UCL CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES
& INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
SSCs 2015-2016
Spanish Syllabus C
Prerequisite for entry
Successful completion of Spanish Syllabus B at the UCL CLIE or a similar course and have experience of dealing with
relevant authentic material.
Course duration
Year 1 students: double-block (16 x 3-hour classes. Block 1: 8 x 3-hour classes; Block 2: workshops and tutorials related
to Project).
Year 2 students: single block (8 x 3-hour classes).
Self-Study
40 hours in total.
Course codes
LCSM6003.
Aims and Objectives
The aim of the course is to enable students with a good basic knowledge of Spanish to develop the four skills further.
Students should then be able to communicate in most situations within the Hispanic world. Students will be able to
converse reasonably fluently with native speakers and discuss personal, social and current issues using appropriate
structures. Cultural awareness will be further developed. Language learning skills, including autonomous learning and
how to approach authentic material, will be enhanced. Some transferable skills will also be covered. Medical related
issues/vocabulary will also be covered.
Functions
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Talking about alternative medicine;
Giving directions instructions and advice;
Enquiring, finding out and checking information;
Expressing and describing feelings, interest, surprise, amusements, sadness, anger, pain;
Discussing past habits;
Recommending healthy habits;
Narrating events;
Discussing solutions to conflicts, objecting;
Organising and summarising ideas;
Giving advice (re. smoking, vaccinations, healthy eating);
Writing emails.
Course Content
Main topics/themes to be covered
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Medicinal plants;
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Auto-medication;
Antibiotics. Use and abuse;
How to avoid health problems like cholesterol;
Vegetarianism;
Smoking in Spain and Latin America;
Epidemics;
Women in Medicine;
Pasteur and his work;
Vaccinations.
Linguistic Structures
Phonetics
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The clarity of the vowels and consonants
Morphology
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Quantitative pronouns and adverbs;
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Personal pronouns: subject, reflexive, prepositional and direct and indirect objects;
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Relative pronouns;
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The imperfect;
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The indefinite;
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The pluperfect;
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The future;
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The conditional;
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The imperative (affirmative and negative) without and with object pronouns;
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The present subjunctive.
Syntax
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Ser/estar;
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Quantifiers followed by singular or plural: todo el mundo, muchos;
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Impersonal “SE”;
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Combination of object pronouns;
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Prepositions: por/para, desde, hasta, etc.;
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Conjunctions;
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Use of the past: perfect, imperfect, indefinite and pluperfect;
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Use of the subjunctive:
- in temporal clauses expressing a future idea (cuando, tan pronto como)
- with impersonal expressions (es importante que…, es difícil que…)
- in clauses expressing command, advice, wish, will and need together with and without indirect object pronouns
(esperar que…, necesitar que…, aconsejar que…, decir que…, querer que…)
- with “ojalá”
- after negative clauses ( no creer que…, no comprender que…)
Discourse Strategies
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lo de + noun/infinitive;
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por una parte/además/sin embargo/en cuanto a …;
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como/y entonces/y de repente/total que …;
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introducing an idea: es que/yo en tu lugar.
Learning Resources
Compulsory
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Shaum’s Outlines Spanish Grammar (McGraw-Hill) – ISBN: 9780071830416
Recommended
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The Oxford Spanish Dictionary, New Second Edition (OUP) – ISBN: 9780199543403
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Authentic material from various sources (press, internet, TV, etc).
In addition there is a wide range of language learning materials available for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.