Academic Catalog

SPAN 13A: INTERMEDIATE CONVERSATION I

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2022
Units: 4
Hours: 4 lecture per week (48 total per quarter)
Prerequisite: SPAN 3.
Advisory: May be taken concurrently with SPAN 4.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Area I: Humanities
Transferable: CSU/UC
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Initiate and maintain simple conversations in the present, past and future, on familiar topics.
  • Speak with some fluency, and a pronunciation that is understandable to natives used to interacting with foreigners.

Description

Review and development of oral and listening communication skills in the targeted functions studied in first-year Spanish with attention to fluency, vocabulary, idiom, and pronunciation. Emphasis on the difference between spoken and literary Spanish as well as the variation in language depending upon the topic, the setting, and the country. Discussion and analysis of cultural and historical issues based on authentic texts, current news broadcasts, and/or films.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. describe physical settings, events, cultural and historical aspects of Spanish-speaking countries
  2. summarize and synthesize previous discussions and readings
  3. narrate and describe in all major time frames in paragraph-length discourse
  4. discuss materials dealing with culturally relevant topics and situations
  5. recognize cultural differences among the Spanish-speaking countries
  6. contribute to a conversation with sufficient accuracy, clarity, and precision to convey an intended message without confusion
  7. elicit information for a variety of purposes utilizing communicative strategies, such as rephrasing and circumlocution
  8. use generic vocabulary

Course Content

  1. Describe physical settings, events, cultural and historical aspects of Spanish-speaking countries
    1. Analyzing and comparing the history of the Spanish-speaking world, with emphasis on Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic
  2. Summarize and synthesize previous discussions and readings
    1. Discussion of pre-Colombian life and culture, and of the impact of Spain in the New World, with special attention to the above-mentioned regions
  3. Narrate and describe in all major time frames in paragraph-length discourse
    1. Gaining awareness of current events and particular issues related to these populations and countries
    2. Describing cultural manifestations pertaining to literature, art and music
  4. Discuss materials dealing with culturally relevant topics and situations
    1. Examine the historical relationship of Hispanic America to the United States, with attention to issues of boundaries and migration as they relate to language development and diversity, and cultural identity
    2. Discuss issues, such as gender roles, stereotypes, social structures and behaviors, and lifestyles, through the language, literature and arts of Spanish-speaking peoples and cultures
  5. Recognize cultural differences among the Spanish-speaking countries
    1. Understand the evolution and transformations of the Spanish language through interaction with African and Native American languages and cultures, as well as its historical relationship to Arabic, Hebrew, Catalan, and Gallego
    2. Examine the evolution of Spanish from its Latin roots to its modern form and appreciate the diversity of regional variations and accents within Spain and throughout Hispanic America
    3. Traditions among ethnic communities that are represented across Spanish-speaking cultures
  6. Contribute to a conversation with sufficient accuracy, clarity, and precision to convey intended message without confusion
    1. Advanced language functions, such as characterizing people, asking for clarification, reacting appropriately, elaborating, summarizing, reacting to criticism, etc.
  7. Elicit information for a variety of purposes utilizing communicative strategies, such as rephrasing and circumlocution
    1. Rephrasing on-the-spot with occasional pauses and hesitations
    2. Interrupting, turn-taking
    3. Guessing strategies for comprehension
    4. Pronunciation that interferes occasionally with comprehension by native speakers not used to non-native speakers
  8. Use generic vocabulary related to:
    1. Social expectations, relationships, conflicts
    2. Cultural and ethical values
    3. Politics, history, current events
    4. Music, literature, art, film
    5. Idioms, colloquial and formal expressions
    6. Vocabulary building skills, such as recognizing prefixes, suffixes, guessing strategies appropriate to the context

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. When taught on campus: use of smart classroom.
2. When taught virtually: ongoing access to computer, internet, and email.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Class participation and preparation
Oral presentations
Laboratory manual assignments
Oral and written midterm and final examinations

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Students will participate in student-centered and teacher-guided conversations
Students will present oral reports on a cultural topics
Students will review, study and practice expressions and vocabulary
Students will practice pronunciation

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Keenan, Joseph. Breaking out of Beginner's Spanish. 2015.

Blanco, José, et al.. Revista: Conversación sin barreras, 4th ed.. 2016.

Sandstedt, Lynn, et al.. Conversación y repaso, 8th ed.. 2011.

Although these texts are older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, they remain seminal texts in this area of study.

Online dictionaries, such as https://www.wordreference.com/

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Follow weekly blogs, news and opinion pages from newspapers in the Spanish-speaking world.
  2. Write reaction pieces to the news and summaries of events.
  3. Listen to native speakers talk about an event in their life and write or record themselves doing the same task.
  4. Write original compositions in which they analyze the ideas, art, and literature presented in class.

Discipline(s)

Foreign Languages