Spanish (SPAN) 200
First Year Spanish I: Destinos

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Overview

SPAN 200 is designed to introduce the basic elements of the Spanish language. Oral and written skills are developed through the study of vocabulary, grammar, and idioms. Pronunciation, comprehension, and writing are emphasized. The course, together with its complement SPAN 201, will enable a student to speak and write in simple Spanish in a range of everyday situations. SPAN 200 also introduces students to a cultural context from various countries such as Spain, countries in Central America, and countries in South America.

Outline

• Unit 1

Communication:	recognize cognates (words that are similar in English); understand the video episodes, even though students may not comprehend all the vocabulary used; talk and write about yourself and your family; describe people and places; use basic greetings; talk about what other people are doing; introduce a person; and count up to 21.
Grammar Structure:	cognates and false cognates; simple Spanish verb forms (tiene, vive); verb to be (ser); verb to be (estar); definite and indefinite articles; masculine and feminine nouns; use of there is/there are (hay); singular forms of regular present-tense verbs; and ways to express possession.
Culture:	Hispanic families; the Spanish Civil War; Spanish geography.

• Unit 2

Communication:	talk about what you do; name the days of the week; tell the time; say goodbye; express gratitude; understand and ask questions; and count from 21 to 99.
Grammar Structure:	plural forms of regular present tense verbs; the verbs to know: saber y conocer; present-tense forms of irregular verbs; reflexive constructions; questions and interrogative words; and third-person form of stem-changing verbs.
Culture:	he Arabic influence in southern Spain; and regions of Spain.

• Unit 3

Communication:	name the months and seasons; identify colours; express in more ways what you are doing; express agreement; describe (physical characteristics of) people; count from 100 to 1000; talk about what others did in the past; and understand some colloquial Spanish spoken in Argentina.
Grammar Structure:	stem-changing verbs; reflexive constructions; ways to express possession; demonstrative adjectives and pronouns; uses of ser and estar; and past tense: regular forms (Pretérito).
Culture:	Spanish music; famous Spanish painters; Argentina: The city of Buenos Aires; and the mythic gaucho.

• Unit 4

Communication:	identify seafood, fish, and other food; interact with store clerks; name some vegetables and fruits; excuse yourself, and get someone's attention; offer encouragement and support; talk about things you did in the past; and express likes and dislikes.
Grammar Structure:	past tense: irregular forms; Gustar and the use of other similar verbs; reflexive pronouns and reciprocal actions; use of additional frequently used prepositions; indirect object pronouns; and indirect and direct object pronouns in the same sentence.
Culture:	learn about South American geography; learn about the history of South America; and "visit" different parts of Buenos Aires.

• Unit 5

Communication:	write a postcard; talk about the past (continued); follow directions; describe the extended family; and communicate by phone.
Grammar Structure:	preterite form of ir-ending verbs; imperfect tense; use of por and para; present progressive tense; and negative sentences.
Culture:	Argentinian geography, history, culture, and tango music; and Puerto Rican geography, history, and family relationships.

• Unit 6

Communication:	talk about the weather in Spain; use idiomatic expressions with the verb tener; and describe the parts of a house and name some appliances.
Grammar Structure:	further use of the imperfect tense; comparison of equality and inequality; the written accent mark in Spanish; the past progressive form; preterite and imperfect forms of conocer, saber, querer, poder, and hay; and expressions of duration with the verb hacer.
Culture:	other cities of Puerto Rico; and the economy of Puerto Rico.

Evaluation

To receive credit for SPAN 200, students must achieve a course composite grade of at least "D" (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the written examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

6 Written Exercises	5 Oral Exercises	Oral Exam	Written Exam	Total
15%	15%	20%	50%	100%

Course Materials

Textbook

Van Patten, Bill, Martha Alford Marks, and Richard V. Teschner. 1991. Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish. McGraw-Hill.

Other Material

The course materials include a workbook/study guide, a student manual, and twelve audiotapes (Lecciones 1-26).

Special Course Features

SPAN 200 cannot be completed without viewing the television broadcasts or the corresponding videotapes for each lesson (lección). Students unable to view the broadcasts will need to borrow the videotapes from Athabasca University Library.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice.
Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.


Athabasca University
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Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3
(780) 675-6111, (800) 788-9041
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This page was updated by G. Zahara