Course Description
Business vocabulary, basic business and cultural concepts, and situational practice necessary to be successful in today's Spanish-speaking business world. Key topics in grammar and vocabulary are also reviewed. Given in Spanish.
Athena Title
Advanced Business Spanish
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in SPAN 4003, SPAN 4003W
Prerequisite
SPAN 4150
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The aim of the course is to increase Spanish language proficiency in general and to expand the students' existing inventory of business, financial, and economic terminology as well as to develop the effective use of this vocabulary in Spanish in various specialized business contexts. The class will be organized so as to allow intensive discussion of current events and salient social, cultural, business, and economic issues in the Hispanic world. Students will learn Spanish vocabulary related to the business disciplines of marketing, finance, accounting, banking, securities exchange, and importation-exportation. They will acquire knowledge of the cultural beliefs, social values, and commercial practices in the Hispanic world that differ from those in the U.S. Emphasis will be placed on cross cultural awareness in international business. Students will improve their oral/aural and written skills by analyzing, in Spanish, business-related texts. This will be accomplished through classroom discussions, oral presentations, and dialogue on WebCT, and also through various written assignments and exams. Given in Spanish.
Topical Outline
The course will cover current business organization, practice and problems in three economic blocs having hispanic members: the European Union (Spain), Nafta (Mexico), Mercosur (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia). It will examine the structural differences between a customs union (Nafta), a limited common market (Mercosur) and a full economic/monetary/political union (EU), as well as fundamental issues in Latin America affecting business (e.g., the role of the military, military sprawl, land and income distribution, education).
Syllabus