Spoken Spanish for Heritage Speakers

Course Description:
This course is aimed at Spanish-speaking students of American origin who wish to improve
their communicative resources and command of Spanish, and thus maintain the language inherited from their families. His
The main objective is for the student to become aware of the linguistic diversity of Spanish and to acquire
the necessary skills to be able to function in both formal and informal registers.
In this sense, the course aims, from a communicative perspective, the integrated development and
significant development of fundamental linguistic skills, and more specifically oral skills
(understanding, expression and interaction). Likewise, emphasis is placed on the teaching of lexical content and
of discursive strategies that allow the student to develop greater oral fluency and achieve a
greater expressiveness and accuracy in a variety of communicative contexts, always seeking to respond to
the communicative and academic needs of the student.
Course methodology:
The orientation of the program is communicative, both in its purposes and in the methodology it follows. It
means that the objectives, at their different levels of concreteness, are set in terms of usability
of the tongue; that the contents are derived from the objectives thus established; and that the work methodology
is based on carrying out use activities, accompanied by the necessary reflection processes on
the language that facilitate the internalization and mastery of its various structures and units.
Course objectives:
THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE
⦿ Recognize and value the various regional and dialect variants of Spanish.
⦿ Be able to interact with native speakers with a sufficient degree of fluency and naturalness, so that the
Communication is carried out without effort on the part of the interlocutors.
⦿ Be able to express oneself with conviction, clarity and courtesy in a formal or informal register that is appropriate to
the situation and the person or persons involved.
⦿ Be able to produce clear and detailed texts on various topics, as well as defend a point of view
on general topics, indicating the pros and cons of the various options.
LINGUISTIC SKILLS
⦿ Have enough linguistic elements to make clear descriptions, express points of
view and develop arguments, using complex sentences and without having to search for words
to build the message.
⦿ Have a wide vocabulary on matters related to one's own specialty and on more topics
general. Be able to vary the formulation of messages to avoid frequent repetition, although the
Lexical deficiencies can produce hesitation and circumlocutions in expression.
⦿ Demonstrate a generally high lexical precision, despite occasional errors in the selection of words.
words, that do not hinder communication.
⦿ Demonstrate good control of grammar, despite the possible presence of sporadic slips, errors
unsystematic and small errors in the structure of the sentence, rare and retrospectively corrected.
⦿ Pronounce and intonate clearly and naturally.
Course contents:
⦿ NOTIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL CONTENTS
⚫ Transmit (and ask to be transmitted) information, instructions, requests, assignments and orders
⚫ Corroborate and deny other people's statements
⚫ Ask for, grant and deny permission
⚫ Express (and ask for):
⚫ wants and needs
⚫ intentions, conditions and objectives
⚫ agreement and disagreement, total or partial
⚫ Justify, argue, criticize and defend opinions, proposals and ideas
⚫ Demonstrate (and react appropriately to the demonstration)
⚫ complaints, claims and wishes
⚫ surprise, joy, sorrow, disappointment
⚫ fear, worry, resignation
⚫ gratitude and apologies
⚫ Make conjectures, express possibility and impossibility
⚫ Express different degrees of certainty and probability
⚫ Advise and react to advice
⚫ Prevent, recommend and warn; react appropriately
⚫ Refer to personal and collective customs and habits
⚫ Define personal and group image
⚫ Describe changes in someone's life or personality
⚫ Relate anecdotes and historical events
⦿ LEXICAL CONTENTS
Sufficient vocabulary (words and expressions) to deal with the following topics, with the necessary
precision, level of abstraction and contextual appropriateness:
⚫ Spanish in the world: unity and diversity
⚫ English and Spanish in contact: Spanglish
⚫ Personal details
⚫ The city
⚫ Tourism
⚫ Roads and transport
⚫ Emigration
⚫ The home
⚫ Nature and the environment
⚫ The animal world
⚫ Sport
⚫ Geography
⚫ Society, State
⚫ Population and quality of life
⚫ Cultural habits and values
⚫ Cinema and audiovisual media
⚫ The media: radio, written press
⚫ The economy and the workplace
⚫ New technologies