Spanish 2

The United States is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, behind only Mexico. There are more Spanish speakers in the U.S. than there are in Spain! Spanish is also the fourth-most spoken language in the world. Studying the language will open a door to an immense variety of countries and cultures, be useful in business and life as the student moves into adult life, and assist the student by improving his grasp of English vocabulary and grammatical structure (as studying any romance language would do!).

This course will take a practical approach to building students’ facility in speaking, hearing, and writing the language. This approach incorporates conversation and listening, use of the language in group activities and games, and translation of varied types of texts, including Scripture. The classroom will be welcoming and accommodating to every learning personality so that through speaking every student can succeed in the class.

Spanish 2 will have a more conversational emphasis than Spanish 1. Students are expected not only to study, but to have an attitude of participation and proactivity during recitation.

Assignments will include daily practice, weekly vocabulary and grammar exercises including texts, and weekly conversational work. Class time includes a period of lecture and exercise, and one period of recitation later in the week. Recitation will be the time for conversation and activities.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, students should:

1. Have a good understanding of beginning Spanish grammar and syntax, including the use of the four principal tenses of the indicative mood, i.e. present, preterit, future, and imperfect.
2. Have mastered a broad vocabulary covering a variety of academic and everyday subjects.
3. Be able to translate and compose written everyday Spanish.
4. Be comfortable speaking within the Spanish that they have learned, including having good pronunciation and rhythm.

Texts:

• Gilda Nissenberg, Complete Spanish Grammar (Premium 3rd Ed.), McGraw Hill ($15 new)
• William T. Tardy, Easy Spanish Reader: A Three-Part Text for Beginning Students (2nd edition), McGraw Hill ($14.50 new)
• Selected Odes of Pablo Neruda, trans. Margaret Sayers Peden, bilingual edition, University of California Press ($20 new)
• Barron’s 501 Spanish Verbs (any edition, $9.99)
• Bible, version RVR 1960 (Reina Valera 1960), not bilingual