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Topic outline

 

  • Time: 20 hours
    Level: Introductory

 
 

Introduction

  • Introduction Resource
  • This unit is taken from Portales, a language course that concentrates on Spanish as a tool for communication, but it also provides some insights into Hispanic societies and cultures through authentic...
 

Las plazas

  • Las plazas Resource
  • Squares, las plazas, are a focal point of Hispanic towns and cities. In this unit you will find out about several cities in Latin America: Santiago de Chile and La Serena in Chile, Santiago de...
 

Sesión 1 Arte y ciencia

 

Sesión 2 Monumentos y edificios famosos

  • Introducción Resource
  • In this session you are going to learn how to ask about different places of interest in Spain, Chile and Uruguay: what they are, where they are and what they look like.
  • Actividad 2.1 Resource
  • 1 Here are some pictures of famous monuments. Say whether you think they are in Latin America or in Spain. See how many you can guess.
  • Actividad 2.2 Resource
  • In this activity you are going to listen to two people being interviewed about monuments and sights in their country. You will also learn how to say where things are.
  • Actividad 2.3 Resource
  • In this activity you are going to practise asking where different places in Valencia are and what they look like. A guide takes Patricio Bustos, an architect, around the city while he asks about the sights....
  • Léxico básico Resource
 

Sesión 3 Visita a Santiago y Montevideo

  • Introducción Resource
  • In this session you are going to find some famous public places by following simple instructions.
  • Actividad 3.1 Resource
  • In this activity you are going to review some of the vocabulary that you have learned about tourist sights, as well as learn some new words.
  • Actividad 3.2 Resource
  • In this activity you are going to learn the most common prepositions and prepositional phrases used to indicate location.
  • Actividad 3.3 Resource
  • Look at the map of South America and complete the following description using al lado de, y and entre.
  • Actividad 3.4 Resource
  • Isabel, the Spanish theatre director of the group Expresiones, decides to take some time off to see the sights of Santiago.
  • Actividad 3.5 Resource
  • Heidi, one of the members of the theatre group Expresiones, has gone on a trip to Montevideo, in Uruguay. A friend of hers there, Javier, is letting her stay in his flat. He has left her a note recommending...
  • Léxico básico Resource
 

Sesión 4 Espacios públicos

  • Introducción Resource
  • In this session you are going to find out about everyday activities in the Hispanic world, and get to know the most popular places to go.
  • Actividad 4.1 Resource
  • Here are three popular places to go in the Hispanic world.
  • Actividad 4.2 Resource
  • Patricio, the architect from Chile, is working in Valencia. He has a busy schedule.
  • Actividad 4.2.1 Resource
  • 1 Now Patricio is at the airport picking up his colleague. Listen to the audio clip below and note down where the other people interviewed are going.
  • Actividad 4.3 Resource
  • 1 Here are three smileys representing different moods. Match each of them with the places that you most associate with those moods. There is no ‘right’ answer.
  • Actividad 4.4 Resource
  • Listen to the audio clip and do the exercise.
  • Actividad 4.5 Resource
  • Write questions appropriate to the following situations. Make sure you use the appropriate form of the verb.
  • En pocas palabras Resource
  • Your dictionary is very useful for finding out which grammatical category a word belongs to. For example, the entry for precioso reads as follows:
  • Léxico básico Resource
 

Sesión 5 Un bar en La Habana

  • Introducción Resource
  • In this session you are going to have a closer look at a popular meeting place in the Hispanic world.
  • Actividad 5.1 Resource
  • 1 Look at this photo of a bar in Havana, Cuba. What can you see? Below it is a list of objects, some of which appear in the photo. Tick the ones you can see. Look up the words you don’ t understand in...
  • Actividad 5.2 Resource
  • 1 Look at the following picture of a bar. Write down what you see, using the structure hay + un/una.
  • Actividad 5.3 Resource
  • You are looking for a bar to hold a birthday celebration in. You see an advertisement.
  • Actividad 5.4 Resource
  • You have now found the perfect bar for your birthday celebration and you want to tell your friends about it. Read the following guide book entry about it and record yourself on your blank tape, saying...
  • Léxico básico Resource
 

Sesión 6 El centro deportivo

  • Introducción Resource
  • You are now going to find out about another public place: a sports centre. You will also explore the differences in attitudes towards public places in Spanish-speaking countries and your own.
  • Actividad 6.1 Resource
  • Look at the following plan of a sports centre. Which of the facilities listed below are present in the centre?
  • Actividad 6.2 Resource
  • You decide to visit the sports centre to see the facilities for yourself. In the reception area, you overhear some conversations.
  • Actividad 6.3 Resource
  • You work as a receptionist in a gym. Somebody who has arranged to meet some friends there asks you whether you know where they are. Some of them have left you a note of where they are but some haven't....
  • Espejo Cultural Resource
  • This activity will help you think about some of the possible differences between public places in Spain and Latin America, and in your own country.
  • Léxico básico Resource
 

Sesión 7 Perdido en Barcelona

 

Sesión 8 Hoteles con alma

  • Introducción Resource
  • In this session you are going to talk about some city hotels in Havana, Valencia, Barcelona and Santiago de Cuba, and find out about their local amenities and suitability for tourism.
  • Actividad 8.1 Resource
  • In this activity you are going to find out about two hotels, one in Havana and one in Valencia, what they look like and where they are situated.
  • Actividad 8.2 Resource
  • In this activity you are going to find out about three hotels situated in the old part of Barcelona and around the Ramblas, one of the main arteries of the city. You will also become familiar with ways...
  • Actividad 8.3 Resource
  • In this activity you are going to find out about another interesting hotel, this time in Santiago de Cuba, which overlooks the house of Diego Velázquez, the first Spanish governor of Cuba.
  • Actividad 8.4 Resource
  • Write a wish list for your perfect hotel. You may want to refer to location, proximity to local amenities and type of building. Use the prompts below to start you off.
  • En pocas palabras Resource
  • Classify the following vocabulary by placing the words in the appropriate columns. If you are unsure of what the grammatical terms mean, go to the section ‘Parts of Speech’ in the dictionary.
  • Léxico básico Resource
 

Sesión 9 Repaso

 

Sesión 10 ¡A prueba!

  • Part A Resource
  • This session consists of a self-assessment test which will give you an idea of the progress you have made throughout this unit. In the answers, you will also find explanations and revision tips.
  • Part B Resource
  • Read the following text and say whether the statements after it are true or false.
  • Part C Resource
  • Look at this photograph of a building in the city of La Serena. Describe what you see, using the prompts below.
  • Part D Resource
  • 1 You are at the Hotel Francisco Aguirre in La Serena. Listen to and follow the directions given by the receptionist to find the following places. Mark them on the map with the numbers 1 to 4.
 

A guide to Spanish instructions

 

References and Acknowledgements

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