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.

This course is designed for students who have had two semesters of university-level Spanish. Emphasis is on expanding vocabulary and building oral and written communication skills as well as acquiring a greater awareness of the Spanish-speaking world.

OBJECTIVES
The principal objective of this course is to use the skills the student acquired in beginning-level Spanish to strengthen his/her speaking and writing abilities. A method based on communication will be implemented to achieve this goal, and grammar and practical vocabulary will help the student communicate in everyday situations in Spain. This material will be complemented with readings about the Hispanic culture and with the viewing of the movie "Los Años Bárbaros," which will be discussed in class.

EVALUATION:
There will be two partial exams (2 x 20, 40% of the final grade) about the material presented in class. There will be one oral exam (15%) covering the content of the book and readings, and a written final exam (25%) covering the entire content of the course. In this kind of course, daily work is important (turning homework in on time), and active participation in class counts for 20% of the final grade.

WEEKLY PROGRAM
1. Introduction to the course and use of the book PRISMA (A2)
2. UNIT 1: Part 1/part 2/part 3: ¡Vamos de marcha! / ¿Pagamos a pachas? / ¿Tele o radio?
-Grammatical content: review present indicative and conjunctions: y, pero, es decir, en primer lugar.
-Functions: expressing opinion, agreement, disagreement.
-Vocabulary: leisure, entertainment, television, and radio
3. UNIT 2: Part 1/part 2/ part 3: ¿Está Pedro?/ De dónde venimos y adónde vamos / Social relations
-Grammatical content: review uses of ser/estar. Verbs: ir/venire, irse/llegar, and the preposition a.
-Functions: identify, define, and describe people, places, and things; locate people and objects.
-Vocabulary: Lexicon of social relations
4. UNIT 3: Part 1/part 2: Vacation/travel
-Grammar: indefinite preterit (regular and irregular forms) and uses.
-Functions: narrate in past tense
-Vocabulary: vacation and travel
5. UNIT 3: Part 3/part 4: Returning in the Past tense / Llegué, vi y ... me volví.
-Grammar: indefinite preterit: volver + gerund, volver a + infinitive, and volver + participial
-Functions: narrate in the past
-Vocabulary: travel and immigration
6. Review of lessons 1, 2, and 3. EXAM 1.
7. UNIT 4: Part 1: Latest news
-Grammar: preterit perfect (forms and uses); direct object and indirect object pronouns.
-Functions: describe and narrate in the past.
-Vocabulary: related to events
8. UNIT 4: Part 2/part 3: Experiences / ¿Qué tal te ha ido?
-Grammar: preterit perfect (forms and uses)
-Functions: describe and narrate actions in the past, evaluate an action.
-Vocabulary: related to free-time experiences
9. UNIT 5: Part 1/part 2: ¿Qué pasó? / ¡Vaya vida!
-Grammar: indefinite preterit.
-Functions: talk about historical dates
-Vocabulary: historical dates and biographies
10. UNIT 5: Part 3 part 4/part 5: Curriculum vitae (CV) /Looking for work/ personal experiences
-Grammar: contrasting indefinite preterit and perfect; marking time
-Functions: organize a speech; ask for and give information about the CV.
-Vocabulary: related to CV
11. Review of lessons 1,2,3,4, and 5. Viewing of the movie: "Los Años Bárbaros." EXAM 2.
12. UNIT 7: Part 1/part 2: Antes y ahora / Se me ha quedado en el tintero.
-Grammar: preterit imperfect: forms and uses; soler + infinitive.
-Functions: descriptions of habits and customs in the past
-Vocabulary: related to housework, domestic work, and school.
13. UNIT 7: Part 3/part 4/part 5: Te recuerdo como eras.../ Érase una vez el hombre / ¡Eureka!
-Grammar: preterit imperfect; contrasting imperfect and present.
-Functions: description of people, animals, and things in the past: talk about circumstance in which an event occurred.
-Vocabulary: related to historical ages and inventions.
14. FINAL EXAM (you will be told in advance the day and hour of the exam).
The book "Poderoso caballero" will be part of the oral exam. The day of the oral exam will be confirmed by the professor.

Bibliography
Equipo Prisma (2003), PRISMA Continúa (A2). Libro del alumno, Madrid: Edinumen. Miquel, L. y Sans, N. (2003), Poderoso caballero, Barcelona: Difusión.