You will attend interactive and engaging seminars and workshops (six hours per week) and academic tutorials. In addition to written, oral and aural sources, other media will be used in order to consolidate and refine your knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world and your Spanish language skills in parallel. As a result, you will gain a critical understanding of the events, attitudes, societies and cultures discussed. You will also be required to undertake directed and independent study, and you will be given weekly preparation guidelines to actively engage in informed discussions in seminar groups. Materials used in the module will be available to you on the eLearning Portal. In particular, you will be able to access formative feedback on presentations and debates on Area Studies, Language and Cultures, and you will also be able to access a very wide range of translation materials, exercises, theories and draft fair copies for your own independent study. You also have access to materials in the Language Zone in the Library, IPTV (Internet provided TV) and VoD (Video on Demand).

This level is founded upon prior descriptive knowledge and evaluative abilities. At level 5, emphasis will be placed upon the development of your research potential, the consolidation of your analytical skills, and the nurturing of your critical perspectives in the Spanish language and on the Hispanic world.

Your directed learning will take the form of preparation for seminars (including reading and presentation preparation and rehearsal) either individually or in small groups. Your independent learning will consist of further directed reading and investigation of sources, the consolidation of seminar materials, and revision/ preparation for the assessments included in the module. Throughout the semester you will receive individual attention from the tutors, and you will receive guidance on how to approach your assessments. You will attend tutorials to share your ideas and questions with your tutor. You will be supported in finding your own critical voice in the midst of linguistic and cultural materials. You will be encouraged to gain a solid understanding of the cultures discussed and the texts translated and analysed. Your tutor will be happy to discuss your ideas in the light of your interests, and their own teaching and research profiles. You will also have access to materials in the Language Zone in the Library, IPTV (Internet provided TV) and VoD (Video on Demand).

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
• You will become familiar with some of the highlights of the expression of Hispanic cultures and civilisations, including political, literary, journalistic, academic and other sources (MLO1).

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• You will be able to demonstrate your knowledge of more complex lexical and syntactical structures of the Spanish language, enhancing your ability to begin to recognise and compose in different styles and registers (MLO2).
• You will display a command of spoken Spanish commensurate with level 5 (MLO3).
• You will develop your skills of transferring meaning, nuance and style between the Spanish and English languages and cultures (MLO4).

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

• You will develop a solid understanding of global issues and intercultural communication from a Hispanic Studies perspective (MLO5).

30% Grammar class test (MLOs 1, 2, 4, 5)

35% Translation (2 hour exam Spanish » English/ English » Spanish) (MLOs 1, 2, 4, 5)

35% Aural comprehension exam (MLOs 1, 3, 5)


Your assessment is designed to match course aims and learning outcomes, encouraging you to build on seminar materials with the support of your tutor.

The translation and aural exams and the coursework will test different skills, including lexical, grammatical and syntactic structures, familiarity with the cultural conventions of the Spanish language and the Hispanic world, and initiative in a foreign languages and studies context.

Formative assessment will be an ongoing feature of the module. You will be encouraged to deliver informal, short presentations during some of the seminar hours. You will present your preliminary ideas to the class in a friendly and constructive environment, in order to receive feedback from both your fellow students and your lecturers.

Formative feedback will be directly relevant to summative assessment.

ML4006 & ML4007

ML5028 or Semester 2 equivalent

Please find details of his module in the other sections provided.

You will extend your knowledge of lexical, morphological, semantic and syntactical structures in Spanish whilst applying this knowledge in more complex situations with well-developed contextual and cultural awareness. You will practice evaluating, synthesising and organising information from a variety of academic sources. You will develop your ability to recognise and compose in different styles and registers in Spanish and your ability to express complex ideas in Spanish, refining your command of spoken Spanish. You will develop your translation skills, working with Spanish and English sources.
You will follow a combination of interactive seminars and directed study focusing on debating, commenting and writing about issues relating to modern Spain and Spanish-speaking countries. You will analyse and translate relevant authentic, contemporary texts, and make use of relevant academic sources as you develop your language and research skills. You will enhance your proficiency in written and spoken Spanish; you will refine your knowledge of Spanish by improving grammatical and structural accuracy in listening, oral and writing skills. You will expand your ability to use e-learning materials effectively. You will begin to expand your grasp of applied language relevant to Area Studies, Spanish culture and business environments in the Spanish-speaking world. You will be encouraged to find your own voice in both written and oral formats and your Spanish language skills will empower you and open the doors to understanding the Spanish-speaking world in a wider global context, allowing you to begin to engage in debates on key issues.