Notes regarding credits...

This course consists of 40 hours of instruction. However, students may earn 45 hours by attending supplemental sessions and completing additional coursework. Please check with your home university to find out whether you need 40 or 45 hours to earn course equivalents.

Note: A placement exam will be required when you arrive on site.

High Advanced

This course is designed for students who have completed or tested out of a minimum of five semesters (or seven quarters) of college-level Spanish. However, students must take a placement exam to determine the course level into which they will be able to enroll.

Introduction
In this course an intermediate or advanced student will have the opportunity to become acquainted with Spanish economic, commercial, and financial terminology from a socio-cultural and dynamic perspective. We will focus on documental terminology and on the most common lexicons used in typical Spanish business situations keeping in mind the Ibero-American dimension. This course is especially recommended for all of those students who wish to incorporate into their professional development the option of integrating themselves into businesses with commercial relationships within the framework of the Spanish-speaking world. Additionally, this course will pay special attention to a reasonable acquisition of terminology within its context, to oral expression in specific situations, and to written expression in letters, curriculum vitae, and other specialized documents.
Program
1. Introduction to commerce and its terminology
2. Spanish business and business people: their salient characteristics
3. The commercial letter, employment opportunities, and the curriculum vitae
4. The decision to import and/or export and their requirements
5. The politics of exportation
6. Transportation and distribution: documentation of INCOTERMS
7. Banks and payment opportunities of international operations
8. Spain within the framework of the European Community (union)
9. Agricultural, livestock, and fishing sectors in Spain
10. Main industrial businesses and services in Spain
Activities
The student will fulfill a series of oral and written exercises relating to the topics proposed in the program, both from original texts and other materials prepared for the course. Likewise, they will organize small debates and discussions in class concerning these same topics. These activities will be of varying length depending on each exercise. The debates won't be longer than 20 minutes.
Evaluation
The evaluation is based on the fulfillment of a final exam worth 70%. The attention and participation in class makes up 15%. The homework exercises and activities are worth 15%. The midterm will be equivalent to 20% of the points allotted for the final exam.
Bibliography
1. Manuals and works consulted
FELICES, A y RUIZ, C., Español para el comercio internacional. Términos y expresiones esenciales en el mundo de los negocios, Madrid, Edinmen, 1998.
PALOMINO, M.A., Técnicas de correo comercial, Madrid, Edelsa, 1997. SABATER, MARTIN y BOSCH., Hablemos de negocios, Madrid, Alhambra- Longman, 1992.
TAMAMES, R., Introducción a la economía española, Madrid, Alianza, 1995.
2. Other documentation
Annuals, articles, reports, and documents of varying sources: current economic periodical publications