CONTINUING EDUCATION
SPANISH
LANGUAGE
AND CULTURE
CERTIFICATE
Levels 1 and 2
120 OR
250 HOURS
ON CAMPUS
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CONTED.UCALGARY.CA/SPANISH | 403.220.2952
SPANISH LANGUAGE
AND CULTURE — Levels 1 and 2
Currently, some 350 million people speak Spanish, making it the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world.
Whether you want to learn Spanish to enhance your travel experience, for career or educational purposes, or simply
because you have a passion for the language and culture, this program may be right for you.
The Spanish Language and Culture Certificate — Level 1 is designed for individuals with little or no background in
Spanish. You learn the foundations of the language by focusing on all four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.
By the end of the Level 1 program, you should have a solid base of oral and written skills for communicating in Spanish.
Before enrolling in the Level 1 Certificate, students must have completed University of Calgary Continuing Education
course SPA 101 Spanish 1 or its equivalent and, from there, will move through subsequent levels. Students are required
to complete a total of 120 hours of required courses in order to graduate with a Level 1 Certificate.
The Spanish Language and Culture Certificate — Level 2 builds on the skills acquired in the Certificate in Spanish
Language and Culture — Level 1. You will continue to improve your grammar, build vocabulary, and further develop
conversational abilities. By the end of the program, you should be able to communicate fluently at an intermediate
level and have a solid understanding of cultural aspects. In addition to courses, this level includes an experiential
learning component that can include activities in academic, cultural, social, or fine arts settings. Students must
complete a total of 120 hours of required courses and a 10-hour experiential learning component in order to graduate
with a Level 2 Certificate.
REQUIRED
COURSES
LEVEL 1 CORE COURSES | 120 hours SPA 410 Spanish Conversation 1 | 30 hours
Students take the following four Core Courses to make up the
120 hours of instruction required for the Certificate in Spanish Language and Culture — Level 1.
Build your speaking and listening skills in this beginner Spanish conversational class. Develop conversational strategies,
improve listening comprehension, reinforce grammar skills,
and build vocabulary and common expressions in class and
small-group discussions.
SPA 102 Spanish 2 | 30 hours
You should be comfortable saying basic phrases and forming
simple sentences in the present tense. Expand your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, and learn more about the
culture of the Spanish-speaking countries.
Prerequisite: SPA 104 Spanish 4
Prerequisite: SPA 101 Spanish 1
Students who have completed Level 1 Core Courses, or the
equivalent, take the following four Core Courses to make up
the 130 hours of instruction required for the Certificate in
Spanish Language and Culture — Level 2.
SPA 103 Spanish 3 | 30 hours
Reinforce your knowledge of the basic grammatical structures and learn how to talk about past events. Continue
to build vocabulary and improve your listening and
speaking skills.
Prerequisite: SPA 102 Spanish 2
SPA 104 Spanish 4 | 30 hours
Learn how to talk about the past events using both the
preterit and the imperfect past tenses. Practice your conversational and writing skills while gaining more insight into the
cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world. This class is
taught mainly in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPA 103 Spanish 3
LEVEL 2 CORE COURSES | 130 hours SPA 105 Spanish 5 | 30 hours
The focus of this course is the present subjunctive mood
and the accompanying grammatical structures. Continue to
build vocabulary and practice your speaking and writing
skills. This class is taught mainly in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPA 104 Spanish 4
SPA 106 Spanish 6 | 30 hours
Express yourself in the present, past, and future tenses by
reinforcing your existing knowledge of Spanish and learning
more advanced grammatical structures. This class is taught
in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPA 105 Spanish 5
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CONTED.UCALGARY.CA/SPANISH | 403.220.2952
SPA 420 Spanish Conversation 2 | 30 hours
ADMISSION
Improve your speaking and listening skills in this low-intermediate Spanish conversational class.You will continue to
build conversational strategies, improve listening comprehension, reinforce grammar skills, and build vocabulary and
common expressions through activities which may include
discussions, oral presentations, interviews and role-playing.
You can take courses first and enrol in the certificate later;
however, as programs are subject to change, we recommend
you apply for admission to the certificate program as early
as possible. Once you are admitted, you can be confident
that you have locked in the requirements leading to your
graduation.
