BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Linguistic Objectives (Communicative / Expressive Skills; Spanish C1+ Exercises / AAL):
By the end of the course, the student will have deepened and improved their competence in the four communicative skills at C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference in relation to Spanish Language LMI. Specifically, the student will be able to understand complex texts, express themselves fluently, use linguistic code flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes, and produce clear, well-structured, and detailed texts on complex topics.
Disciplinary Objectives (Official Course):
At the metalinguistic and disciplinary level, by the end of the first-semester module, the student will be able to distinguish and apply the concepts of text genre and text type in Spanish. They will also be familiar with the main sequences that structure discourse (narration, description, explanation, argumentation, and dialogue). Regarding argumentative texts, the student will also know the classification of arguments proposed by the New Rhetoric of Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca, the main fallacies of informal logic, and the general principles of cognitive metaphor theory as a persuasive tool.
Both the linguistic and the disciplinary objectives contribute to the achievement of the following learning outcomes:
1. Knowledge and understanding (D1):
- Understand complex written and oral texts in Spanish at C1 level, recognizing stylistic, pragmatic, and rhetorical nuances.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the concepts of text genre and text type, as well as the main discourse sequences (narration, description, explanation, argumentation, dialogue).
- Understand the classification of arguments according to the New Rhetoric (Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca), key fallacies in informal logic, and the general principles of the cognitive theory of metaphor.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding (D2):
- Produce cohesive, well-structured texts suited to academic and professional contexts, adapting register and structure appropriately.
- Communicate fluently, accurately, and appropriately in Spanish in complex communicative situations.
- Apply concepts of genre, text type, and discourse sequences to the analysis and production of texts.
3. Making judgements (D3):
- Analyse the communicative and persuasive function of texts by identifying types of argumentation, fallacies, and conceptual metaphors.
- Reflect critically on linguistic and textual choices in relation to the communicative context and intended purpose.
4. Communication skills (D4):
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, on complex topics, using appropriate linguistic and rhetorical strategies.
- Interact in Spanish with clarity, coherence, and autonomy in both academic and professional settings.
5. Learning skills (D5):
- Develop autonomous strategies for the continuous improvement of linguistic and metalinguistic competence.
- Acquire tools to analyse authentic texts and to learn reflectively from complex communicative practices.
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of Spanish at C1 level.
Teaching Methods
1) Regarding disciplinary skills (official course taught by the professor):
Lectures will be delivered in Spanish, supported by PowerPoint presentations and authentic texts in Spanish. The texts provided by the instructor will be analyzed in class to observe the textual mechanisms characteristic of the discourse genres and text types covered in the course.
In-class presentations (in Spanish) by students are planned, during which they will present their textual analyses following the methodology discussed in the lectures.
All PowerPoint slides, texts, and materials used during the course will be progressively made available on the e-learning platform (Moodle).
2) Regarding linguistic and communicative skills (language training/AAL):
Please refer to the section of the university website dedicated to the Language Competence Centre, selecting Spanish – LLCS ("AAL lingua spagnola C1+"):
https://www.unibg.it/studiare/frequentare/apprendimento-linguistico/spagnolo/spagnolo-llcs
Please note that the language training sessions are an integral part of the course and are essential for achieving the C1+ level instrumental competence required to sit the exams for the two modules of the official course.
Assessment Methods
The exam consists of two parts: a) assessment of instrumental content and b) assessment of disciplinary content. Access to part b) is granted only after passing part a).
a) Assessment of the linguistic and communicative skills (AAL C1+) includes:
- Grammar and Vocabulary Test: A written test aimed at assessing mastery of Spanish grammar and vocabulary. The use of dictionaries is not allowed. (90 minutes)
- Skills Test (Destrezas): Reading comprehension and written production. An integrated test including two reading comprehension tasks and one writing task. (90 minutes)
- Pedagogical Translation Test IT>ES: Translation of a text of approximately 250 words. Only paper monolingual dictionaries (including those for synonyms, antonyms, and collocations), as well as glossaries compiled by students during the academic year, are allowed. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted. (60 minutes)
Completion of the AVE GLOBAL self-learning program (levels B2.1–C1.4), available on Moodle (e-learning platform), is mandatory within the established deadlines published on the e-learning platform. Completion is monitored by the language instructor and AVE tutor and is an integral part of the exam. Bonus: Those who complete the activities within the deadlines published on the e-learning platform will receive an extra 2 points added to their AAL grade, provided that all assessments have been passed (with a score of at least 18/30).
