OVERVIEW

The course, scheduled for the 2nd semester, aims to provide students with advanced skills in the specialized uses of the Spanish language. The course is intended for third-year students of the Bachelor's Degree in Modern Languages and Cultures, with a focus on business and tourism.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course, partly delivered online and with a theoretical-practical approach, leads to the acquisition of linguistic-communication skills in order to develop in the learners the necessary abilities to interact in Spanish Language in working environments, favouring business and maritime tourism contexts.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the face-to-face lectures, which will be conducted in the classroom and complemented by online activities, both group and individual, students will have acquired:

• knowledge of linguistic and pragmatic theories concerning Language for Special Purposes;
• The ability to appropriately use grammar and vocabulary in professional and work-related contexts, with a particular focus on the business and tourism sector;
• Skills in understanding and creating specialized texts, both written and oral, related to Spanish for tourism and business.

PREREQUISITES

The course, lasting 36 hours and worth 6 ECTS credits, is primarily intended for third-year students of Modern Languages and Cultures who have passed the Spanish Language I exam. It is also highly recommended to have passed the Spanish Language II exam, as the course requires an initial linguistic competence level equivalent to B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

TEACHING METHODS

Classroom lectures will be complemented by individual consolidation activities, practical exercises, and both individual and group projects, carried out partly in class and partly through the Aulaweb platform. Students are also expected to engage in independent study at home to further develop their theoretical knowledge and strengthen their practical skills.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course offers an in-depth study of the specific linguistic features of Spanish in the fields of tourism and business, with particular focus on the use of the language in professional and workplace contexts. In particular, the following topics will be covered:

• theoretical and methodological aspects of specialised languages, with attention to the communicative dimension;

• business-related vocabulary and phraseology, with particular emphasis on traditional and digital marketing, commercial communication and sales practices;

• core terminology related to business management, including elements of accounting and notions of workplace safety;

• types of professional texts and correspondence: business letters (request letters, orders, complaints, replies), job applications and responses to job advertisements;

• communicative practices in business and tourism contexts: e-mails, letters, promotional materials, and communication related to trade fairs and sector events;

• analysis of real texts and case studies drawn from business and tourism situations.

The same syllabus applies to attending and non-attending students alike.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Empresa Siglo XXI - El español en el ámbito profesional, Edinumen.
ISBN: 978-84-9848-041-2

Handouts and bibliographic materials related to both the theoretical and practical parts of the course will be provided on Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The lessons will take place in the 2nd semester of the 2024-2025 academic year.

CLASS SCHEDULE

The schedule for this course can be viewed on the EasyAcademy Portal.

TEACHERS AND EXAM COMMITTEES

Silvina Dell'Isola

Exam Committee

Silvina Dell'Isola (Chair)
Ana Lourdes De Heriz Ramon (Deputy Chair)

Class schedule

SPANISH FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The final exam consists of a written test including multiple-choice quizzes, fill-in-the-blank exercises, and the drafting of a letter in a commercial, business, or workplace context. All tasks focus on the specialised languages of business and tourism. This will be followed by a short oral interview on the assigned bibliographic readings related to the theoretical part of the course.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The assessment will primarily take into account the command of written Spanish, with particular attention to linguistic and terminological accuracy, clarity and coherence of expression, and the appropriateness of the registers used. It will also consider the knowledge of the contents covered in class and in the assigned readings, as well as the ability to apply the acquired skills to the specialised languages of business and tourism. The final grade will be expressed out of thirty. Further details will be provided trough Aulaweb.

FURTHER INFORMATION

To take the exam, students must register through the University portal. It is necessary to have passed the Spanish Language I exam, and it is also recommended to have passed the Spanish Language II exam, as the course requires an initial B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Students with certifications for Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), disabilities, or other special educational needs are invited to contact the instructors at the beginning of the course to arrange teaching and exam methods that, while respecting the course objectives, take into account their specific learning needs and provide appropriate compensatory tools.
Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it) is the departmental contact for issues related to these needs.