Spanish for Reading and Translation: Basic

Gain the basic skills you need to read and translate Spanish texts to English. Learn fundamental Spanish grammar and vocabulary while translating texts from disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. This course is excellent preparation for a Spanish graduate-level reading knowledge exam.

Start with the basics and work your way through progressively more challenging grammatical concepts that appear in the scholarly texts you translate. Along the way, you will learn key grammar structures and reading strategies and build your vocabulary. Digital textbook included.

While no prior knowledge of the language is required, familiarity with common grammar terminology in English is highly recommended. Basic to high-intermediate Spanish speakers can use the course to review essential grammar, build vocabulary and increase accuracy in translation. The higher the level of Spanish you have, the more you will gain from this course. 

This course is open to all. You do not have to be a UW–Madison student to register. The graduate student fee is applicable to graduate students from any institution.

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

Course components

There are no synchronous class meetings and you will work at your own pace to complete weekly assignments. This course uses a free open online textbook and builds on that material through more examples and explanations, as well as a variety of interactive activities and assessments that you access via the Canvas course site:

• Comprehension checks (quick, interactive, non-graded self-checks)
• 29 quizzes (in-depth, graded practice that can be repeated)
• 4 self-practice activities (short texts that you translate and compare to sample translations for extra practice)
• 5 written assignments (assignments that increase in complexity and are corrected by the instructor with personal feedback)
• Final project (you choose 1 of 3 scholarly texts to translate and submit to the instructor for comments)

Course objectives

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Read and understand, with the help of a dictionary, scholarly texts pertinent to their field of research
• Identify fundamental Spanish grammatical structures and syntax
• Recognize essential Spanish vocabulary words
• Have increased confidence in translation abilities

Required reading

• Spanish for Reading Knowledge
• Spanish/English dictionary (not a pocket dictionary)

Is this course right for you?

If the following statements accurately describe you, you are a good candidate for our online course:

• I am a skilled reader who is at ease with written instructions and lessons
• I am a self-directed learner, with the initiative to visit a course site regularly
• I am comfortable participating in a course in writing
• I can continue learning independently while waiting for feedback on assignments
• I am organized and able to meet deadlines
• I enjoy working on a computer
• I have 5 to 8 hours weekly that I can devote to this online course

If these statements do not accurately describe you, please consider taking a face-to-face class.

Course organization

This course consists of 13 modules or units. Here you can see the major topics covered in each module.

Modules 1-2

• Alphabet, how to use a dictionary, punctuation and capitalization rules
• Gender of nouns
• Definite and indefinite articles
• Adjective/noun agreement

Module 3

• Introduction to present tense verbs
• Ser, estar, tener
• Adjective placement

Module 4

• More present tense verbs
• Irregular verbs in the present
• Article omission
• Infinitives

Module 5

• Stem-changing verbs
• Demonstrative adjectives
• Prepositions por and para

Module 6

• Reflexive verbs
• Imperfect tense
• Adverbs and prepositional phrases
• Uses of se

Module 7

• Preterite tense (Part 1)
• Negative, positive, and indefinite words
• Pronouns (Direct and Indirect)

Module 8

• Other verbs used to express "to be"
• Present participle and progressive forms
• Irregular verbs in the preterite

Module 9

• Pronouns (Double-object, prepositional)
• Pronoun summary
• Verbs like gustar

Module 10

• Structures with hacer
• Past participle and compound tenses

Module 11

• Introduction to the subjunctive
• Forms of the present subjunctive
• Verbs that mean "to become"

Module 12

• Future tense
• Conditional tense
• Past subjunctive
• Contrary-to-fact sentences
• Begin to review the Final Project instructions

Module 13

• Past perfect subjunctive
• Relative pronouns
• Passive voice

Work on Final Project

By participating in this class you will earn:

Explanation of Continuing Education Hours