UCL - Séminaire d'insertion professionnelle

[ESPA2600]

[30h] 3 credits

This course is taught in the 1st semester.

This course is not taught in 2010-2011

Teacher(s): Isabel Baeza Varela

Language: S

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

At the end of the course students are expected to have reached a B2+ level (intermediate level) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Regarding competences, students should be able to :

- Efficiently write and understand documents relating to job search (CV, motivation letter, job offers, etc.) or relating to work (report of a professional project related to his/her studies, notes and agenda of a meeting, etc.)
- Efficiently present and defend a professional project in front of an audience ; give an opinion during a meeting, a conversation related to work, etc. ; propose and negotiate working conditions, measures of a plan, solutions, etc. ; take part in a job interview, a team/group dynamics, etc. ; transmit information, etc.
- Understand relatively long speeches and conferences ; understand relatively long spoken messages related to work (instructions, documentaries, films, etc.).
- Consolidate the vocabulary, the grammatical contents and the linguistic exhibitors of general Spanish ; extend the specific vocabulary and the linguistic exhibitors relating to work.
- Be aware of cultural aspects related to the work environment of Spanish-speaking countries.

Main themes

- The object of this course is to develop the student¿s communicative competence, and particularly spoken production, in work related Spanish and to contribute to his/her insertion into the job market.

- The course is centred on 4 large themes which try to reproduce the insertion into the job market of a young graduate: 1) « I am looking for a job » ; 2) « Recruitment », 3) « I don¿t like working » ; 4) « Young entrepreneurs ». Students must complete a final task for each subject: 1) send an envelope containing a CV and a motivation letter to land a job interview; 2) to take part in a job interview ; 3) elaborate a plan with measures to improve the relationship between employer/employee for a company and participate in the meeting where the plan will be approved ; 4) present a project in front of the jury of a prize awarded to young entrepreneurs by a commercial federation for the most original initiative.

Content and teaching methods

This course is mainly interactive and practical. The objective is that the students develop their language skills, and particularly spoken production, by completing tasks. Therefore the used method is Task-Based Learning. In order to enable the student to complete the above mentioned tasks a series of activities, both communicative and centred on the code, are proposed. These activities require the practice of multiple language skills (listening and reading comprehension, spoken and written production, spoken interaction) and most of them have an amusing component. The activities and base materials are very heterogeneous: games, role plays, debates, team/group dynamics, songs, films, documentaries, etc.

Other information (prerequisites, assessment, course material, training staff, features peculiar to a minor, equivalences)

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Prerequisites:
To have reached an low intermediate level.

Assessment:
Continuous assessment : written test, presentation, work to be returned, presence and participation.

Course material:
Español 2600. Inserción profesional : method used during the course and made by the professor according to the described method and from current bibliography.

References:
The course gives the student electronic addresses and a large list of materials available in the ILV self-tuition center (CAA) to support the autonomous training.

Training staff:
- Groups of 18 students maximum.
- The teacher is available in his/her hours of reception and can be contacted by e-mail.
- The teacher supports and accompanies the autonomous training in the CAA of the ILV.