HKU, FACULTY OF ARTS, SCHOOL OF MODERN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

SPANISH PROGRAMME (www.spanish.hku.hk)

SPAN1001- Spanish I.1, Year 2020-21, second
semester
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The main objective of the course is to provide students with a firm foundation in the four language skills (reading,
writing, listening and speaking) as well as to offer insights into Spanish-speaking cultures. Through an action-based
approach, this course should quickly enable participants to engage in simple conversations and interactive situations.
By the end of the course, students should be able to use the Spanish language at an A1.1 level of the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) where they can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and
basic phrases. More specifically, they should be able to introduce themselves and others, ask and answer questions
about personal details and interact in a simple way.

This course is intended for students who have no previous knowledge of Spanish. Therefore, if you already speak
some Spanish and you don’t want to waste your time reviewing things you already learned, ask your teacher about
how to move on to a higher level.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the end of the course you will be able to…

 use the Spanish language at a basic level of proficiency consistent with level A1.1 of the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL);
 understand basic and simple texts as well as the general meaning of informative texts, and in basic and simple
descriptions;
 understand the main words of simple and short conversations and instructions;
 express yourself with simple information about people and places and also describe yourself, your job and place
of residence both orally and in writing.

YEAR-1 TEAM
TEACHER GROUP EMAIL OFFICE*
Ms. Irune Berdún Villamonte K [email protected] 5.22
Ms. Carmen Jordán Fernández ORAL [email protected]
Mr. Martín Juaristi Garamendi - Course Coordinator COORD [email protected] 5.30

*All offices are in Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus

OUR WEBPAGE
Here you will find detailed information about our teachers, our programme, our activities and opportunities for
improving your Spanish and learning about Spanish-speaking cultures: http://www.spanish.hku.hk .

1
 TEACHING/LEARNING MATERIALS
Libro de texto y libro de ejercicios Textbook and workbook. Encina Alonso, Jaime Corpas, Carina Gambluch. Diverso
Básico (A1+A2). Madrid: SGEL, 2017. This is a set of two books: the textbook (libro del alumno/a) and the workbook
(cuaderno de ejercicios). You will use both books in SPAN1001, SPAN1002 and SPAN2001. You can purchase them
online either as a hard copy (Amazon, Book Depository) or in ebook format (1 year license):
https://shopusa.blinklearning.com/en/planescolar23-16103/33048-DiversoBsico-
Libroycuaderno.html?search_query=diverso+basico&results=55
Some other learning materials will be made available in class or via Moodle.

Diccionario Dictionary. It is essential to have easy access to a dictionary in order to learn a language. HKU library
provides you with access to Spanish dictionaries, but you might want to make use of online dictionaries. Check our
resources page.

Gramática Grammar. There is a list of recommended grammar books on Moodle, in both English and Spanish. You
can find some of them in the HKU Library.

Lecturas graduadas Easy readers. We have an excellent selection of Spanish easy readers available in the Main library.
Many texts are also available online. It is important that you get used to reading in Spanish on a regular basis.

Materiales audiovisuales Audiovisual resources. You can find a wide range of films from Spanish speaking countries
(most of them with English subtitles) at the HKU Main Library, but some current streaming services like Netflix have
also a wide selection of films and series from all over the Spanish speaking world.
If you are a Netflix user, this website can help you locate all the series films in Spanish (as well as in other languages):
https://languagelearningwithnetflix.com/catalogue.html#language=Spanish&country=Hong%20Kong
This plugin for watching Netflix on Google Chrome can also be extremely useful for language learners:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/language-learning-with-ne/hoombieeljmmljlkjmnheibnpciblicm
These are just suggestions as you may prefer other types of contents or platforms, but keep in mind that exposure to
audiovisual content (TV, radio, music, podcasts…) is highly recommended. Nowadays we are lucky to have all kinds of
materials online, so take advantage of that!

