Summer Course Offerings

ADVANCED SPANISH CONVERSATION AND COMPOSITION

This course has been designed for students who have already acquired a high level of Spanish and want to move up to mastery level. Specifically they will practice advanced grammar structures, the use of idiomatic words and phrases to improve both their written and oral skills, by means of grammar and vocabulary exercises, oral debates and weekly writing assignments. The students’ active participation on a daily basis is essential.

The main objective of this course is to increase the students’ communication fluency and accuracy in order to prepare them for real life situations. They will have access to the language in a real context as well as cultural knowledge that will help them understand the Spanish-speaking world

SPANISH LANGUAGE: PRONUNCIATION AND PHONETICS

This course offers the opportunity for students to learn and practice the correct pronunciation of Spanish with the aim of obtaining greater security and confidence in interacting on a daily basis with Spanish-speakers. More specifically, the course focuses on teaching students basic concepts of phonetics, spelling and intonation of Spanish with the aim for them to be able to identify and reproduce both oral and written versions of all the phonemes of the Spanish language.

SPAIN AND ITS ROLE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

This course gives a broad vision of the present situation of Spain and the countries that at this time make up the European Union. At the same time, the institutions and the government agencies of the European Union are studied to understand the reach and the future possibilities that this supranational organization offers as a united block immersed in the today´s world. Lastly, the unique coin, the EURO, and its consequences for the economic future of the “EURO ZONE” and the rest of the world economic powers are analyzed in detail.

The objectives are to know the geographic, historical, social, political and economic situation of the European Union, to understand the present situation of the European Union countries, and to recognize and appreciate the repercussions of Spain belonging to the European Union .

SPANISH LITERATURE: FROM DICTATORSHIP TO POST-MODERNISM (1939-2010)

This class is dedicated to the study of Spanish literature including the period of the dictatorship of Franco in 1939, during a post-war Spain where the Spanish society lacked freedoms and its contrast with the new period which inaugurated for society and literature the advent of democracy in Spain in 1978 to present day.

The objectives of this course are to analyze and interpret some significant works of this period as stories and poems, to recognize literary movements and styles and their trends, characteristics and authors, to know and be familiar with the concepts, issues and fundamental problems of the literature of this period.

SPANISH CONVERSATION AND GRAMMAR

This course is designed as an intermediate level course to consolidate the student’s prior knowledge of the Spanish language acquired in their homeland, gaining confidence, not only in understanding the language, but also in using the target language properly. Moreover, they will not only have access to the language in a real context, but they will also get cultural knowledge (traditions and social etiquette) which will help them understand the Spanish speaking world. The interaction between the students and teacher will be ongoing in class.

The main objective is to increase the students´ communication fluency and precision in order to prepare them for real life situations. This way they will achieve the necessary fluency that they are expected to achieve in each stage of the learning process.

SPANISH CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION: 20TH CENTURY: JOURNEY TO DEMOCRACY

This course is a political, social, and cultural journey through authentic Spain up to the twentieth century. Students will familiarize themselves with the Spanish idiosyncrasies and the special and original characteristics of this country, and its people. The students will get to know the concerns of the Spaniards (terrorism, unemployment and immigration, CIS, June 2004) and understand their causes.

The objectives for this course are to understand the historical evolution of the Spanish society during the 20^th century, to be able to tell the different political, social and cultural main characteristics of Spanish society during the 20^th century, to understand and describe historical concepts in the context of the history of Spain, to understand, analyze and discuss present social, cultural and political characteristics through the artistic/cultural expressions of the era

SERVICE-LEARNING SEMINAR

Course description coming soon.