At the end of the academic year, all students will aim to reach B1+ level in all skills.
The course runs throughout the academic year with one hour of class per week. Before each lesson, the student will have consulted WebCampus and completed the task(s) required by the teacher. The course material will be based on the material sent on WebCampus.
Spanish 1 (minimum level A2) [ECDLB196]
Español 2 (nivel B1 o superior) [ECDLB296]
The course is given face-to-face and in small groups of maximum 30 students. It is given in the form of interactive seminars in Spanish and is structured around four modules, each of which ends with a certificate assessment. Attendance is compulsory. Opportunities to work on oral or written production are provided in each course. The objectives and activities are designed in accordance with the philosophy of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Reference for Languages. Language communication is worked on taking into account linguistic (lexicon, syntax, phonology), sociolinguistic (markers of social relations, rules of politeness, etc.) and pragmatic (organisation, adaptation, structure of discourse) skills necessary for the target tasks. The course is not limited to considerations of linguistic knowledge. The teaching methods are based on 4 axes The first axis concerns the interactive constructivist model. The interactive constructivist model offers a richer framework for educational action than the purely transmissive or behaviourist model. The bases of this approach touch in particular on the following concepts: learner autonomy and initiative, processing of information by the student via his or her own cognitive structuring, active approach by processing tasks, empowerment of students through the dynamics of choice, dialogue. The second axis concerns adherence to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Language activities can be of several kinds: reception (listening and reading), production (oral continuity, writing), interaction (oral) and mediation (translation and interpretation). Each language activity is broken down into specific performance descriptors at all levels. Communicative competence is divided into three components, which are also present in all levels, namely linguistic competence (lexicon, syntax, phonology), sociolinguistic competence (markers of social relations, rules of politeness, expressions of popular wisdom, dialects and accents) and pragmatic competence (organising, adapting, structuring discourse). These three competences constitute the language communication competence. It is therefore no longer a question of limiting ourselves exclusively to considerations of linguistic knowledge. The actional perspective is the view that the language user has to perform tasks (which are not only language-related) in given circumstances and environment within an action domain. The third axis concerns the differentiation of courses. According to the "Missions" decree (art. 5, §12), differentiated pedagogy is "a teaching approach which consists of varying methods to take into account the heterogeneity of classes as well as the diversity of learning styles and needs". In order to give each student the best chance of success, two groups (elementary and intermediate) will be created following the diagnostic test at the beginning of the year, bringing together students with similar needs. The fourth axis concerns the design of the workload for the student. Particular attention will be paid to the distribution between face-to-face hours and credits allocated to the English course. A certain number of hours/credits will therefore be done face-to-face with the teacher, the rest of the hours/credits will be done remotely through the Webcampus 2017 platform. It will be a question of defining the activities to be preferably positioned at a distance and keeping the hours in person for an essential accompaniment of the teacher. The work during the face-to-face hours and outside will be marked out in a precise and rigorous way.
The final course grade is calculated according to the following weighting:
At the end of each module, students must submit a final task and take a grammar/vocabulary test covering the content of that module.
Final tasks must comply with the instructions provided in class. Failure to follow these instructions will result in a fail grade for the task.
In June, students must take both an oral examination and a written examination.
Oral exam (20%)
The oral examination will consist of:
a pair discussion on one of the topics covered during the course (including the topics of the oral presentations and debate questions);
a conversation with the lecturer about the student's portfolio.
Students who do not submit their portfolio will not be allowed to take the oral examination.
Written exam (20%)
The written examination will assess the vocabulary, grammar, and skills developed throughout the year, with reference to the four course modules.
completed all components of the course (including every final task and every test for each module);
submitted their portfolio for the oral examination (a document completed progressively by the student, recording the various activities carried out in Spanish during the academic year);
obtained at least 10/20 in:
the overall continuous assessment, and
each examination component (both the June written examination and the June oral examination).
Where applicable, students must retake any component for which they obtained a grade below 10/20.
If a student's overall average does not reach 10/20 in June, they will be required to sit the August/September resit session and will only retake the components they have failed.
This may include:
the written examination;
the oral examination;
the overall average for the module assessments.
Please note: the absorbing fail principle (automatic final grade of 9/20) may be applied in two specific cases:
If the student obtains an overall average of 10/20 or higher but receives a significant fail grade (below 9/20) in either the written examination, the oral examination, or the overall average of the four module assessments.
If the student obtains an overall average of 10/20 or higher but fails (grade below 10/20) all three of the following:
the written examination,
the overall assessment of the four modules,
the oral examination.
Students are therefore expected to take all assessment components seriously in order to pass the course.
For students required to resit, any assessment component below 10/20 in June that is not retaken in August/September will not be carried forward and will automatically be awarded a grade of 0.
The second-session grammar/vocabulary assessment will cover the content of the entire academic year for all students.
Important: Students who must retake the oral examination in August must submit a new version of their portfolio on WebCampus, including five new activities completed during the summer (production, reception, and/or cultural activities, at the student's discretion).
The final grade will be distributed as follows:
Assessment of the four modules: 60%
June written examination: 20%
June oral examination: 20%
The final grade will be distributed as follows:
Assessment of the four modules: 40%
Written examination: 30%
Oral examination: 30%
The course is taught primarily in the target language, and the use of French is kept to a minimum. Grammar classes may occasionally be taught in both languages to facilitate a better understanding of the nuances specific to each language.
Due to the rapid pace of progression, only regular and active attendance will enable students to achieve the course objectives. Consequently, absences are strongly discouraged.
Please note that successfully completing this course unit does not lead to language certification.
The materials for each module of the course will be systematically uploaded to WebCampus.
Mandatory reference book:
• Grammar: Alonso Raya, R. et al. (2005). Gramática básica del estudiante de español. Barcelona: Difusión.
| Training | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Political Sciences : General | 3 | 3 | Yes |
| Bachelor in Information and Communication | 3 | 3 | Yes |
| Bachelor in Business Engineering | 3 | 3 | Yes |
| Bachelor in Economics and Management | 3 | 3 | Yes |