COURSE CONTENTS
The course will cover units 0 to 6 of our textbook (Diverso Básico (A1+A2). Madrid: SGEL, 2017) although there will be
a few complementary grammar points and vocabulary items given by the teachers in the classroom with the help of
handouts and presentations that will be available on Moodle. Below is a summary of the course contents:

GRAMMAR
Pronouns: subject pronouns (p.)//difference tú & usted//direct object p.//possessive p.//interrogative p.
Articles: definite & indefinite
Nouns: gender & number
Adjectives: demonstrative
Prepositions of time
Numbers & quantifiers
Connecting words: Y, también, o, pero…
Verbs: present tense of regular & irregular verbs//reflexive verbs//verbs like GUSTAR//Tener que + infinitivo, poder
+ infinitivo, es importante / necesario / obligatorio + infinitivo // Impersonal sentences with “se”
Temporal markers: primero, luego, después, durante
Expressions: frequency//agreement & disagreement // like & dislike

VOCABULARY

2
Greetings & farewells
Numbers // Months, days of the week and dates

3
Countries and cities
Classroom & House: objects and places
Personal information: email, nationality, languages, occupation, physical & personality description
Daily routine & sport
Food & drink // measures and quantities // ways of cooking, eating and drinking
PRAGMATICS
Write and pronounce every letter of a word (spelling) // Greetings and farewells // Asking for personal information
and providing it // Introducing oneself // Differentiating between tú and usted // Understanding information from
the internet // Speaking about family relationships // Asking about somebody’s family // Describing people’s
appearance and character // Asking for and giving the time // Speaking about daily activities // Expressing frequency
// Giving opinions about habits // Speaking about sports activities // Expressing and comparing personal tastes //
Expressing impersonality // Describing food and beverages //Speaking about eating and drinking habits // Ordering
food //Speaking about food and food preparation

COURSE STRUCTURE
The course consists of a total of 5 contact hours per week. The distribution of hours is as follows:
 4 classroom hours per week
 1 hour of ORAL class per week

VERY IMPORTANT! Attendance to all 5 hours is compulsory.

ORAL CLASS
Oral classes are COMPULSORY. They will start on the week of February 1st for a total of 9 sessions. Students must
sign up for these classes on the Moodle for this subgroup (SPAN1001_K) from January 27 (Wednesday) at 9:00 am to
January 28 (Thursday) at 23:59 pm. The number of spaces per group is limited and enrollment is on a first come first
served basis, so the sooner you make your choices on Moodle, the better. You can check all timeslots on Moodle since
Sept 1 in order to decide which one you want.

You can only attend the class of the time-slot that you have signed up for. There will be no catch up lessons or
the possibility to attend another class. If you cannot attend a lesson, you need to provide an official certificate
to your oral class teacher (either a doctor’s certificate or an official letter from your Faculty/Lecturer if you’ve
had to attend a special event) in order to avoid being marked as absent. All materials will be available on Moodle
and you may ask your teacher about anything covered during your absence.

LISTENING PRACTICE
In addition to the practice carried out in class, students will have to complete a series of worksheets to practice their
listening comprehension skills. These worksheets, which will be available in the SPAN1001_K Moodle group, are
essential to develop listening skills in Spanish (especially in the context of online classes) and they will be extremely
useful when preparing for the listening comprehension exercises of the progress tests.

4
ASSESSMENT
 MID-TERM TEST (37.5%)
It will take place in the middle of the semester (4th March) and it will last 1hr 50 min. It has 3 parts:
 Listening Comprehension (10%)
 Grammar & Vocabulary (15%)
 Reading Comprehension (5%)
 Writing (7.5%)
 FINAL TEST (37.5%)
It will take place on Mary 5th, REVISION PERIOD, and it will last 2 hr. It has 4 parts:
 Listening Comprehension (10%)
 Grammar & Vocabulary (15%)
 Reading Comprehension (5%)
 Writing (7.5%)
 2 WRITING TASKS on MOODLE (5%)
 1 READING TASK (5%)
 ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN ORAL CLASS (10%)
 ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN REGULAR CLASS (5%)

All skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) are important. In the first semester, since you are starting to learn the
language, we give a slightly lower value to oral skills but they will play a more important role in semester 2 and in
subsequent years. Culture is also an integral part of this course, and it will be present in the assignments and the tests.
Grade descriptors for Arts Faculty available onhttp://arts.hku.hk/current-students/undergraduate/assessment

