This course is aimed towards intermediate Spanish-speakers (B1.1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages),that will develop their language skills in both written and spoken Spanish. Specific relevance is given to the use of language in context, and therefore the course will particularly focus on cultural aspects of its use in Spain. The course aims to: 1. Develop the student's capability to think about the language and apply strategies that allows for the improvement of the learning process. 2. Follow a conversation on day-to-day topics or a discussion, and recognize the fundamental differences between the formal and informal use of language. 3. Participate actively in debates, relating arguments to current issues and epxress ideas, needs and feelings according to their attitudes. 4. Understand information from different types of texts, identifying characteristics and specific aims. 5. Express with clarity, cohesion and correct grammar facts and events related to their environment using the appropriate tone, vocabulary, particles and stylistic resources of the language.

COMMUNICATIVE, VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR RESOURCES UNIT 1. BEFORE AND AFTER. Talk about habits and circumstances in the past. Locate actions in the past and the present. Imperfect past. Already and not yet. Past and present tense particles. Historical events. Life stages. UNIT 2. FORBIDDEN TO FORBID. Express prohibition, obligation and impersonality. Talk about habits. Opine and advise. The normal/the usually/the rare is + infinitive. ¿Soler¿ + infinitive. It is prohibited, allowed¿ Work vocabulary. ¿Ser¿ y ¿estar¿ in habits and rules. UNIT 3. BEGIN TO BEGIN. Talk about habits in the present. Talk about the past. Talk about the beginning and duration of an action. Locate an action in time. Periphrasis: ¿empezar a / acabar de / terminar de / volver a / dejar de + infinitivo / llevar / seguir + gerundio.¿ From and since. Workspace. Life events. UNIT 4. SPECIAL EVENTS. Talk about the past. Secuence actions. Feelings. Irregular verbs: past indefinite, past imperfect. Past of ¿estar + gerundio¿. Historical events, memories and emotions. UNIT 5. SEARCH AND COMPARE. Recommend and advise. Give instructions. Describe an ad. Morphology and uses of the positive and negative imperative. Imperative with pronouns: OI and OD. Publicity. Resources to describe an ad. UNIT 6. MESSAGES. Talk by phone. Phone messages. Transmit messages. Indirect style. He told me, he told me that, he asked me when, where, why¿ Messages types: letters, message, email¿ Verbs ask for and ask. UNIT 7. TOMORROW. Talk about future actions and situations. Express conditions. Formulate hypotheses about the future. ¿Si¿+present indicative, future. ¿Seguramente / Seguro que/ Probablemente¿ + future. Future challenges. Technology and science. UNIT 8. GOES AND SAYS. Narrate in present. Resume a book or a movie. Understand jesting. Connectors to narrate: (and) so, in the end, suddenly, etc. Because, as, but, nonetheless¿ Direct and indirect pronoun. Genre in film, television, literature¿ Speech acts.