SSP10719 Spanish and Latin American culture 1 (Autumn 2025)

• Mandatory course in the One-year Spanish Programme (full-time and part-time).
• Mandatory course in the 60 ECTS part of the Bachelor's Programme in Languages for students with Spanish as one of their chosen languages.
• Optional course in the Bachelor's Programme in International Communication

• One-year Spanish Programme, full-time: 1. semester (autumn)
• One-year Spanish Programme, part-time: 1. semester (autumn)
• Bachelor's Programme in Languages with Spanish as one of the chosen languages: 1. or 3. semester (autumn)
• Bachelor's Programme in International Communication: 5 semesters ( autumn)

In the teaching, efforts are made to enable students to acquire new knowledge and develop communicative language skills in Spanish by understanding, conveying, and discussing cultural and societal aspects such as daily life, cultural expressions, lifestyles, and traditions. A selection of historical topics will also be emphasized. By gathering information, presenting it, and discussing it with the instructor and fellow students, students will gain an overview of the subject matter, select and delve into specific topics, build a varied and nuanced vocabulary, and reflect on their own and others' language usage in Spanish. Active participation in the teaching is expected from students.

This course emphasizes the development of communicative language skills in reading and oral communication (listening, oral production, and oral interaction).

Knowledge

The student

• has knowledge of Spanish pronunciation and intonation
• has knowledge of selected topics related to Spanish and Latin American daily life, culture, and history
• Is familiar with cultural and societal aspects in Spanish-speaking regions.
• has a well-developed and differentiated vocabulary within areas such as daily life, culture, and history
• is aware of some central linguistic variants in the target language area

Skills

The student

• can express themselves orally in Spanish with coherence and relatively good fluency
• can gather and critically evaluate information from various Spanish-language sources and apply the information in presentations and discussions about the subject matter
• can account for and discuss various everyday, cultural, historical, and societal topics in an understandable and structured manner adapted to the target audience and communication situation
• has insight into different strategies for understanding oral and written texts in Spanish
• has insight into different strategies for producing oral texts in Spanish

General competence

The student

• can understand and assess the content of Spanish-language texts about daily life, culture, and history
• can gain an overview of, engage with, and explore cultural and societal issues in the target language area
• can use Spanish words, language, and text structures independently and appropriately in conveying subject matter

Teaching and guidance take place online via digital collaboration tools and learning platforms. It is expected that students actively participate in reviewing and discussing course materials and allocate time for pre- and post-class work. Students will be trained to present, discuss, and reflect on historical, societal, and cultural aspects within the target language area. Through various interactions with texts, assignments, and exercises, students will become aware of their own reading strategies and how words and concepts are used in different contexts.

Students should anticipate working on topics in the course independently and/or with fellow students, such as locating, selecting, and familiarizing themselves with relevant sources, delving into specific topics, and preparing presentations.

One oral presentation individually, in pairs, or in groups (10-20 minutes) on a self-chosen topic followed by a discussion about the content of the presentation. The topic and presentation format are agreed upon with the instructor in advance.

The required coursework is assessed as approved / not approved. Required coursework must be approved before the student can present themselves for examination.

Individual oral examination, duration approximately 30 minutes.

The oral examination consists of two parts: In the first part, the candidate presents a self-chosen topic (5-10 minutes). The second part includes historical, societal, and cultural topics covered in the course.

No aids are allowed. Grading scale A-F.

The oral examination is conducted via digital collaboration tools online.

Feedback from our students is crucial for us to be able to offer the best possible courses and study programs. This course is evaluated in the following way:

Mid-semester evaluation and ongoing evaluation/final evaluation

The results are processed by:

• Teaching group
• Head of Studies
• Programme committee