SPAN 1011 - Beginning Spanish Language and Culture I

Credits: 5
Hours/Week: Lecture None Lab None
Course Description: This course is an introduction to the Spanish language as well as a survey of Spanish-speaking civilizations and cultures and their societies, arts, and humanities. It stresses basic grammar, communicative proficiency (in reading, writing, speaking and listening), and cultural competency. Students are required to listen to the text audio program and practice their conversation skills in the language laboratory for two hours each week.
MnTC Goals
6 Humanities/Fine Arts, 8 Global Perspective

Prerequisite(s): None
Corequisite(s): None
Recommendation: None

Major Content

1. Grammar and Structures:
   1. Nouns and articles: gender and number
   2. Adjectives: gender, number and position
   3. Present tense of regular and irregular verbs
   4. Question and answer format, negation
   5. Reflexive verbs (reflexive pronouns)
   6. Recurring patterns
   7. Creative use of language structures to increase self-expression 
2. Vocabulary:
   1. Use a dictionary.
   2. Recognize cognates.
   3. Develop vocabulary to make introductions; express likes/dislikes, obligations, preferences, abilities, plans, activities; describe college, classroom, courses, objects; talk about weather, time, numbers, colors; talk about countries, nationalities, origin, languages; talk about house, rooms, furniture; talk about family, relatives, relationships; discuss beliefs, behaviors, and cultural aspects of the Spanish speaking world.
3. Writing:
   1. Short cohesive compositions using correct grammar and appropriate vocabulary.
4. Speaking and Communication Strategies:
   1. Greeting people appropriately, according to situation and relative status
   2. Making the most of a limited vocabulary (circumlocution)
   3. Expressing compliments and apologizing
   4. Requesting and giving information
   5. Making invitations; politely accepting or declining them
   6. Agreeing, disagreeing
   7. Making requests appropriately and thanking
   8. Expressing feelings: (dis)likes, fear, love, etc.
   9. Expressing intentions, plans, desires
   10. Asking for and giving advice
   11. Soliciting opinions
   12. Making generalizations, opinions or judgments about others’ actions (subjunctive mood)
5. Reading and Culture:
   1. Reading selections in the textbook and supplemental readings that provide an in-depth look at the Spanish speaking world and feature information in different fields (arts, culture, history, etc.)
   2. Strategies to read and analyze authentic materials (cognates, prior knowledge, contextual clues, etc.)

1. demonstrate speaking and listening skills in paired and group activities within limits of linguistic ability.
2. demonstrate writing skills in the form of compositions, letters, and journal entries.
3. read cultural commentaries on the countries and important representatives of the Spanish speaking world.
4. articulate knowledge of beliefs, behaviors, and cultural aspects of the Spanish speaking world.
5. discuss cultural aspects of contemporary Hispanic communities in the United States and Canada.

06.02. Understand those works as expressions of individual and human values within an historical and social context.

06.03. Respond critically to works in the arts and humanities.

06.05. Articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and humanities..
Theme Goals (MnTC Goals 7-10)
08. 02. Demonstrate knowledge of cultural, social, religious and linguistic differences.

08. 03. Analyze specific international problems, illustrating the cultural, economic, and political differences that affect their solution.

08. 04. Understand the role of a world citizen and the responsibility world citizens share for their common global future

Courses and Registration