge. With this process the student increases the cognitive zone of proximity and is therefore able to step up to the next level of knowledge.
Thus, the intention behind the course methodology is , first of all, that the student has the opportunity to activate previous knowledge, generates appropriate expectations, and faces the learning activities intentionally. Secondly, the new information will be presented so that the student has the opportunity of working with it, alongside the professor. Finally, the students will have the opportunity of integrating, consolidating, and increasing the information for themselves; as well as working with their peers to compare perspectives and learnings. Therefore, the models and teaching strategies that will be used are:
Direct Teaching Methodology. Using this model of guided discovery, the professor will use the following strategies:
In each session, the objectives or academic intentions to be reached at the end of class will be explained.
To achieve an adequate class participation and interaction, the professor will try to construct a joint version of the students’ knowledge. In this way, during the presentation of the course topics, the professor will repeat, reformulate and explain both the opinions of the students and the main themes in discussion.
Illustrations (demonstrations) and/or diagrams will be used in each session so that the student learns the procedures, technical aspects and rules to be applied later in problem solving.
The professor will also use similarities and proposals, based on the previous knowledge of the students and as a means to explain the difficult concepts. This process is focused on taking the knowledge to a higher level and expanding the cognitive zone of proximity.
Suggested Activities
Prepare a variety of written practices and short presentations.
Independent Reading: A book chosen by the students, by a Latin American author.
Various short readings as reading comprehension exercises, with short summaries or questions to be prepared by the student.
Bibliography
Alarco Llorach, Emilio. Gramática de la Lengua Española.
Dominicis, María C. y John F. Reynolds. Repase y escriba. Curso avanzado de gramática y composición. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1998.
Gramática práctica: Ortografía, sintaxis, incorrecciones, dudas. Océano.
Müller Delgado, Marta Virginia. Técnicas de la comunicación oral. Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica. 1999.
Evaluation
Class participation and Homework 15%
3 Oral Presentations 15%
3 Written Essays 15%
Midterm Exam 15%
Final Exam 15%
Final Presentation of the independent reading 25%
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