96582 - Language and Culture of Spanish-Speaking Countries

Learning outcomes

The program consists of a 30-hour course followed by an additional 30-hour workshop. By the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate the ability to read academic texts or essays in Spanish related to social sciences and political science. They should be able to summarize or discuss these texts using vocabulary and syntax that correspond to at least a B2 level, ideally reaching C1, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). In terms of written language, students must also be able to write and organize texts utilizing vocabulary and syntax appropriate to the course content. Throughout the course and workshop, topics related to the culture and socio-political history of Spanish-speaking countries and territories will be explored, with a focus on metalinguistic reflection and analysis.

Course contents

The course is open only to students who have a prior level of Spanish equivalent to at least B1. Those who have not sat the Spanish Language I and II exams for the three-year degree programme in International and Diplomatic Studies (University of Bologna, Forlì Campus) must declare their level to the lecturer before the start of the course, by means of language certificates or other evidence (e.g. statements of proficiency from lecturers of Spanish language courses taken during the three-year degree programme). Those who are unable to provide proof of their language level but wish to attend the course must sit a placement test; passing this test is a prerequisite for enrolment.

The Language and Culture of Spanish-speaking Countries program includes the study of the following topics:

Módulo introductorio: El español en el mundo. Cuestiones y discusiones vigentes presentadas en el anuario del Instituto Cervantes.

Módulo macro: Herramientas para el análisis de discursos políticos en español. Cuestiones de gramática textual.

Módulo de trabajo: Análisis y discusión de temas actuales de ciencias políticas que involucren países hablantes de lengua española. Profundización de las discusiones a través de los discursos de sus protagonistas.

La elección de los temas varía de semestre en semestre en función del escenario geopolítico actual. Ejemplos de tópicos trabajados: El acuerdo MERCOSUR-UE ; El acuerdo de Ezcazú; El problema de la vivienda en España; Los votantes latinoamericanos de Donald Trump.

LABORATORIO: 30 ore

MÓDULO I:

Competencias

comunicativas

Narrar acontecimientos situándolos en el tiempo.

Contenidos lingüísticos y léxicos

Modo indicativo (repaso + futuro y condicional perfectos).

Modo subjuntivo: (repaso presente e imperfecto).

Léxico clave y recursos discursivos sobre organismos internacionales y cooperación.

Práctica comunicativa

Actividad oral/escrita:

Búsqueda y comentario de una noticia reciente del mundo hispánico.

MÓDULO II:

Competencias comunicativas

Producir mensajes complejos con acciones paradójicas y consecutivas.

Contenidos lingüísticos y léxicos

Modo subjuntivo: pretérito perfecto.

Conectores concesivos: (ej. aunque, a pesar de que, si bien, por más que…)

Conectores consecutivos (ej. así que, que, en consecuencia, por lo tanto, de modo que…)

Léxico clave y recursos discursivos sobre diplomacia y negociación internacional.

Práctica comunicativa Actividad escrita/oral:

Lectura y comprensión de un texto de actualidad

Competencias comunicativas

Comprender y producir mensajes que expresen situaciones hipotéticas.

Contenidos lingüísticos y léxicos

Modo subjuntivo: pluscuamperfecto.

Condicionales: 1º, 2º y 3º tipo.

Léxico clave y recursos discursivos sobre conflictos, seguridad y geopolítica.

Práctica comunicativa Ejercicios variados.

PRUEBA ESCRITA: PRIMER PARCIAL

MÓDULO IV:

Competencias comunicativas

Reelaborar textos utilizando la voz pasiva.

Contrastar usos de verbos preposicionales en español e italiano.

Contenidos lingüísticos y léxicos

Voz pasiva.

Verbos seguidos de preposición (ej. disfrutar de, soñar con, acostumbrarse a…).

Léxico clave y recursos discursivos sobre derechos humanos, migración y sociedad global.

Práctica comunicativa Ejercicios variados.

MÓDULO V:

Competencias

comunicativas

Expresar la mutabilidad y el devenir.

Utilizar recursos que permiten evitar la ambigüedad y precisar información.

Contenidos lingüísticos y léxicos

Verbos de cambio (ponerse, hacerse, volverse, quedarse, convertirse en, llegar a ser).

Oraciones subordinadas relativas adjetivas.

Léxico clave y recursos discursivos sobre economía internacional y desarrollo global.

Práctica comunicativa Ejercicios variados.

MÓDULO VI:

Competencias comunicativas

Mediar entre distintos hablantes y referir sus discursos.

Matizar la acción verbal para dar más detalle o intención a la acción.

