Note:
In all Spanish courses, students will have assignments that require interactions in Spanish with local people on a regular basis. These assignments will have both linguistic and cultural components: by working on them, students will practice and improve their language skills, as well as learn about Spanish culture. Spanish courses in Barcelona will take advantage of the language and culture immersion, which will greatly enhance students’ acquisition of Spanish.
SPAN 111 – Elementary Spanish I
(3 units) (Pass/No Pass or Letter Grade)
Recommended: eligibility for ENGL 838, Intensive Introduction to Composition and Reading or equivalent
CSU/UC#; AA/AS Area E5c - Humanities; CSU GE Area C2 - Humanities
This course provides students with no prior knowledge of Spanish the opportunity to develop basic oral communication skills that allow them to use the language to talk about themselves, their families, their studies, other occupations, etc. Students will learn enough Spanish to use as they go about their daily life in Barcelona: greeting people and introducing themselves, talking about their life in the United States, and shopping. Basic reading comprehension and writing skills are also developed. Cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world are highlighted, in order to raise cultural awareness and to use the language in a culturally appropriate manner.
SPAN 112 – Elementary Spanish II
(3 units) (Pass/No Pass or Letter Grade)
Prerequisite: completion of SPAN 111 or equivalent with a grade of C or higher
CSU/UC#; AA/AS Area E5c - Humanities; CSU GE Area C2 - Humanities
This course provides students with minimum prior knowledge of Spanish the opportunity to develop basic oral communication skills that allow them to use the language to talk about routine activities as well as vacations. Students will be able to use Spanish on a daily basis with local people in Barcelona, whether they are ordering food when eating out, asking for directions, or just striking up a conversation about their favorite topic. Additionally, students will learn to narrate simple stories in the past. Basic reading comprehension and writing skills are also developed. Cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world are highlighted, in order to raise cultural awareness and to use the language in a culturally appropriate manner.
(3 units) (Pass/No Pass or Letter Grade)
Prerequisite: completion of SPAN 110 or SPAN 112, one year of high school Spanish or equivalent with a grade of C or higher
CSU/UC#; AA/AS Area E5c - Humanities; CSU GE Area C2 - Humanities
This course is for students who can use Spanish to talk about the “here and now” and narrate a simple story in the past. Students further develop and practice oral and written communication skills in many contexts, such as health, pressures and conveniences of modern life, arts and culture. Students will be able to have extended conversations with local people in Barcelona, as they find out about life in their new environment and compare it to their life back home. Cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world are emphasized. The class is conducted primarily in Spanish.
SPAN 122 – Advanced Elementary Spanish II
(3 units) (Pass/No Pass or Letter Grade)
Prerequisite: completion of SPAN 121 or equivalent with a grade of C or higher
CSU/UC#; AA/AS Area E5c - Humanities; CSU GE Area C2 – Humanities; IGETC Area 6 - Language Other than English
This course is for students who can use Spanish to talk about the “here and now”, narrate stories in the past, and express feelings and opinions. Students further develop and practice oral and written communication skills in many contexts, such as environmental issues, social life, the workplace, government and civic responsibilities. With their newly acquired language skills, students will be able to comfortably interact with Spanish people on a daily basis. Cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world are emphasized. The class is conducted primarily in Spanish.
Instructor: Monica Malamud - COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO
Monica was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In high school, she was an exchange student in Indiana; so she knows first-hand what an amazing life-changing experience a semester abroad can be. In Argentina she received a Bachelor’s in Systems Analysis and a Master’s in Information Systems Engineering. Once again, she got the study abroad bug, so she came back to the United States to continue her college education: she pursued a second Master’s, this one in Computer Science, and then went on to receive a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from Boston University.
Monica started teaching computer courses in college 25 years ago, but she switched to Spanish in 1993. Prior to Cañada College, she taught at Boston U., Tufts, Brandeis and Stanford. As a native speaker of Spanish, she had to learn English as a foreign language, so she understands what it takes to be a successful language learner. She is as passionate about language learning as she is about teaching: in addition to English and Spanish, she speaks Portuguese fluently, she can function well in German, Spanish and French, she has rudimentary knowledge of Mandarin and Japanese, and she’s currently studying Hebrew.
When she’s not teaching, Monica loves to travel. In addition to going back to Argentina to visit her family twice a year, Monica travels internationally frequently. She’s been to most countries in Europe, several in Asia and the Americas, and New Zealand, and she’s looking forward to getting started with Africa soon. What Monica likes best about travelling is the opportunity to experience life in other countries and learn about other people and their culture. She’s thrilled that study abroad students will have this opportunity in Barcelona, and that they will be able to learn Spanish in the manner that yields the best results: by combining classroom instruction with immersion in the language.
Notes:
* Students must enroll in the Spanish Life and Culture course offered by the college which processes their program application.
# Transfer credit may be limited by UC, CSU or both.
@ Transfer credit is contingent on evaluation of course outline by UC campus.
