Spanish Advanced Language Skills Syllabus

Name the classic five stages of narrative structure ('estructura narrativa').

Planteamiento (exposition), nudo/conflicto (rising action/conflict), clímax (climax), desenlace (falling action), and resolución (resolution).

What is a 'metáfora' versus a 'símil' in Spanish literary writing?

A 'metáfora' identifies one thing directly as another ('sus ojos son luceros'); a 'símil' (comparación) makes an explicit comparison using 'como' ('sus ojos brillan como luceros').

Define 'personificación' and give a Spanish example.

Attributing human qualities to non-human things or abstractions, e.g., 'el viento susurraba entre los árboles' (the wind whispered among the trees).

What is the writer's advice 'mostrar, no contar' (show, don't tell)?

Convey emotions and events through concrete actions, sensory detail, and dialogue rather than flatly stating them, so readers experience the scene.

What distinguishes 'diálogo' punctuation in Spanish narrative from English?

Spanish uses the em dash (raya '—') to introduce a character's speech and to enclose narrative interruptions, rather than quotation marks.

What is 'top-down' versus 'bottom-up' processing in listening comprehension?

Top-down uses background knowledge, context, and expectations to interpret meaning; bottom-up builds meaning from individual sounds, words, and grammar up to the whole message.

What is 'liaison' or 'sinalefa' when listening to native Spanish speakers?

The merging of a word-final vowel with the following word-initial vowel into one syllable (e.g., 'la_amiga'), which makes word boundaries hard to hear for learners.

Why is 'reducción vocálica' and rapid connected speech challenging for listeners?

In fast native speech, sounds blend, weaken, or drop (elision), so words don't sound like their isolated dictionary pronunciation, requiring listeners to recognize connected-speech patterns.

What is 'gist listening' compared to 'listening for detail'?

Gist listening aims to understand the overall meaning or main idea; listening for detail focuses on catching specific information such as numbers, names, or precise instructions.

Give three strategies to cope with unknown words while listening.

Keep listening rather than stopping, use context and tone to infer meaning, and focus on stressed content words (nouns/verbs) that carry the main message.

What are 'muletillas' in spoken Spanish and how do they affect listening?

Filler words like 'este', 'o sea', 'bueno', 'pues'; recognizing them helps listeners ignore non-essential fillers and focus on meaningful content.

How does regional accent variation (e.g., Caribbean vs. Castilian) affect listening?

Features like aspirated or dropped final /s/ (Caribbean), 'seseo' vs. 'distinción', and 'yeísmo' change how words sound, so exposure to multiple accents improves comprehension.

What is the recommended structure for an effective oral presentation?

Introduction (hook + preview of points), body (2-4 clearly signposted main points with support), and conclusion (summary + memorable closing/call to action).

Define 'lenguaje no verbal' and its role in public speaking.

Non-verbal communication such as gestures, posture, facial expression, and eye contact; it reinforces the spoken message, conveys confidence, and engages the audience.

What are 'signposting' phrases in a Spanish presentation?

Guiding phrases that orient the audience, e.g., 'en primer lugar', 'a continuación', 'por último', 'para concluir', marking transitions between sections.

What is the '10-20-30 rule' sometimes cited for presentations?

A guideline of about 10 slides, 20 minutes maximum, and at least 30-point font, to keep presentations concise and readable.

How should a speaker handle a 'ronda de preguntas' (Q&A) confidently?

Listen fully to the question, paraphrase it to confirm understanding, answer concisely, and admit honestly if unsure rather than improvising incorrect information.

What is the difference between 'registro formal' and 'registro informal' when speaking to an audience?

Formal register uses 'usted', careful vocabulary, and complete structures for professional/unfamiliar audiences; informal register uses 'tú', colloquial terms, and a relaxed tone for familiar settings.

Name three techniques to reduce nervousness before speaking publicly.

Preparation and rehearsal, controlled diaphragmatic breathing, and positive visualization/focusing on the message rather than on oneself.

What is the role of 'pausas' (pauses) in effective public speaking?

Pauses give the audience time to absorb ideas, emphasize key points, allow the speaker to breathe, and replace filler words for a more controlled delivery.

What is 'entonación' (intonation) and what are its main patterns in Spanish?

The rise and fall of pitch across a phrase; Spanish typically uses falling intonation for statements and 'wh-'/information questions, and rising intonation for yes/no questions.

Define 'sílaba tónica' and explain the three word classes by stress.

The stressed syllable of a word. Words are 'agudas' (stress on last syllable), 'llanas/graves' (second-to-last), and 'esdrújulas' (third-from-last, always accented).

State the Spanish accent (tilde) rules for agudas, llanas, and esdrújulas.

Agudas take a tilde when ending in vowel, -n, or -s (e.g., 'canción'); llanas take one when NOT ending in vowel, -n, or -s (e.g., 'árbol'); esdrújulas always carry a tilde (e.g., 'música').

What is a 'diptongo' versus a 'hiato' and how does the tilde relate?

A 'diptongo' is two vowels pronounced in one syllable (weak+strong); a 'hiato' splits vowels into separate syllables. An accent on a weak vowel ('día') breaks a would-be diphthong into a hiato.

Explain 'seseo', 'ceceo', and 'distinción' in Spanish pronunciation.

'Distinción' pronounces 'c/z' as /θ/ and 's' as /s/ (Castilian); 'seseo' pronounces both as /s/ (most of Latin America); 'ceceo' pronounces 's' like /θ/ (some southern Spain areas).

What is 'yeísmo' in Spanish pronunciation?

The merger of the sounds spelled 'll' and 'y' into a single sound, so 'pollo' and 'poyo' are pronounced alike; the norm for most Spanish speakers today.

How is the Spanish rolled 'rr' (vibrante múltiple) different from the single 'r'?

'rr' is a multiple trill (multiple tongue vibrations) as in 'perro'; the single 'r' is a single tap (vibrante simple) as in 'pero'; the contrast can change meaning.

Why is Spanish considered a 'syllable-timed' language and how does that affect rhythm?

Each syllable takes roughly equal time, unlike stress-timed English where unstressed vowels reduce; this gives Spanish a steady, even rhythm without vowel reduction.

What is the difference between a 'fonema' and an 'alófono'?

A 'fonema' is a distinctive sound unit that can change meaning; an 'alófono' is a context-dependent variant of a phoneme that does not change meaning (e.g., the two pronunciations of 'd' in 'dedo').

How does intonation distinguish a statement from a question when word order is identical, e.g., 'Vienes mañana'?

'Vienes mañana.' with falling final intonation is a statement; 'Vienes mañana?' (¿Vienes mañana?) with rising final intonation turns the same words into a yes/no question.

What are the five pure vowel sounds of Spanish and why are they important for clear pronunciation?

/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/ — each is short, tense, and consistent, never reduced or diphthongized as in English; keeping them pure and stable is key to a clear Spanish accent.