The module is the first half of an intensive ab initio Spanish language course that focuses primarily on giving students the necessary organisational competence to be able to cope with levels I and H in Hispanic Studies. This module is taught by six classes each week in semester 1:
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a) Two of these hours (Grammar) present the grammatical points included in the syllabus by focusing on form within a communicative context and are taught by a Lecturer or a senior Language Tutor.
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b) Two more hours serve to reinforce structures and vocabulary aurally/ orally and to introduce the students to material that is particular to aural/ oral contexts and are taught by Assistant Language Tutors.
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c) One hour, which is held using the on-line materials of the course, is devoted to practising strategies for reading comprehension, translation skills or specific items of grammar and vocabulary and is taught by the WebCT designer.
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d) One hour is devoted to the study of two significant Hispanic literary texts: La casa de Bernarda Alba and Lazarillo de Tormes, both read in parallel text versions (Spanish and English).
Students are required to do preparation between classes, and they should expect to devote between 3 and 5 hours per week to on-line study (WebCT Spanish Ab Initio Language Course). The purpose of these on-line materials is to provide the students with tools and techniques for revising the content presented in the classroom, for deepening their understanding of particular key concepts and for analysing their own process of learning. It is also intended to offer practical guidance to help the students develop a sense of responsibility and autonomy, essential to successful language learning.