BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
1) Main Course
By the end of the course, students will have acquired the necessary tools to analyze and produce written texts in Spanish, with a particular focus on argumentative writing. They will develop the ability to strategically recognize and employ informational structures and discourse markers to construct texts that are cohesive, coherent, and persuasive.
2) Language Practice and Communicative Skills
By the end of the course, students will have acquired, consolidated, and improved their practical command of Spanish across the four communicative skills, reaching level C1 of the CEFR. To this end, it is strongly recommended (although not formally mandatory) to attend the dedicated language learning activities (AAL).
Course Prerequisites
A B2 level proficiency in Spanish is required.
Course prerequisites: Students enrolled in the Degree Programme in Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures must have passed Spanish Language II – Linguistics and Translation before taking this course (This requirement does not apply to Erasmus students).
Teaching Methods
1) Main Course
Lectures in Spanish with the support of slides. During the lessons, students will be invited to participate in individual or group exercises aimed at verifying comprehension of the content, stimulating critical thinking, and encouraging interaction in Spanish.
In addition to in-class activities, individual exercises will be proposed on Moodle, aimed at consolidating acquired knowledge and progressively preparing for the writing of an argumentative text, which will be part of the final exam. These exercises will be shared and discussed in class to foster collective reflection and in-depth analysis.
All links and materials used during the course will be progressively made available on the Moodle e-learning platform.
Guest lectures may contribute to the in-depth study of specific aspects of the program.
2) Language Practice and Communicative Skills
The teaching methods of the C1-level language practice sessions (AAL), as defined by the CEFR, are available on the University Language Centre’s website under Spanish – LLCS:
https://www.unibg.it/studiare/frequentare/apprendimento-linguistico/spagnolo/spagnolo-llcs
Assessment Methods
The exam consists of two parts: a) an assessment of Language Practice and Communicative Skills and b) an assessment of Main Course content. Part b) can only be taken after successfully passing part a).
Access to part b) is only allowed after passing part a).
a) The Language Practice and Communicative Skills assessment (AAL, C1 level) includes:
1. Grammar test (50 min): multiple-choice test.
2. Translation IT>ES (60 min): translation from Italian into Spanish of a short text (approx. 230 words) assessing grammatical and lexical competence. Dictionaries are not permitted.
3. Written production (45 min): guided summary (250–280 words) of a newspaper article. Dictionaries are not permitted.
4. Oral test: a 10-minute interview with the examiner on a book in Spanish, chosen from the list published in October on the Moodle page AAL – Spanish C1. The list is valid until the winter session (January/February) of the following academic year.
Bonus: students who complete the self-learning activities on the AVE GLOBAL platform (levels B2.4–C1.2) within the established deadlines published on the e-learning platform will receive a 2-point bonus on the AAL grade, provided that all tests have been passed.
Tests must be taken during the same exam session, even if spread over more than one day. The grade for the written tests is valid for 18 months. After this period, all written tests must be repeated. All tests must be passed with a positive result. As this are midterm exams, it is not possible to decline the grade awarded.
b) The Main Course assessment is conducted in Spanish and consists of a written test (120 min) composed of:
• One argumentative written production based on a current events stimulus text (300–400 words, 15 points)
• Three open-ended questions on the theoretical content of the course (5 points each)
The test evaluates both disciplinary competence on the course content and communicative competence in Spanish: coherence, cohesion, clarity, correctness, appropriateness of language and style.
Final evaluation
The final grade is calculated as follows: 1/3 from the AAL tests (written and oral), and 2/3 from the official course. Passing all tests is mandatory to receive a final grade.
Grading scale (out of 30)
• Excellent (30 with honors): complete knowledge, applied with precision and autonomy. No errors.
• Very good (30–27): solid knowledge, applied correctly. Minor and non-recurring errors.
• Good (26–24): adequate knowledge, with some inaccuracies. No serious or systematic errors.
• Sufficient (23–18): basic knowledge, with evident errors but sufficient understanding.
• Insufficient (<18): incomplete knowledge, numerous errors that compromise the exam result.
Contents
1) Main Course Content
The course explores the mechanisms of information structure and the parameters of linguistic variation in relation to usage contexts, with reference to discourse analysis and the development of communicative competence in Spanish. Theoretical aspects of discourse markers will also be examined, with particular attention to their argumentative value and contrastive behaviour with respect to Italian. Special emphasis will be placed on the argumentative dimension of written texts, the recognition of structures that support a thesis, and the strategic use of discourse markers to construct a persuasive, cohesive, and well-structured text.
2) Language Practice and Communicative Skills
The content of the C1-level language practice sessions (AAL), as defined by the CEFR, is available on the University Language Centre’s website under Spanish – LLCS:
https://www.unibg.it/studiare/frequentare/apprendimento-linguistico/spagnolo/spagnolo-llcs
Online Resources
More information
The course will take place during sub-periods II, III, and IV, that is, from November to May.
Reading List
The reading list for the Main Course is final and includes all the texts essential for exam preparation, both for attending and non-attending students.
The list is available within this syllabus under “Leganto url for Reading list: Leganto"
Access to the AVE GLOBAL platform for self-study, assessment, and consolidation of communicative competence in Spanish is available on Moodle for all CEFR levels. The use of the platform is strongly recommended.