Overview

The Galician language is one of the official languages of Spain and has significant historical and cultural relevance in the country. Originally linked to Portuguese and keeping strong bonds with this language, Galician is today spoken by 3 million people in the north-west of the Iberian peninsula. This module will introduce you to the Galician language through the study of key areas of grammar, writing, aural and spoken skills. In parallel, the module will introduce you to key topics in Galician culture, history and society, in relation to the Hispanic and the Lusophone world. Key themes include: Galician sociolinguistics; film and the media; contemporary political debates, literature and music. The course highlights the relevance of Spain's official languages to building plural and multicultural societies and is highly recommended for students planning to do their year abroad (or part of it) in a Galician speaking region.

The Galician language is one of the official languages of Spain and has significant historical and cultural relevance. Originally linked to Portuguese and keeping strong bonds with this language, Galician is today spoken by 3 million people in the north-west of the Iberian peninsula. This module will introduce students to the Galician language, as well as to key topics in Galician culture, history and society, in relation to the Hispanic and the Lusophone world. Key themes include: Galician sociolinguistics; film and the media; contemporary political debates, literature and music. The course highlights the relevance of Spain's official languages to building plural and multicultural societies and is highly recommended for students planning to do their year abroad (or part of it) in a Galician speaking region.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -40-49%: For the award of credit, students should demonstrate a satisfactory comprehension of the various grammatical areas studied, and an ability to implement them at a basic level.

-good -50-69%: For the award of higher grades, students should demonstrate a solid comprehension of the various grammatical areas studied, and an ability to comprehend and produce the language confidently.

-excellent -70+%: For the award of the highest grade, students should demonstrate a detailed comprehension of the various grammatical areas studied and should demonstrate that considerable independent work has been done with a view to reaching an advanced knowledge of the language.

Learning Outcomes

• Communicate competently on basic issues in Galician

• Demonstrate an ability to produce short creative pieces of writing in Galician, using basic tenses, vocabulary, and key grammatical construction.

• Evaluate and analyse the main historical events and debates related to the Galician language

• Read and pronounce Galician texts with confidence.