GRADING SCHEME FOR THE SPANISH PROGRAMME

A: 88 – 100
A+ 95 - 100
A 91 - 94
A- 88 - 90
B: 73 - 87
B+ 83 - 87
B 78 - 82
B- 73 - 77
C: 58 - 72
C+ 68 - 72
C 63 - 67
C- 58 - 62
D: 50 - 57
D+ 54 - 57
D 50 - 53
F: below 50

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CONSULTATION
Students who wish to meet with their teachers to ask questions, talk about their progress or receive advice on their
learning of Spanish (how to improve certain skills, what readings or audiovisual materials do you recommend, etc.),
can contact them by email o Moodle messages and agree to a face-to-face or video call meeting at a time that is
convenient for both parties.

COURSE RULES
Long distance teaching arrangements:
In 2020-2021, SPAN1001 classes will be conducted via videoconference trough the Zoom platform. Students are
required to turn on their webcams for the duration of the class.
Students will also have to turn on their cameras on Zoom while they are taking their tests on Moodle.

Good practices in the online class:

Try to work from a space with as few distractions as possible and do not multitask. Taking a Spanish lesson while
chatting with your friends or finishing an assignment for another class does not help you nor your peers.
Show your whole face on the screen, not only an eye, your forehead, an ear, etc.
Do not eat (or do it very discreetly if you have to).
Always keep paper and pen with you. Taking written notes helps with understanding and retention of content, not to
mention that it is the fastest and most efficient way to write reminders or draw explanatory diagrams.
Use a headset with a built-in microphone if you don't have a suitable environment or equipment. It is essential that
we can hear each other clearly.
Remember this is an actual class, so, please, make sure you arrive on time and are ready to work.

Independent learning:
Apart from the classes, students are expected to study independently. Time spent on homework and self-study will
vary from one student to another but to do well in this course you should factor in at least 3-5 hours per week.

Class Participation:
Class participation is expected and essential in order to improve your language skills. Teachers will take participation
into account when grading. Also, oral skills are assessed, so students are advised to speak as much as possible in
class.

Punctuality and attendance:

Attendance to lessons is compulsory and failure to attend may lead to a warning letter from the School Office.
It is also essential to hand in all assignments within the deadline. Assignments handed in late will not be accepted for
grading.
Students that do not attend a test in due time will not be eligible for a make-up test unless they provide an original
official document certifying their inability to take the test due to medical issues, academic activities related to the
University of Hong Kong or other serious matters.
Your attendance and participation within the oral group will count towards the final grade. It is essential for you to
attend all sessions and participate actively in them in order to get that 10% of your grade in the oral class.

Identification:
In order to avoid confusion, students must write their full name and subgroup (SPAN1001A, B, D….) when they
contact any teacher via email regarding any aspect of the course.

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TENTATIVE SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS (subject to change)

DATE TASKS CONTENTS

FECHA TAREAS CONTENIDOS
Jan 19-21
Units 0-3
Jan 26-28 Sign up for ORAL on
SPAN1001_K Jan 27 (9:00 am) to Jan 28 (24:00 pm)
Feb 1-4 ORAL classes begin

Feb 8-11

Feb 15-18 CHINESE NEW YEAR, suspension of lecturers, ORAL sessions and
consultations
Feb 22-25 Writing in Forum 1 on Moodle
Feb 20 to 26 Feb
Mar 1-4 WRITTEN MID-TERM TEST (1hr 50 min)
Thursday 4th March
Mar 8-12 READING WEEK
suspension of lecturers, ORAL sessions and
consultations
th
Mar 15-18 March 16 : FOUNDATION DAY (holiday)

Mar 22-25

Mar
29-
Apr 1
Apr 8 Units 4-6

Apr 12-16 Writing in Forum 2 on Moodle

Apr 10 to Apr 16
Apr 19-22 Reading quiz on Moodle
April 23rd from 9:00 to 23:55
Apr 26-29

May 3-5 FINAL TEST (2hr)

10:00-12:00, May 5, Wed
REVISION PERIOD