Prerequisite: SPA 106 Spanish 6
If you have not enrolled in the certificate program, but plan
on applying later, please notify your instructors of your intentions so that you are evaluated and graded in your courses.
SPA 907 Spanish 7 | 30 hours
In the final level of formal language training, fine points of
grammar are highlighted as students continue to build
vocabulary and improve their conversational and writing
skills. This class is taught in Spanish.
You must be a minimum of 18 years of age to be admitted to
the program. Successful completion of a Grade 12 diploma
and relevant work experience are recommended. If English
is not your first language, please review the English language
proficiency requirements.
SPA 119 Spanish — Experiential Learning Component
A degree or diploma is not required to enrol in this program.
10 hours
Students submit a 750 – 1000 word essay written in Spanish
documenting their participation in a minimum of 10 hours of
Spanish language-related activities. Activities may include
reflecting on students’ experience of travelling to a Spanishspeaking country, volunteering with the Spanish-speaking
community, analyzing a film they saw or a novel they read,
or writing about their understanding of historical or cultural
events. Students have up to two months upon the completion of their final course in the Spanish Language and Culture
Certificate — Level 2 to submit the essay.
Note: The bulk of activities should start when students finish
SPA 106 Spanish 6; however, a maximum of 5 credit hours
can be given for activities completed earlier.
PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
To assess your knowledge of Spanish:
For this certificate program, it is possible to have your
knowledge of Spanish assessed to receive up to 30 hours
of Advanced Standing*. To receive this credit, you will need
to demonstrate your knowledge of the Spanish language by
challenging the final exam of a particular course. To apply for
this type of prior learning assessment:
1. Phone 403.220.5895 to arrange your challenge exam with
the program coordinator.
2. Pay a non-refundable administration fee of $50 for the
course credit you request.
Prior learning from other post-secondary institutions:
DELIVERY
Courses in this program are taught in the classroom typically
during weekday evenings or Saturdays at the University of
Calgary main or downtown campus. Students attend activities outside of class to complete the Experiential Learning
Component required in Level 2.
TIMELINE
If you take at least one course per semester, you can complete
each level of this certificate in approximately one and a half
years. It is possible to fast-track your learning and complete
the Level 1 Certificate in approximately one year by choosing
courses that offer classes two times a week.
Advanced Standing* may be granted for equivalent, graded
courses completed at other post-secondary institutions.
Credit may be granted for up to a maximum of 30 hours
towards this certificate. To apply for advanced standing visit
https://www.ucalgary.ca/cted/forms/caltsl_advcredit.html
TRANSFERABILITY
Students who successfully complete the Spanish Language
and Culture Certificate — Level 1 can move directly into the
Spanish Language and Culture Certificate — Level 2.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Awards are given to deserving students not only for their
academic achievement, but also for community involvement.
Award sponsors include both corporate and private donors.
To apply, you must meet eligibility criteria and submission
deadlines. Students in this program may be eligible for:
•Mary Cone Barrie Scholarship
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CONTED.UCALGARY.CA/SPANISH | 403.220.2952
COURSE REGISTRATION
CERTIFICATE ADMISSION
CONTACT INFORMATION
To view courses and enrol online, visit conted.ucalgary.ca and go to Interest Areas.
Choose Spanish, then click on Courses.
You may enrol online for most courses using
a Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
You do not need to be enrolled in the
certificate to take a course. if you wish to
enrol in the Certificate in Spanish Language
and Culture, Level 1 or 2, please go to
conted.ucalgary.ca/apply
Certificate in Spanish Language
and Culture
University of Calgary Continuing Education
Education Tower 1120
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, AB T2N 1N4
To enrol by phone, please call 403.220.2952
or 1.866.220.4992 (toll free) between
8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
You will need a Visa, MasterCard, American
Express or a purchase order number from
your employer.
403.220.2952
1.866.220.4992 (toll-free)
conted.ucalgary.ca/spanish
[email protected]
PUBLISHED MARCH 2015
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CONTED.UCALGARY.CA/SPANISH | 403.220.2952