The subject will analyse in depth a series of current affairs in Spain and Latin America, as well as the impact of world current affairs on the Spanish-speaking world. A set of current and historical topics and their social and historical contexts will be analyzed. The approach will be thematic rather than chronological, but within each topic, a chronology of events needed to understand the present will be explored. Throughout the course students will analyze radio and TV news, as well as material drawn from the Spanish-speaking press. Students will also write and produce their own radio program. An mp3 player with relevant interviews and radio programs on the genres or artists studied through the course will be lent to students.

Students will gain critical skills, including the critical reading of news items in Spanish. They will also gain an insight into the main sociological and political events that shaped the Spanish-speaking world, as reflected in current events covered in the Spanish media. Students will also gain an insight into the many informal registers of spoken Spanish, as well as the wide range of regional syntactic and lexical variation in the Spanish language.

Exercises leading to the writing and production of a radio program (20%), oral presentation on current affairs topics of the students' choice (15%), two exams (55%) and tutorial participation (10%).

3 hours per week plus at least 7 hours of regular work per week outside class.

Students should have an assumed language proficiency equivalent to the successful completion of the SPAN2001 course.

SPAN3001 (Intermediate Spanish I) or equivalent level of proficiency