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Continuing Studies
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Spanish Advanced Conversation

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Upcoming dates (1)

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

Schedule

Course runs Oct. 26–Dec. 7, with 5 live conversation sessions Wednesdays, starting Nov. 2. Live conversation small groups are scheduled between 5:30–7:00 p.m. See summary for details. (No virtual conversation Nov. 23)

Register through: October 25, 2022

All times shown in central time.

Fee

$149

Cancellation Policy

  • Cancel before class start date: receive a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee.
  • Cancel after 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

In this advanced Spanish conversation class, participants will read and discuss five short stories that represent diverse cultural themes representative of Latin America and Spain, such as superstition, class, first people groups, politics and human relationships. Your learning will be guided by videos, interviews, and other brief readings. Improve your Spanish conversation skills while growing your knowledge of short literary pieces and immersing yourself in Hispanic culture.

All materials are provided.

Prerequisite: Spanish 6 or similar level. You should score well on this placement test or have taken previous advanced courses to enroll.

Course format

Each week participants work through instructional materials in the Canvas course platform in preparation for the live conversation sessions. Participants should budget 3-4 hours a week to work through the online asynchronous materials. Participants practice speaking live with the instructor and other participants in weekly sessions of one and a half hours. Discussion will be a mix of small groups using Zoom breakout rooms in addition to conversations with the entire class. Online course materials are available one week before the first live conversation class and remain accessible for one month after the course ends.

For more information about the course content, see Course Outline.

Note: You will not be able to view the course on your Canvas Dashboard or access the materials until the course start date.

Sessions available for Fall 2022 (See Upcoming Dates for more detail):

Wednesdays, Oct. 26–Dec. 7, 5:30–7 p.m. CT (No virtual conversation Nov. 23)

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Course Outline

Course outline

List of short stories

  1. “Algo grave va a suceder en este pueblo” de Gabriel García Márquez. (Colombia)
    • Topic: Superstitions in the Hispanic world
  1. “Caballo de Coral” de Onelio Jorge Cardoso. (Cuba)
    • Topics: Social class differences. Cuban culture and society. Hopes and dreams.
  1. “Dos palabras” de Isabel Allende. (Chile)
    • Topics: Politics, loneliness, and courage.
  1. “¿Qué es la vida?” from Netzula de José María Lacunza. (Mexico)
    • Topics: First peoples and Mexican indigenous culture. Spanish conquest.
  1. “Un marido sin vocación” de Enrique Jardiel Poncela. (Spain)
    • Topics: Marriage, human relationships, conflicts, and black humor.

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will:

  • Improve their oral communication skills, i.e., intonation, pronunciation and conversation patterns in Spanish and gain confidence when interacting in the language.
  • Gain fluency in Spanish to narrate, describe, express opinions and construct hypotheses.
  • Expand their vocabulary and knowledge of idiomatic grammatical structures in Spanish to enable them to understand and read a variety of texts.
  • Become familiar with different Spanish accents, social registers, and regional uses.
  • Expand their knowledge of the cultures of the Hispanic world.

Earn Continuing Education Hours

By participating in this class you will earn:

Instructional Hours 20
University of Wisconsin Continuing Education Units 2

Explanation of Continuing Education Hours

Upcoming dates (1)

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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 instructor

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.