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Summary

On this course the student with an intermediate or high level of Spanish will have the opportunity of acquainting him or herself with the world of economic, commercial and financial terminology from a dynamic social-cultural perspective.

We will be focusing on documental terminology and on the most usual vocabulary of typical situations in Spanish businesses with international vocation, but without
forgetting the Latin-American dimension. This course is recommended especially to those students who wish to incorporate into their training the option of being integrated into businesses with commercial relations in the context of the Spanish speaking community. On the other hand, special attention will be paid reasoned acquisition of terminology in its context, to oral expression in specific situations and to written expression in the form of letters, curriculum vitae and other specialized
documents.

Syllabus

Topics of foreign commerce:
1. Introduction to commerce and its terminology.
2. The commercial business: its legal nature.
3. The decision to import and/or export and their requisites.
4. The politics of exportation.

Topics of Spanish and Latin-American economy:
1. Introduction to the Spanish economy and to its most significant problems.
2. The population as an economic factor.
3. Agricultural, livestock and fishing sectors in Spain.
4. Tourism in Spain.
5. The main industrial businesses and services in Spain.
6. The Spanish financial system.
7. The Spanish managerial presence in Latin-America.
8. The essential keys to the economy of the main Spanish–speaking countries(Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba and Costa Rica).

Other topics:
1. Typical characteristics of the Spanish business and administration culture.
2. The business letter.
3. Offers of employment.
4. The Curriculum Vitae.

Activities
The student will carry out a series of oral and written exercises based on the topics proposed in the syllabus, as much on original texts as on prepared texts. Also, short debates and discussions will be organized in class on those same topics. The length of the activities will depend on each exercise. The debates should last no longer than 20 minutes.

Assessment
This will fundamentally depend on a final exam which will be 70%. Attention and participation will be 15%. The exercises and activities programmed to be done at home will be another 15%. The mid-term exam will be 20% of the total assigned to the final exam.

Course Textbook
FELICES LAGO, Ángel and RUIZ LÓPEZ, Cecilia: Español para el comercio internacional. Términos y expresiones esenciales en le mundo de los negocios. Madrid, Edinumen, 1998.

Complementary bibliography:
Certificado Básico de Español de los Negocios. (Cuaderno de ejercicios resueltos I). Madrid, Cámara Oficial de Comercio e Industria de Madrid y Universidad de Alcalá, 1997.
GONZÁLEZ, M. et al, Temas de economía española. Valencia, Tirant lo Blanch, 1998.
PALOMINO, M.A., Técnicas de correo comercial, Madrid, Edelsa, 1997.
SABATER, M.L., MARTIN, E., and BOSCH, M., Hablemos de negocios. Madrid, Alhambra_Longman, 1992.
COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION: Annuals, articles, reports and documents from different sources; periodical publications of present-day economics.

Full Description

1. Introduction

In this course the student with an intermediate or higher level of Spanish will have the opportunity to learn about the world of economic, commercial and financial terminology of Spanish from a sociocultural and dynamic perspective. We will be centered on documentary terminology and the most usual lexicon of typical situations of a Spanish company with international vocation, but without forgetting the Latin American dimension either. This course is especially recommended to all those students who wish to incorporate into their education the ability to integrate himself into the framework of a company with commercial relations to the Spanish-speaking community. On the other hand, a special attention will be given to the reasoned acquisition of the terminology in its context, to the oral expression in specific situations and to the written expression of letters, résumé and other specialized documents.

2. Content

Subjects of foreign trade:

Introduction to commerce and its terminology.
The commercial company: its legal nature.
The decision to import and/or to export and its requirements.
Export policies.

Economic subjects of Spain and Latin America:

Introduction to the Spanish economy and its more important problems.
Population as an economic factor.
Sectors of agriculture, the cattle ranch and the fishing in Spain.
The main industrial companies and of services in Spain.
The Spanish financial system.
The Spanish enterprise presence in Latin America.
The essential keys of the economy of the main Spanish-speaking countries (Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba and Costa Rica).

