Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
Practical and theoretical course on use of Spanish language including specific work on grammar and stylistics, covering the four basic skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing). This course will help students to reach and consolidate the B2.2 proficiency level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR).
This is a 2-unit course. Under University policy, a total workload of approximately 10 - 12 hours per week (including class contact time) is expected for satisfactory progress. SPAN3120 is an advanced Spanish course which builds on SPAN3110, offered in semester one. The general goal is to improve students' communicative experience. To achieve this goal we will continue working in the four skills of the language and using authentic material from Spain and Latin America. This approach will enrich your cultural experience and expose you to a wide variety of registers and variants present in the Spanish speaking world. Mastering greater linguistic resources available in the language will equip you to communicate more accurately and spontaneously while increasing your confidence in the language.
The prescribed textbook will increase your knowledge as will the teaching material prepared for this class (e.g. Booklet, UQ Extend, Padlet and films).
Apart from revising the material covered in class, we strongly encourage you to read Spanish newspapers, magazines, journal articles, to watch the news, to watch movies in Spanish (preferably without Spanish subtitles), television programs, or listen to podcasts and the radio.
You could also attend our film screenings, talks, seminars or lectures in Spanish that will help you develop not just your listening skills, but also your vocabulary and knowledge of interesting cultural issues. The Multimedia collection (Kanopy) contains a large selection of videos related to the Spanish and Latin American World. These materials are available to watch on your computer (streamed), through the library website.
Regular class attendance the completion of homework tasks are essential for successful completion of the course. There will be no time to go back over a class due to student absences.ﾠPlease arrive on time and turn off your mobile phone.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This is an advanced Spanish course for students who already have a good knowledge of the Spanish language. The level reached in this course is B2.2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Information about the CEFR levels and self-assessed grid is available at https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168045bb52
ﾠWe will build on your previous knowledge acquired in SPAN3110 and consolidate advanced grammatical features and vocabulary.
By the end of the course you should have acquired better communicative skills within a wider range ofﾠsituations and also gained greater confidence and accuracy in the language.
We highly recommend you consider increasing the number of hours dedicated to study Spanish if your final grade was a 4 or a 5 in SPAN3110 in order to keep upﾠwith the level of demands needed to achieve a B2.2 level.
Students who come from other programs and/or universities are required required to identify their level of linguistic proficiency, determined by means of an online questionnaire and/or an onlineﾠplacement interview conducted by Spanish Teaching Staff.
The formal prerequisites for SPAN3120 are noted above. Students who do not fulfil those prerequisites, but who have an equivalent knowledge of Spanish (e.g. from equivalent formal prerequisites gained interstate or overseas, or from residence in a Spanish-speaking country) are permitted to enrol in SPAN3120, but they must consult the course coordinator beforehand. Please also note that enrolments may be refused on the basis of such knowledge or abilities, and enrolment in a different course may be recommended.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
SPAN3110
Companion or co-requisite courses
You'll need to complete the following courses at the same time:
SPAN3330
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
In the case of having more than one group, students must attend the group in which they are registered. Lecturer's class content may differ from one group to the other and this may lead to confusion. Classes and homework are integral part of the course as they will not only develop and strengthen your knowledge of the language but they will help you understand the complex grammatical concepts that are studied at this level.
Public holidays:
Alternative arrangements for affected students will be announced through the Blackboard site.
Class allocation:
In order to optimise the student experience, it may be necessary to reallocate students to a different class from their first choice.
Before this happens, every effort will be made to enable students to voluntarily change into an alternative class that is suitable.
Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email hass.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details:
- Full name,
- Student ID, and
- the Course Code
Additional information and support can be found here.
Aims and outcomes
Develop and strengthen your knowledge of the language, history and culture of Spain and Latin America. The learning experiences in this course will offer you opportunities to expand your worldview and develop your intercultural perspectives and communication skills which are highly sought-after transferable skills in contemporary society.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique, Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Tareas evaluadas
|
20% (5% each worksheet) |
Worksheet 1 - WEEK 5 - 29/08/2025 5:00 pm Worksheet 2 - WEEK 8 - 19/09/2025 5:00 pm Worksheet 3 - WEEK 11 - 17/10/2025 5:00 pm Worksheet 4 - WEEK 13 31/10/2025 5:00 pm
Due 5pm Friday of designated weeks. |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Prueba 1
|
25% |
12/09/2025 5:00 pm
Friday, WEEK 7 Available for completion from 7am to 5pm on due date. |
| Presentation |
Presentation: Patrimonios de la humanidad
|
30% |
20/10/2025 - 22/10/2025
WEEK 12 - During class time. |
| Examination |
Prueba 2
|
25% |
End of Semester Exam Period 8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025 |
Assessment details
Tareas evaluadas
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique, Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 20% (5% each worksheet)
- Due date
Worksheet 1 - WEEK 5 - 29/08/2025 5:00 pm
Worksheet 2 - WEEK 8 - 19/09/2025 5:00 pm
Worksheet 3 - WEEK 11 - 17/10/2025 5:00 pm
Worksheet 4 - WEEK 13 31/10/2025 5:00 pm
Due 5pm Friday of designated weeks.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
The completion of the exercises at the end of each Unidad will assist in the consolidation of the teaching material learnt in class and will facilitate the progressive nature of learning a language. This assessment puts into practice the language learning skills of listening, comprehension, reading and writing.
