Keeping Up Your Spanish:  Intermediate Conversation

NCFL 118/21137

Course Syllabus – Spring 2014

Non-credit/face-to-face format

Instructor:  Helen Ida Moyer

        HIM3K@Virginia.edu  /  DuckyOaks@embarqmail.com

Instructor Bio:  Helen Ida Moyer holds a PhD in Spanish from the University of Virginia and has traveled extensively in Spain, Mexico, and Central and South America.

Dates/Times:  Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 pm, April 8 – May 13

Location:  UVa School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Zehmer Hall, Room B

Course Description:  Provides reinforcement and continued development of communication skills for those with a knowledge of the basic structure of the Spanish language.  Improves fluency through conversations that focus on discussions of real- life dialogues, outside readings of short stories, and film clips from a movie in Spanish.  Reviews key grammar points, as needed.  Class materials vary each semester to provide on-going opportunities to strengthen conversational skills over time.

Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes:  The goal of this course is to give students an opportunity to maintain and improve their conversational skills in Spanish.  Emphasis will be placed on expanding vocabulary and developing listening comprehension in order to more effectively communicate in the language.  Students will also learn more about Hispanic traditions and way of life as a means to gain a better understanding of the language through culture.

Required Texts:  McGraw Hill’s Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Conversation by Jean Yates; and the bilingual reader, Stories from Spain by Genevieve Barlow and William N. Stivers.

Suggested texts, helpful websites:

Van Patten, Marks & Teschner, Student Viewer’s Handbook to Accompany DESTINOS, Vol. 1,

    2^nd edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, l997.      

To watch DESTINOS at home, go to the following Website, using high speed internet:      www.learner.org/index.html

http://studyspanish.com – Spanish grammar is explained with practice exercises and quizzes

http://spanishdict.com – Check the meaning of any word in this bilingual dictionary

http://spanish-word-a-day.com – Sign up for a bit of Spanish culture everyday!

http://123teachme.com – Featured is a Spanish verb conjugator

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(Information will NOT be on the main UVa snow line.)