Advanced Spanish Language

Course Objectives:
The capacity to communicate:
-    To be able to understand the principal ideas of complete texts with concrete and abstract themes, even if they are theoretical in character, but always within their own field of expertise.
-    To be able to relate to native speakers with a sufficient grade of fluidity and naturalness, in a manner of communication that is made without much effort by the partners.
-    To be able to express themselves with conviction, clarity and courtesy en a formal or informal matter that is adequate to the situation and the person or people that are involved.
-    To be able to create clear and detailed texts on several topics, as well as be able to defend a point of view on several general topics, indicating the pros and cons of the diverse options.
Language Skills:
-    To be able to express themselves with clarity and without the need to limit the content of the messages.
-    To provide sufficient linguistic elements, like how to make clear descriptions, express points of view and develop arguments, utilizing complete orations for each and without the need to look for words to construct the message.
-    To provide ample vocabulary about issues related to their own specialty and to more general themes. To be capable of varying the formulation of messages to avoid frequent repetition, as lexical deficiencies can produce hesitation and circumlocution in expression.
-    To demonstrate a generally high lexical precision, despite occasional errors in word selection, that do not create obstacles in communication.
-    To manifest control of grammar, despite the eventual presence of sporadic slips, non-systematic errors and small faults in the structure of the phrase, scarce and corrected afterwards.
-    To pronounce and tone with clarity and naturalness.

VIII. Course Content: Notional and Functional Content
-    To convey (and ask that you be told) information, instructions, requests, charges, and orders.
-    To corroborate and deny claims
-    To ask for, give, and deny permission
-    To express (and ask for):
    o    Desires and necessities
    o    Intentions, conditions and objectives
    o    Agreement and disagreement, all or some
    o    Justify, argue, criticize and defend opinions, proposals and ideas
-    To demonstrate (and react according to the demonstration)
    o    Complaints, claims and wishes
    o    Surprise, happiness, pain, deception
    o    Fear, worry, resignation
    o    Gratitude and apologies
-    To make promises
-    To make conjectures, to express possibility or impossibility
-    To express distinct grades of certainly and probability
-    To give advice and react to given advice
-    To prevent, recommend and warn; to react accordingly
-    To refer to customs and personal and collective habits
-    To relate anecdotes and historical events
-    To describe changes in life or in the personality of someone

Grammatical Content
Morphology:
-    Introduction to the composition and derivation (nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs)
-    Characteristics of prefixation, suffixation and composition in Spanish
-    Rules of general and numeric flexion
-    Qualifying adjectives:
    o    Position
    o    Semantic and stylistic values
    o    Special uses in the pronominal system and in determination: personal pronouns, demonstratives, possessives, interrogatives and relatives
    o    Diverse uses of quantifiers: numerals, ordinals, multiplicatives, distributives and collectives
    o    Groupings of indefinite pronouns
The Verb:
-    Consolidation of the morphology of distinct times and modes, and systematization of the uses and contrasts between them. Special cases.
-    Diverse uses of the infinitive and of the gerund, and of their compounds
-    Pronominal and reflexive verbs
-    Periphrasis: systematization and special cases
-    Propositional regimen
-    Uses of the pronoun “se”: impersonality, passive reflection and pronouns
-    Adverbs using “mente”: discursive uses
-    Connectors: además, incluso, entonces, de todas maners, en cualquier caso…
-    Conjunctions and coordination connectors and subordination connectors associated to formal markers
-    The locutions of Spanish (nominals, adjectives, verbals, adverbials)
Syntax:
-    Systematization and consolidation of the diverse structures in the subordinate nouns
-     Systematization and consolidation of the indirect style
-    Phrases related with the preposition (en, con, sobre el/la/los/las que…). Alternating qu/quien
-    Comparative constructions (es como/una especie de… + noun; no tan… como…; mucho más… que…)
-    Pronominal constructions (acordarse de, interesarse por) and alternate syntactic structures (interesarle algo a alguien/interesarse alguien por algo)
-    Subordinate orations (causals, concessives, conditionals, temporals and finals): systematization of the syntactic constructions and the use of less frequent conjunctions

Lexical Content
The sufficient vocabulary (words and expressions) to discuss the following themes, with necessary precision, level of abstraction and contextual appropriateness:
-    Personal details
-    Professional and academic Curriculum Vitae
-    Health and the human body
-    Gestures and postures
-    Position and movement
-    Illnesses and accidents
-    The city
-    Municipal and social institutions
-    Procedures and records
-    Nature and the environment
-    Geography
-    Society, State
-    Public Administration
-    Parties and unions
-    Population and the quality of life
-    Cultural habits and values
-    Leisure and tourism
-    Work and the professional life
-    Professions and trades