Spanish Stage 1

Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the world among native speakers, being spoken by 572 million people. It is the official language of 21 countries (including Spain and much of Central and South America) and is a significant minority language in the United States, where it is spoken by around 60 million people. Spanish has emerged as the most important language for the UK in an analysis conducted by the British Council, and, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), is the second-most popular language among single honours-degree students and the most popular language for students taking single modules.

Learning Spanish will also improve your career potential. Demand in the US for bilingual workers doubled between 2010 and 2015, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. The good news is that Spanish is considered one the easiest languages to learn. It’s completely phonetic, meaning that its pronunciation is simple. It is also similar to other Romance languages, and it can be used as a ‘gateway’ to learn other languages such as Portuguese, French or Italian.

Our teachers are highly qualified and experienced native speakers. They are passionate about teaching and about their language. They understand and encourage the development of intercultural awareness and work to create a collaborative and inclusive environment in the class.

This module will enable you to:

• Introduce yourself and exchange information about your life, your likes and dislikes and your routine
• Describe places and people, talk about your plans and about activities you did in the past at a basic level
• Write emails, order food and drinks at bars and restaurants and ask for prices and items in shops.

By the end of the module, you should be able to:

• Communicate in everyday situations using the four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing at a basic level
• Have a basic grammatical knowledge and range of vocabulary
• Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and high-frequency vocabulary in predictable situations
• Read, assess and analyse short, simple texts
• Produce short, simple texts, e.g., writing an email
• Have basic intercultural awareness to understand simple references to common aspects of the culture, everyday life and current issues in the country/countries where Spanish is spoken
• Objectively compare aspects of the new culture to your own using the tools of intercultural learning.

The standard entry requirements comprise:

• A 2:2 honours degree or international equivalent,
• CV and personal statement outlining your reasons for study,
• English language band D (for example, IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill).

You will be assessed via examination, as follows:

• An oral exam will take place online during Revision Week 2 (22-25 April 2025) = 40%
• A written exam will take place in person during Assessment Period 2 (28 April-30 May 2025) = 60%

This is an on-campus module. The general approach to all King’s Language Centre classes is communicative - the language is dealt with in social situations and you are encouraged to participate as much as possible. To support independent study and to encourage contact with the culture of the language you are learning, you will have access to a wide variety of materials in the Language Resources Centre (LRC). Free speaking practice sessions with a native speaker, and a wide range of workshops are offered during the academic year to enhance your learning experience.

Teaching will be delivered via weekly 2-hour tuition sessions over 20 weeks, covering two semesters. Teaching will take place in person on campus. You will be expected to spend approximately 4-6 hours per week in self-study, including homework, speaking practice, and interactive exercises.

This module is offered as part of our flexible master’s awards in Professional Development. The awards are one of the most flexible currently offered in the UK, providing the opportunity to study a range of modules from across King’s, both on-campus and online. Whether you are looking for a promotion or to retrain, you have come to the right place.

Designed for mature professionals juggling life and work commitments, our postgraduate awards will enable you to study at your own pace. In challenging financial times, you are also able to fund your studies module-by-module. We will support you to select the right module diet that meets your objectives while ensuring that you are well prepared for success. We will also help you to build your professional network of peers from across our suite of CPD modules.

We can’t wait for you to continue your lifelong learning journey here at King’s.