Students will also be able to identify any area that needs attention and find adequate help from lecturers in class and during consultation hours.
Each task consists of listening to tracks found in the online platform 'Campus Difusión' that accompanies Aula Internacional Plus 5 and two compositions based on the content of each Unidad or assigned films. Students are required to use their own words when answering to the questions.
STATEMENT ON GENERATIVE AI & MT
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Turnitin on course Blackboard, section 'Assessment' by 17:00 due date. Please use Word and double space for your worksheet. You can submit before the due date.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension length of 7 calendar days will allow for students' suitable progression with their sequence of learning and preparation for the following assessment submission.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Prueba 1
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
12/09/2025 5:00 pm
Friday, WEEK 7
Available for completion from 7am to 5pm on due date.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Written task covering Unidades 1, 2 and 3 of Aula Internacional 5 Plus B2.2.
This is a Blackboard test that includes short answer questions, fill in multiple blanks questions and a short essay.
Completion time: 60 minutes.
STATEMENT ON GENERATIVE AI & MT
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Online task on course Blackboard, section 'Assessment'.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
This maximum extension length of 7 calendar days will allow for students' suitable progression with their sequence of learning and preparation for the following assessment submission.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Presentation: Patrimonios de la humanidad
- Identity Verified
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
20/10/2025 - 22/10/2025
WEEK 12 - During class time.
- Other conditions
- Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Group presentation: 3 students per group. Marking is individual.
Students have to present to the rest of the class their finding about a Unesco World Heritage Site or Memory of the World from the Spanish speaking world. The presentation has to cover the description of the Masterpiece, the reasons for its listing as a World Heritage and the proposal of an Australian (or from some other country) site that would fit in the UNESCO criteria. Each student will present a 5-minute talk without reading it from a pre-written script. Students must use Power Point to support their presentation.
STATEMENT ON GENERATIVE AI & MT
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Maximum extension length allows assessors to give timely feedback before subsequent tasks are due. Students have to present in front of an audience. Week 13 is the last week of classes.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
This is an oral presentation. Late submissions are not accepted. Only extensions will be considered.
Prueba 2
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025
- Other conditions
- Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
In person, handwritten exam covering Unidades 4, 5 and 6 (Aula internacional 5 Plus B2.2). This is one in a series of tasks covering 2 language skills (reading, writing).
Duration: 60 minutes.
STATEMENT ON GENERATIVE AI & MT
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: None of the course requirements are met. The student never uses communication strategies and barely attempts to communicate in Spanish. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student fails to demonstrate basic understanding of the items introduced in the course, nor has developed proficiency level in five skill areas to carry out any of the course objectives.The students communicates with many errors in Spanish and has a very limited vocabulary. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The student hardly uses communication strategies and demonstrate a limited understanding of the new items introduced in the course. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student does not use communication strategies very effectively. Understanding of spoken and written Spanish is generally good but details may be missed. The student's use of vocabulary is limited. Errors will occasionally affect meaning. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student occasionally uses effective communication strategies. Understanding of spoken and written Spanish is generally good. The student's use of vocabulary is good. Fluency is subject to fluctuation. The student attempts to use a range of structures in Spanish. While errors occur, they do not on the whole affect meaning. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student uses effective communication strategies. Understanding of spoken and written Spanish is very good. The student uses consistently comprehensible sentences and respond fluently, appropriately and confidently. In speech and writing the student uses a wide range of vocabulary and Spanish structures. Very little errors. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student effectively uses communication strategies. Understanding of spoken and written Spanish is very good. The student uses consistently comprehensible sentences and respond fluently, appropriately and confidently. In speech and writing the student uses a wide range of vocabulary and structures with accuracy and attempts to use language creatively. |
Additional course grading information
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
UQ is working to achieve greater equity in grading practices across the whole university. Until now, it has been easier to get high grades in some areas of study than in others. Assessment criteria and standards are therefore being modified to ensure they correspond to the grade descriptors above. In this course, the difficulty of passing the course has not changed, however the requirements to achieve a 6 or a 7 have been tightened, so that only outstanding achievement is rewarded by high grades.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Own copy required
You'll need to have your own copy of the following reading resources. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Book |
Aula Internacional 5 Plus B2.2 Libro del alumno (Book or eBook)
by Corpas; Jaime; Garmendia; Agustín; Sánchez; Nuria; Soriano; Carmen - 2022 Publisher: Difusion ISBN: 9788418224898 |
Additional learning resources information
Internet sites:
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 1 Introduction to course. Start Unidad 1. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 1 Continue Unidad 1. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 1-2 Finish Unidad 1 and start Unidad 2. Wednesday holiday. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 2 Continue Unidad 2. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 2-3 Finish Unidad 2; start Unidad 3. Discussion film Volver. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 3-4 Finish Unidad 3. Start Unidad 4. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 4 Continue Unidad 4. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 4-5 Finish Unidad 4; start Unidad 5. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 5-6 Finish Unidad 5. Start Unidad 6 Discussion Film El agente topo. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 6 Continue Unidad 6. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 6 Continue Unidad 6. Holiday. No class on Monday. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Oral presentations Group presentations. Oral assessment. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Tutorial |
Unidad 6 Finish Unidad 6. Review and consultation. Discussion film Una mujer fantástica. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Additional learning activity information
Please check the course Padlet for required homework to be done before each class.
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.