Spanish

What will the course Cover?

Practical language to enable you to communicate on a visit to Spain or Latin America : asking for simple things in everyday situations; holding a simple conversation with a native speaker, understanding basic written information.

Who is this course for?

Absolute beginners. For anyone who wants a practical introduction to Spanish for social, leisure, travel or work purposes.

What skills, knowledge or experience do I need to start this course?

None; but a good command of English is useful.

What should I be able to do by the end of the course?

• Meet and greet people • introduce people • talk about your family and ask others • say where you are from and which languages you speak • recognise and say the alphabet and spell words • recognise and say numbers; cope with money, prices and the time • say your telephone number and ask others • order drinks and snacks in a bar • say what work you do • talk about where you live • ask for places in a town • ask and understand directions and how to get a place • describe places Grammar covered includes: Nouns and genders, singular and plural,definite and indefinite articles, some possessive adjectives, other adjectives, interrogatives, some basic verb patterns, some irregular verbs (tener, ser, estar), some adverbs. You will know more about the Spanish-speaking world.

How is the course organised?

You will work with handouts & worksheets; audio and videotapes, 'realia' (eg real menus etc). You will be encouraged to speak as much as possible in class, to work in small groups and pairs, to take an active part in your learning; and each lesson, to work on the four skills: listening (and understanding), speaking, reading and writing.

What extra study or practice is expected outside of the class?

You'll always have work to review and practise from the previous lesson; you'll have sentences and words to learn by heart; you'll have homework set by the tutor. We recommend that you spend around 15 minutes a day on some kind of language practice - listening to a tape, watching a video, repeating working with a CD, etc etc. You will need to organise and keep up to date your portfolio of course work for assessment purposes. For some useful support material go to: www.bbc.co.uk/languages “Spanish Steps” and “Talk Spanish” are useful.

How will my progress be assessed?

"You will be encouraged to assess your own progress with help from your tutor, who will monitor your achievements by question and answer, some written work, quizzes, questionnaires, games and some more formal achievement tests. Record of your work will be kept in your Individual Learning Plan to help record the steps taken towards achieving your goals. "

What can I expect to go on to after this course?

Spanish beginners stage 2

Are there any other costs and what do I need to bring?

Please bring pen and a notebook/ paper to write on. Tutor will advise if a textbook is required and where to purchase it.

What support is available?

Please speak to reception if you require any additional help or support during the course. Details are available from the guide and from teaching or reception staff. "