Contenidos lingüísticos y léxicos

Perífrasis verbales aspectuales (ej. seguir + gerundio, ponerse a + infinitivo, dejar de + infinitivo…).

Discurso indirecto.

Léxico clave y recursos discursivos sobre lenguaje institucional, académico y diplomático.

Práctica comunicativa

Actividad oral/escrita: Ejercicio de mediación en el aula.

* PRUEBA ESCRITA: SEGUNDO PARCIAL

Readings/Bibliography

Laboratory:

- Félix San Vicente, J.C. Barbero, Felisa Bermejo, Gramma. Grammatica della lingua spagnola. Clueb. ISBN: 978-88-491-5705-5

- Quaderni di esercizi di lingua spagnola, Bologna, Clueb, 2017. (testo per esercitazioni in autoapprendimento).

-Dossier del docente caricato su Moodle.

Course:

-Dossier del docente caricato su Moodle.

-Russo, Sandra "Lo femenino", Paidós, Buenos Aires, 2017 (fragmentos)

-Van Dijk, Teun, Texto y Contexto, Cátedra, Madrid, 1980.

-Instituto Cervantes, Anuario del español, Biblioteca del Instituto Cervantes, 2025.

Teaching methods

The 30-hour course will be taught in Spanish during the second semester and, together with the workshop, will provide students with the B2+/C1-level knowledge required to discuss socio-political and cultural issues in line with the course.

Lessons will take the form of workshops, theoretical and practical sessions, and debates.

Working students:

Working students are asked to contact the lecturer by email to arrange a meeting to discuss a personalised strategy for successfully completing the course.

Assessment methods

Attending students

To be considered a regular student, 60% attendance in classes is required to guarantee the minimum content covered during the course.

The final grade for the subject is an average of the Course/Laboratory + a grade (from 0 to 3) for the oral exam.

The Course/Laboratory average is composed as follows: the grade for the first midterm exam, the grade for the second midterm exam, and the grade for the continuous assessment of the course/laboratory. Continuous assessment is qualitative and quantitative.

For everything related to tests and written assignments during the course, please refer to article 25.2 of the [https://normateneo.unibo.it/codice_etico.html] adopted by our University.

Only one of the two midterms may be retaken (the one that was missed or did not achieve the minimum grade, or one chosen by the student who wants to raise their average). Retakes will be held ONLY and EXCLUSIVELY during the FIRST CALL (PRIMO APPELLO). Anyone who does not show up or does not pass will be considered a non-attending student.

The oral exam will be a conversation on socio-political topics and vocabulary + an analysis of a speech given by the lecturer. . To take the oral exam, students must register through ALMAESAMI. Regular students will have the opportunity to take the oral exam, maintaining the average obtained in the course/laboratory until the September exam session.

To access the oral exam, attending students must register via ALMAESAMI.

Attending students will have the option of replacing the oral exam with a presentation on a historical-political topic. General guidelines for this replacement will be provided during class.

Please note that each student may take the exam ONLY once per exam session (this applies only to students enrolled in the three-year program).

Non-attending students

The exam for non-attending students will be held in person according to the following schedule:

1. Students must arrive (on the specified day at the specified time) in a classroom (to be indicated in due course) for personal identification. There, general instructions for taking the exam will be provided.

2. Students will then move to a Moodle environment (EOL) to complete the first three parts of the test:

– Part 1 or Linguistic Part. There are 30 items (multiple choice or short answer) at B1 level with a maximum value of 30 points (a minimum of 18 points is required to proceed to Part 2). This part will have a maximum time limit of 25 minutes.
– Part 2 or Historical-Political Part: There are 15 items (multiple choice or short answer) from the syllabus with a maximum value of 15 points (to move on to Part 3, a minimum of 9 points must be achieved). The part will have a maximum time of 13 minutes.
– Part 3 or Written Production Part: There is a writing task. The exercise as a whole is worth a maximum of 15 points. This part will have a maximum time limit of 30 minutes.

3. Once the first three parts are completed, the student will return to the classroom for the oral exam.

– Part 4 or Oral exam: If you pass the written exams with at least 36/60 (i.e., 18/30), you will take an oral exam about the course topics + an analysis of a speech given by the lecturer. 

To access the exam as a non-attending student, students must register via ALMAESAMI.

For everything concerning the written exams, please refer to Article 25.2 of the [https://normateneo.unibo.it/codice_etico.html] adopted by our University.

Please note that each student may ONLY take the exam once per exam session (this applies only to students enrolled in three-year degree programs).

Office hours

See the website of Martina María Adúriz Valdettaro