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

Superior

This course is designed for students who have completed or tested out of a minimum of 2 upper-division college-level Spanish courses. However, students must take a placement exam to determine the course level into which they will be able to enroll.

This course will consist of reading and discussing a diverse group of texts including periodicals, literary and scientific texts that reflect aspects of Spanish culture and daily life. Special attention will be placed on writing compositions and vocabulary acquisition.

The following themes and texts will be discussed and used in this course:
I. Shopping
Text: “Aprovecha las rebajas, pero no bajes la guardia”
-Vocabulary: commercial language. Synonyms and antonyms
-Discuss the differences between “rebajas”, “saldos” and “liquidaciones”
-Cultural: Get to know the customs and business hours.
-Written exercises: “¿Te gustan las rebajas? ¿Son iguales th tu país?
II. An image of Spain
Text: “Malas costumbres. Texto extraído de Guía de malas costumbres españolas.
-Vocabulary: identification of adjectives
-Cultural: Defects and virtues of Spaniards
-Writing exercises: ¿Qué le falta a Madrid?
III. Tell me a story
Text: “La otra”(Incomplete text)Rosa Montero
-Vocabulary: synonyms and antonyms, olloquial language.
-Give and ask for information about the characters.
-Writing Exercise: The student will write the ending of the text read.
IV. Politics
Text: “La nueva resistencia” Fernando Savater
-Vocabulary: political language
-Political changes in Spain
-Writing exercise: give opinion on article
V. Suite 347
Text: Biography of Picasso
-Vocabulary: artistic language
-Writing exercise: visit the Suite 347 exposition and write a brief commentary
VI. Windmills
Text: “Don Quixote de la Mancha”
-Cultural: An introduction to Quijote. Visit Alcalá de Henares
VII. “La Fiesta de San Isidro”
Text: “Los niños y los toros” Joaquín Vidal
-Discuss changes and transformations
-Discuss the importance of the festival of bulls

VIII. Spain and Brussels
Texts: “Analisis de la commission Europea para España”
-Vocabulary: political language
-Cultural: discuss aspects of Spanish international relations
-Writing exercise: brief essay on differences between Spain and students’ country
IX. Juvenile Delinquency
Text: “Condenado a aprender Castellano”
-Vocabulary: law terminology
-Cultural: Discuss the modern legal system of Spain.
XX. Health
Text: “La donación de sangre” J. Sanchez
-Discuss the informative campaigns promoting illness prevention.
XI. Lets go to the Movies!
Text: “El ultimo sueño” Pedro Almodóvar (Interview 9/14/1999)
-Discuss familial situations and way of life in Extremadura
-Writing exercise: write about the way of life of the people from your hometown