Syllabus Information

1. General information

This subject aims to present the essential knowledge of the teaching of Spanish pragmatics and the processes involved in the different communicative activities and skills, thus complementing the mandatory grammar module with pragmatic aspects relevant to the teaching of the different communicative skills to non-native learners.

These approaches and objectives are aligned with the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/): 4, 5, 10, 16 and 17.

An advanced instrumental mastery of the Spanish language is required (non-native students will be required to have a B2 level of Spanish).

2. Learning results

Upon completion of the subject, the student will be able to:

-critically read the bibliography on pragmatic theory and assess what it can contribute to foreign language teaching.

-explain the similarities and differences between oral and written communication by analyzing and describing the particularities of written and oral discourse.

-plan practical activities in the SFL classroom applying pragmatics to language teaching and to the analysis of intercultural communication.

-use text to exemplify the different communicative activities differentiated in the oral discourse (face-to-face conversation; dissertation, etc.).

-understand and explain the processes involved in various communicative activities.

-analyze the sequencing of the practice of the different communicative activities that appear in the SFL teaching-learning manuals.

-design activities to improve each communication skill.

-apply the knowledge acquired to design materials that integrate the different communicative skills.

-analyse and assess the samples produced by SFL students and offer them resources and strategies to improve them.

3. Syllabus

1. Fundamental theories and concepts of pragmatic analysis.

2. General and communicative competencies. The process of producing and receiving texts: topics, domains, strategies and tasks.

3. From skills to communicative activities of the language: expression, comprehension, interaction and mediation.

4. Differences between orality and writing. Non-verbal communication. Genres and types of texts.

5. Discursive strategies. The conversation. Criteria for analyzing students' oral and written productions: scope, correctness, fluency, interaction and coherence.

6. Methodological approaches to teaching communicative activities. Selection of objectives and activities.

7. Metaphor, humor, irony.

4. Academic activities

The learning process for this subject is based on the explanation of the most relevant aspects of the subject´s  contents, using the participative master class, so the students must actively participate. There will also be several programmed tasks outside the classroom to put into practice and deepen some theoretical and practical aspects.

Learning activities
Guided activities.
Participative master classes. Presentation, discussion and solving of doubts.
Supervised activities.
Tutoring. Counseling about any aspect of the subject.
Autonomous activities.
Bibliographic work, readings, activities and use of the virtual learning environment.

5. Assessment system

First call

a) Continuous assessment system

-Academic work in accordance with the contents of the course (30 %).

- Two practice reports (35 % each) on the contents of the course (70 % in total).

Criteria for continuous assessment: the bibliography consulted, scientific accuracy, critical analysis, personal reflection on the topic addressed, originality in the presentation and selection of content, clarity of exposition and idiomatic correctness will be evaluated.

Both the academic work and the theoretical and practical activities must be completed before the end of the class period.

b) Global assessment system (on the date established in the academic calendar):

Written exercise on the theoretical and practical contents of the course (100% weighting). Criteria for the exam: the correctness of the answers, clarity of exposition, idiomatic correctness and adequacy to the requirements of academic language will be assessed.

Second call
Global assessment
Identical to that of the first call.