All three tests must be taken and passed in the same exam session. The result remains valid for 18 months; after this period, in order to take the disciplinary content assessment (part b), all tests must be retaken. As these are partial tests, the grade cannot be declined. Each test must be passed with a minimum score of 18/30. The final mark for the instrumental part is the mathematical average of the three test scores. Once all tests have been passed, students may take the official course exam. Language proficiency tests may only be taken starting from the first available session after all course modules have been completed (May session).
b) Assessment of disciplinary content (official course)
The assessment of Module A of the official course includes:
- Oral exam in Spanish based on the topics and texts included in the syllabus. The exam evaluates the student’s understanding of key concepts and their analytical skills. During the oral exam, the instructor will assess both the student's disciplinary knowledge (course content) and their oral communicative competence at C1+ level (coherence, cohesion, accuracy, clarity, language appropriateness, and presentation style).
Final Grade Composition
- 1/3: result of the AAL test (average of the three written tasks)
- 2/3: result of the oral exman on the official course (module A)
- All components must be passed in order to receive a final grade.
Assessment Scale (out of 30):
- Excellent (30 with honors): Complete knowledge, applied with precision and autonomy. No errors.
- Very Good (30–27): Solid knowledge, correctly applied. Minor, non-recurring errors.
- Good (26–24): Adequate knowledge, with some inaccuracies. Non-severe or non-systematic errors.
- Sufficient (23–18): Basic knowledge, with evident errors but sufficient overall understanding.
- Fail (<18): Incomplete knowledge, numerous errors that compromise exam performance.
Contents
The first-semester module is dedicated to discourse analysis, with a preliminary focus on the concept of text, the properties that define textuality, and the various modes of textual organization. The course includes the study of the concept of discourse genre and of text types or sequences (narration, description, argumentation, explanation), supported by the analysis of authentic Spanish texts provided by the instructor and available on the course's e-learning platform.
There will be an in-depth exploration of argumentation from the theoretical perspective of the New Rhetoric, as well as of the organization of dialogic sequences, including elements of conversation analysis. Finally, the course will include a reflection on metaphor as a cognitive tool and its persuasive use in Spanish political discourse.
The dialogic sequence will instead be analyzed and explored in the second-semester course.
The content of the Spanish C1+ language training (ADD Lingua spagnola C1+) is detailed on the university’s Language Competence Centre webpage, in the section dedicated to Spanish: https://www.unibg.it/studiare/frequentare/apprendimento-linguistico/spagnolo/spagnolo-llcs
Online Resources
More information
Classes are taught in Spanish. The official course reading list (available via the LEGANTO platform) is final and includes all the required texts that students—both attending and non-attending—must study in order to prepare for the exam.
All students will also be required to study the support materials and texts that the instructor will upload to the course’s e-learning platform during the lessons.
The International certifications DELE Spanish Diploma at level C2 or the SIELE GLOBAL Diploma at level C2 will be accepted in place of the language skills assessment tests, except for the translation test (see: https://docs.google.com/document/d/185_Z9S87doGYWIyzm7hU5ZaXkJVWhfuQYHCNaaUSXoI/edit?tab=t.0).
In the event that the course is delivered in hybrid or distance-learning mode, modifications may be introduced to the syllabus content in order to ensure accessibility of the course and exams under these conditions.
PLEASE NOTE THAT EACH COURSE SYLLABUS IS VALID FOR TWO ACADEMIC YEARS.