Spanish Course Descriptions

SPN 201: Spanish I, 4 credits

Course designed specifically for beginning university students with no previous language study. Emphasis on acquisition and application of basic language skills.

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Possess sufficient basic vocabulary and structure to comprehend others and express himself/herself in areas of immediate need, including, but not limited to, greetings, social pleasantries, daily activities and interests, and weather and time expressions.
2. Respond to oral directions and commands.
3. Choose correct responses to oral questions to exhibit comprehension of conversations and narratives within the limits of vocabulary and structures of the course.
4. Respond to a statement or questions requiring no change in structure.
5. Respond to a statement or questions requiring change in structure.
6. Recognize letters of the alphabet as well as the typical word order patterns of sentences.
7. Recognize and respond in the present tense to interrogative sentences, declarative sentences, negative interrogative sentences, and negative declarative sentences.
8. Comprehend reading material including, but not limited to, schedules and timetables, maps, and signs.
9. Comprehend and implement simple sentences in the present tense.
10. Understand personal data and simple biographic information including, but not limited to, age, dates, nationality, addresses, and other biographical information.

SPN202: Spanish II, 4 credits

Course emphasis is placed on acquisition and application of basic language skills with major emphasis placed on development of oral proficiency, integrating grammar, reading, and writing.
Prerequisite: SPN 201

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Answer and ask questions and make statements in present tense in order to satisfy personal needs.
2. Answer and ask questions and make statements in past tense in order to satisfy personal needs.
3. Understand spoken Spanish relating to familiar situations when spoken at a moderate tempo with standard intonation.
4. Read selected passages within the context of acquired vocabulary and grammar.
5. Answer questions pertaining to reading selections.
6. Read aloud familiar material demonstrating acceptable pronunciations, intonations, stress, and expression.
7. Identify various regions, countries, and capitals where the target language is spoken.
8. Identify some major Hispanic holidays (including some popular American holidays in Spanish), festivals, customs, and historical events.
9. Compare and contrast aspects of the culture of the Spanish speaking people with the culture of the United States, including common non-verbal responses.
10. Identify the influence of the target culture on the development of North America.

SPN 203: Spanish III, 4 credits

Course design stresses orientation to the Spanish culture and places emphasis on development of the target language in four content areas: speaking/listening, reading, writing, and grammar.
Prerequisite: SPN 202

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Initiate and respond to simple statements and maintain conversation on topics which include, but are not limited to, news, current events, and routine matters.
2. Respond correctly to oral questions demonstrating comprehension of short conversations, narratives, media presentations, and literary selections.
3. Use appropriate structure in guided speech and impromptu communication.
4. Identify the main idea of reading materials of limited length.
5. Comprehend unfamiliar vocabulary in highly contextual material.
6. Demonstrate sufficient reading comprehension to understand printed information including, but not limited to, announcements of public events, popular advertising, basic narration of events, and newspaper headlines.
7. Write short compositions in Spanish using complete sentences and acquired vocabulary.
8. Write a thank you not, an invitation, a phone message, or a brief business letter.
9. Demonstrate limited social competence in the Spanish culture by showing comprehension of common rules of etiquette and customs.
10. Demonstrate knowledge of contributions to the arts and humanities by Spanish speaking people.

SPN301: Spanish IV, 4 credits

Course design places emphasis on the acquisition and application of the target language at the intermediate level. Authentic materials in the target language reflect contemporary topics relevant to global issues.
Prerequisite: SPN 203

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Write letters on familiar topics using the appropriate format, content, and expression.
2. Write a short narrative or a factual description about a present event, incorporation learned vocabulary and structures.
3. Write a short narrative or a factual description about a past event, incorporating learned vocabulary and structures.
4. Write a short narrative or a factual description about a future event, incorporating learned vocabulary and structures.
5. Read and comprehend edited literary materials.
6. Answer oral and written questions pertaining to edited literary materials.
7. State the main idea.
8. Paraphrase or summarize selected passages in the target language.
9. Read authentic material within a familiar context which includes, but is not limited to, prose on familiar subjects containing description and narration, news items, biographic information, social notices, and business letters.

SPN302: Spanish V, 4 credits

Course emphasis is placed on the use of the target language in context. Readings from authentic texts familiarize international business majors with issues in the areas where the target language is spoken.
Prerequisite: SPN 301

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Use Spanish as a medium of expression in the classroom.
2. Understand and implement irregular verbs in the present and past tenses in reading, writing, and speaking.
3. Understand and implement the conditional indicative tense in reading, writing, and speaking.
4. Understand and implement the imperfect indicative tense in reading, writing, and speaking.
5. Understand and implement the present perfect and pluperfect indicative tenses in reading, writing, and speaking.
6. Read and comprehend authentic materials relevant to business themes.
7. Understand commonly used documents and forms.
8. Expand the technical vocabulary by utilizing exact/semi-exact cognates as well as synonyms/antonyms.
9. Comprehend and utilize information on limited topics presented in specialized journals and books devoted to the business field.
10. Make basic oral presentations in the target language on limited topics.

SPN303: Spanish VI, 4 credits

Course emphasis is placed on continued development of proficiency in the target language through grammar review, composition, selected readings, small group discussion, and short speeches on topics of interest. Authentic materials in the target language reflect situations relevant to the international business major.
Prerequisite: SPN 302

Goals and Objectives
By the end of this course, Northwood wants students to:

1. Converse with a Spanish speaker at normal speed in familiar areas of conversation including the appropriate use of the present, past, and future tenses and the subjunctive mood.
2. Read and comprehend authentic texts with the assistance and/or the use of reference sources.
3. Answer questions pertaining to selected reading materials.
4. Understand the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary when used in context.
5. Determine main ideas, details, and some inferences.
6. Write reports based on reading assignments using the appropriate syntactical constructions.
7. Discuss in Spanish historical and cultural facts dealing with Spanish speaking countries which include, but are not limited to, differences among Spanish speaking groups, socioeconomic issues, political issues, and business issues.
8. Make oral presentations in the target language on a variety of business topics.