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Continuing Studies
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Spanish 3

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Upcoming dates (4)

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For registration assistance: 608-262-2451
Register by mail: printable registration form

Schedule

The course runs June 13–Aug. 29, with 10 live conversation sessions Tuesdays, starting June 20. Live conversation small groups are scheduled between 5:30–6:30 p.m. See summary for details. (No virtual conversation session on July 4).

Register through: June 12, 2023

All times shown in central time.

Fee

$259

Instructor

Lucia Can

Cancellation Policy

  • Cancel before the class start date (the day materials are made available): receive a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee.
  • Cancel after the class start date (the day materials are made available) but before the second virtual conversation session: receive an 80% refund minus a $25 administrative fee.
  • Cancel after the second virtual conversation session: no refund.

Summary

We have made this practical low-intermediate course (A2.1) even better with a new curriculum designed for adult language learners. Explore the cultural richness of the Spanish-speaking world through the voices and experiences of speakers from over 10 different countries. Learn to converse in the past tense, express opinions and discuss real-life situations from daily life, work and travel. Our adult-focused approach will improve your speaking, listening, reading and writing abilities. See Outline for more details.

Prerequisite: Spanish 2 or equivalent.

Find out if this is the right level for you with these placement tests: Spanish 2 self-placement test, Spanish 3 self-placement test.

Course format

Instructional videos and interactive online materials in the Canvas course platform introduce new grammar and vocabulary and teach pronunciation, listening and reading skills. Participants should budget 3-4 hours a week to work through the online asynchronous materials in preparation for the live online conversation groups. Participants practice speaking live with the instructor in weekly sessions. For the first two sessions, you will meet with your instructor in small groups of 3-6 students for 30-minutes, then move to one-hour sessions with 6-12 students. Participants should be available for the entire one-hour time slot. Online course materials are available one week before the first live conversation class and remain accessible for one month after the course ends.

Want to know more about learning a language online? Read Dr. Julie Dahl's blog post about our online course format.

A printable workbook (PDF) is included in the price. All other materials are available through the course platform.

Sections anticipated for summer 2023 (See Upcoming Dates for open sections and more detail):

Tuesdays, June 13–Aug. 29, 5:30–6:30 p.m. CT (No virtual conversation on July 4)

Tuesdays, June 13–Aug. 29, 6:45–7:45 p.m. CT (No virtual conversation on July 4)

Sections anticpated for fall 2023 (See Upcoming Dates for open sections and more detail):

Mondays, Sept. 11–Nov. 20, 5:30–6:30 p.m. CT

Mondays, Sept. 11–Nov. 20, 6:45–7:45 p.m. CT

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Course Outline

Course outline

Below are the main themes and outcomes for each unit. Each unit also contains teaching videos, 10-15 listening activities, an extended reading activity, practical exercises and cultural information related to the unit theme.

Unidad 1: ¡A conocernos!

  • Review conversations for getting to know people
  • Common Spanish commands
  • Irregular gerunds
  • Using llevar to express duration
  • Review common irregular verbs in the present tense
  • Reading: La costumbre de la siesta

Unidad 2: ¡A aprender!

  • Vocabulary: parts of speech
  • Discussing study habits and learning strategies
  • Going deeper with gustar and similar verbs
  • Regular verbs in simple past tense (el pretérito)
  • Giving opinions: opinar, creer, pensar, deber
  • Reading: Ricardo Arjona: una vida imposible de definir

Unidad 3: ¡A trabajar!

  • Vocabulary: workplace
  • Discussing where you like to work and what tools you need to work well
  • Direct object pronouns
  • Common expressions that use direct object pronouns
  • Irregular verbs in the preterite
  • Reading: La historia de una inmigrante

Unidad 4: ¡A viajar!

  • Vocabulary: travel and housing
  • Discussing travel preferences
  • Understanding directions
  • Describing past trips with the preterite
  • Polite expressions for asking for information
  • Contrast llevar and traer
  • Contrast ir and venir
  • Reading: Voy de viaje (una carta)

Unidad 5: ¡A repasar!

  • Prepositions of place
  • Impersonal se
  • Personal a
  • Review Unidades 1-4

Unidad 6: ¡A relajarnos!

  • Vocabulary: free time
  • Discussing ways to relax
  • Going deeper with reflexive verbs
  • Discussing changes in emotions
  • Contrasting demonstratives: este, ese, aquel
  • Reading: El poder de la música de Gustavo Dudamel

Unidad 7: ¡A charlar!

  • Vocabulary: chatting and informal conversations
  • Discussing different ways to communicate
  • Indirect object pronouns
  • Forming adverbs with –mente
  • Giving opinions: (no) estar de acuerdo
  • Reading: La cena es para disfrutarla

Unidad 8: ¡A tapear!

  • Vocabulary: food and ordering in restaurants
  • Discussing common Spanish tapas
  • Present perfect tense
  • Regular and irregular participles
  • Contrasting indefinites: algo, alguno, alguien
  • Reading: La paella: un plato que provoca mucho debate

Unidad 9: ¡A comprar en el barrio!

  • Vocabulary: small shops and local businesses
  • Discuss shopping and operating hours
  • Using hace…que to discuss how long something has been going on
  • Using hace to discuss how long ago something happened
  • Time structures with desde
  • Reading: Jubilarse en Cuenca, Ecuador

Unidad 10: ¡A terminar!

  • Discussing moments in the future
  • Review Unidades 6-10

 

Earn Continuing Education Hours

By participating in this class you will earn:

Instructional Hours 35
University of Wisconsin Continuing Education Units 3.5

Explanation of Continuing Education Hours

Upcoming dates (4)

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Program Questions?

Contact Christopher Moore at christopher.moore@wisc.edu or 608-262-7389

Registration Questions?

Email registrations@pyle.wisc.edu or call 608-262-2451.

Continuing Studies FAQs

Meet your instructors

Pablo Pastore

(MA, UW-Madison) is a PhD candidate in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese. He holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Universidad de Buenos Aires (2019). Pablo has taught beginner-level Spanish courses at UW-Madison in addition to teaching beginner through intermediate courses for the Continuing Studies program. He enjoys teaching adults of all levels.

Lucia Can

(MA candidate, UW-Madison) studies Spanish and Mayan Linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has a degree from the Autonomous University of the Yucatan and has taught many levels of Spanish both in Mexico and the United States. She loves talking about culture, traditions, and customs.

 

Ana Pérez Alfajarrin

(MA, University of Western Ontario) has been teaching Spanish since 2013 to adult learners of all ages. She specializes in Hispanics linguistics and was first trained as a translator/interpreter in Cuba. She brings enthusiasm to her teaching and loves creating engaging courses that make learning meaningful and fun.

What Attendees Are Saying

I had a great time in this class, and I learned a lot. It was exactly what I needed: a low-stress learning environment.
Bryn Sutherland
I looked forward to class each week because of the instructor.