Other subjects:

Typical characteristics of the Spanish enterprise culture.
The business letter.
The supplies of use.
The résumé.

3. Activities

The student will make a series of oral and written exercises about what is discussed in class, as much about original texts as of others specifically prepared. Also, small debates and discussions in class will be organized. The duration of the activities will be variable depending on each exercise. The debates do not have to last more than 20 minutes.

4. Evaluation

Fundamentally the student's grade will depend on the accomplishment of a final examination that will be worth 70%. Class participation will be worth 15%. The exercises and activities planned as homework will be worth another 15%. The mid-term will be equivalent to a 20% of the total assigned to the final examination.

5. Manual to follow the course

FELICES LAGO, Ángel y RUIZ LÓPEZ, Cecilia: Español para el comercio internacional. Términos y expresiones esenciales en el mundo de los negocios. Madrid, Edinumen, 1998.

6. Complementary bibliography:

Certificado Básico de Español de los Negocios. (Cuadernos de ejercicios resueltos I). Madrid, Cámara Oficial de Comercio e Industria de Madrid y Universidad de Alcalá, 1997.

GONZÁLEZ, M. y otros, Temas de economía española. Valencia, Tirant lo Blanch, 1998.

PALOMINO, M.A., Técnicas de correo comercial, Madrid, Edelsa, 1997.

SABATER, M.L., MARTIN, E. y BOSCH, M., Hablemos de negocios. Madrid, Alhambra-Longman, 1992.

DOCUMENTATIÓN COMPLEMENTARIA: Anuarios, artículos, informes y documentos de fuentes diversas; publicaciones periódicas de actualidad económica.

Original Language Description

1. Introducción

En este curso el alumno con un nivel medio y alto de español tendrá la oportunidad de conocer el mundo de la terminología económica, comercial y financiera del español desde una perspectiva sociocultural y dinámica. Nos centraremos en la terminología documental y en el léxico más usual de las situaciones típicas de la empresa española con vocación internacional, pero sin olvidar tampoco la dimensión iberoamericana. Este curso se recomienda especialmente a todos aquellos alumnos que deseen incorporar a su formación la opción de integrarse en empresas con relaciones comerciales en el marco de la comunidad hispanohablante. Por otra parte, se prestará una atención especial a la adquisición razonada de la terminología en su contexto, a la expresión oral en situaciones específicas y a la expresión escrita de cartas, currículum vitae y otros documentos especializados.

2. Programación

Temas de comercio exterior:

Introducción al comercio y a su terminología.
La empresa comercial: su naturaleza jurídica.
La decisión de importar y/o exportar y sus requisitos.
Las políticas de exportación.

Temas de economía española y latinoamericana:

Introducción a la economía española y a sus problemas más importantes.
La población como factor económico.
Los sectores de la agricultura, la ganadería y la pesca en España.
El turismo en España.
Las principales empresas industriales y de servicios en España.
El sistema financiero español.
La presencia empresarial española en América latina.
Las claves esenciales de la economía de los principales países de hable hispana (México, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Perú, Venezuela, Cuba y Costa Rica).

Otros temas:

Rasgos típicos de la cultura empresarial española.
La carta comercial.
Las ofertas de empleo.
El currículum vitae.

3. Actividades

El alumno realizará una serie de ejercicios orales y escritos en torno a los temas propuestos en la programmación, tanto de textos originales como de otros preparados expresamente. Asimismo, se organizarán pequeños debates y discusiones en clase en torno a esos mismos temas. La duración de las actividades será muy variable dependiendo de cada ejercicio. Los debates no deben durar más de 20 minutos.

4. Evaluación

Fundamentalmente dependerá de la realización de un examen final que supondrá un 70%. La atención y participación en clase supondrá un 15%. Los ejercicios y actividades programadas para su realización en casa supondrán otro 15%. El examen a mitad del curso, equivaldrá a un 20% del total asignado al examen final.

5. Manual para seguir el curso