Intermediate Spanish I

This intensive intermediate course works to improve the four basic skills: reading, speaking, writing, and understanding through direct exposure to Spanish language and Argentine culture. After reviewing basic grammar and vocabulary, you will be exposed to new and more complex grammar and communicative structures so that you will have more opportunities for interacting accurately and expressively with the host community.

The course combines several integrated approaches intended to develop your skills. Most in-class time - driven by the materials provided by your professor - is devoted to speaking and practicing Spanish through a combination of group-based and individual activities, focusing on grammatical structures, language functions, and vocabulary. Lessons also focus on a wide range of contemporary cultural themes through the use of varied materials such as newspaper articles, advertising material, and short film clips. Onsite activities will require involvement with the local community, which will give you a unique chance to rapidly implement your linguistic development in real-life.

Special extra-curricular activities - such as exploring museums and parks, Argentine movie night, or possible language-exchange opportunities - will be announced, and your instructor will help you identify which activities would be most useful for you. These and other cultural components of the course will also promote your knowledge of Argentina and the Spanish language as you learn about Argentine society, and thus learning Spanish gives you a privileged opportunity to develop sensitivity towards cultural differences and to understand the ways in which culture and language interlock. In this sense, you will be encouraged to exploit the value of these lessons not just as a useful aid to your progress in other courses at the Study Center, but as a set of tools for unlocking a wide range of intercultural discoveries whilst living and studying abroad.

By the end of the course, you are expected not simply to be able to demonstrate mastery of the basic grammar and lexical structures, but also the growing ability to conduct relatively demanding conversations to express personal ideas and opinions, hypothesis, commands, and future projects, as well as to be able to write short texts that clearly and simply relate personal experiences, impressions, and opinions.

Several class sessions will involve simple group discussions and debates on current topics, thus increasing the possibilities for developing the skills of self-expression. Particular attention will be devoted to expressing individuals' and other people's ideas and to synthesizing information and opinions.