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

Intermediate

This course is designed for students who have completed or tested out of a minimum of two semesters (or three 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.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this course is to provide the student with a systematic and organized view of current day Spain, to understand where we have come from and how we are.

PROGRAM
TOPIC 1--BASIC CONCEPTS
Political system, religion, the languages of Spain, economy and industry, educational system, social problems, Spanish topics, the value of the family

TOPIC 2--HOW TO BEHAVE IN SPANISH SOCIETY
Spanish social customs and cultural differences

TOPIC 3--OUR LOCATION
Spanish geography. Automous Regions of Spain: Andalucía, Castille and León, Catalunya, Galicia, Madrid and the Basque Country. Cultural diversity.

TOPIC 4--WHERE WE’VE COME FROM
Spanish history:
4.1. The Romans and Romanization.
4.2. Muslim Spain.
4.3. Los Reyes Católicos and the Discovery of the Americas.
4.4. The formation of the Spanish empire: Charles I and Phillip II
4.5. The Spanish Civil War, the Franco era and the Spanish democracy.

TOPIC 5--HOLIDAYS AND FOLKLORE
5.1. National holidays: Christmas, Three Kings Day, Holy Week
5.2. Local holidays: The Feria of Sevilla, The Fallas in Valencia , San Fermines
5.3. The bullfights of Valencia
5.4. Flamenco

TOPIC 6--FOOD
Typical regional dishes

TOPIC 7--SPANISH ART
Painting, architecture and film.

Note: The order of the contents of this program may be altered.

EVALUATION
30% midterm exam
40% final exam
30% homework, class participation, and attitude