A.1 - True Beginning

Spanish Language Level A1.1

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is an optional course for international students studying in ELISAVA. This course is worth 6 ECTS. Students must attain150 hours divided between 45 class hours and work and activities done outside of class. The course focuses on learning the Spanish language in all its skills. Students will therefore develop their oral and written skills integrating basic vocabulary and Spanish grammar, and taking into account students? academic needs.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students whose native language is not Latin-based and who have never studied Spanish are not required to take a level test. The level test is compulsory, however, for those students whose native language is Latin-based.

METHODOLOGY
The course is based on a communicative approach. The main objective is to provide the student with the necessary knowledge to communicate in a Spanish-speaking country where many different cultures converge. Emphasis will be placed on communicative activities that help students integrate language skills, grammar and vocabulary. Our method aims to successfully integrate the students into Spanish culture, introducing them to a way of life that may be completely new for many of them.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course the students will be able to interact in a very simple way with an interlocutor. They will require patience and help from those they interact with. They will know how to ask and answer very basic questions about themselves. They will be able to use very basic expressions and understand slowly and clearly spoken answers.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
Written and spoken comprehension
- First words in Spanish
- Giving and asking for personal information
- Giving and asking for directions
- Locating objects
- Greetings and saying goodbye
- Introducing yourself
- Introducing someone else
- Exchanging basic information about leisure activities
- Exchanging information about basic social and family relationships

Oral and written expression and oral interaction
- Identifying objects
- Greetings, introducing yourself and saying goodbye (formal and informal)
- Express existence
- Giving and asking for information about timetables and activities
- Comparing prices
- Following very basicinstructions commonly used in the classroom
- Giving and obtaining personal information
- Exchanging information about their intentions in language learning
- Looking for and giving information about cities and countries
- Briefly describing a person both physically and their personality
- Writing postcards and emails about their daily habits (family, leisure activities basic descriptions of cities and countries)
- Filling out basic forms with their personal information

Grammar
- Determinantes demostrativos
- Presente del Indicativo: regular and reflexive verbs
- Determinantes interrogativos
- Basic gender and number rules
- Articles and prepositions of location
- Basic difference between ser and estar

Vocabulary
- Alphabet
- Nationalities
- Numbers from 0 - 1,000,000
- Ordinal numbers
- Vocabulary related to the house, office, public services, means of transport and leisure activities

EVALUATION SYSTEM
Students will be evaluated according to their progress throughout the course (continuous assessment 60%) and at the end of the course (final exam 40%). *The exam has 4 sections. To pass the course, students must get a minimum of 50% in each section of the exam.

ATTENDANCE AND CLASS PARTICIPATION
Due to the nature of this course, students are required to show a high level of commitment and participation in class. It must be taken into account that learning a language is an accumulative process. To pass the course all students must have a minimum of 80% class attendance.Students are expected to come to class and participate actively during the class. They must also do their homework for the deadlines set by their teacher. A negative attitude or lack of interest will be reflected in the final mark. Students must dedicate several hours to studying and preparing for classes outside of the classroom to take full advantage of the course.

COMPOSITIONS
Students will have to hand in compositions on the day that the teacher decides. For each composition two versions will be handed in: the latter will incorporate the teacher?s corrections.

ORAL EXERCISES OR PRESENTATIONS
Students will have to do one oral exercise or presentation to practice the different aspects that have been learned in class. The teacher will decide if the presentation will be done in groups, pairs or individually.

ACTIVITIES OUT SIDE THE CLASSROOM
The students will have to complete a series of activities out of the classroom that may or may not be supervised by the teacher. These activities will be mandatory and they will have to be justified (in the manner that the teacher considers best).

List of activities:
- Create a dossier of written activities carried out during the course to be handed in at the end. It must include: a postcard, a written conversation, directions from your house to the university, an email, a physical description of a person, a description of youraccommodation.
- Simulate ordering something in a restaurant and film it.
- Oral presentation with visuals aids about your university.
- Oral presentation with visual aids about your country and its traditions.
- Create a vocabulary list.
- Hand in a form with their personal data filled out correctly.

FINAL MARKS
9.00 - 10.00 EXCELLENT
7.0 - 8.9 GOOD
6.0 - 6.9 ADEQUATE

Students will fail the course in
the following situations:
UNSATISFACTORY
1.The overall course mark (continuous assessment +final exam) is less than 6.
2.The mark of the final exam is less than 6 or the student fails to get a minimum of 50% in each section of the exam.
3.Class attendance is less than 80%.