Diploma of Spanish

2018 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2018 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2018 course information
Award granted	Diploma of Spanish
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
Cloud Campus	Yes
Duration	3 years part time
Deakin course code	A224
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 5.

Course overview

Whether you’re brushing up or starting from scratch with a whole new language, Deakin’s Diploma of Spanish is designed to sharpen your language skills and deepen your cultural understanding. It’s a great complement to your studies in any discipline, plus you’ll gain a global perspective and boost your employability.

Through the Diploma of Spanish, you’ll gain fluency in Spanish by developing an understanding of grammatical structures and lexical fields through a communicative approach, and by developing skills through guided activities that target listening, speaking, reading and writing competencies. The completion of six language-acquisition units ensures a high level of proficiency in the target language. In addition, through two thematic units, you’ll develop a nuanced understanding of the cultural, historical, sociolinguistic and political dimensions of the societies and cultures that make up the Spanish-speaking world.

With over 400 million Spanish speakers across more than twenty countries, the Diploma of Spanish places graduates at a competitive advantage for roles in business, diplomacy, education, journalism, foreign policy and international development. You’ll graduate with competency in Spanish (B1/B2 CEFRL) and ready for a range of local and international careers.

An optional in-country study program means you can also immerse yourself in international cultures, practicing the language with native speakers in its natural environment. The six-week intensive study program held in Lima (PUCP, Peru) gives you the chance to develop practical language skills and to immerse yourself in the culture and way of life of your host country. The Spanish in-country program includes guided visits to sites of interest, as well as a visit to the pre-Colombian Incan citadel of Machu Picchu.

In-Country Study

The In-Country Language Program is available to students completing a major sequence in Spanish via study abroad. The program offers students who have completed their first year of Spanish language study the opportunity to spend six weeks studying language and culture in its own environment. Students build upon their knowledge of grammar based on what they have learned in ALS100 and ALS150, and develop further proficiency in Spanish at the high beginner/low intermediate level. This program contributes one credit point (1cp) towards the Spanish language major and one credit point (1cp) of Level 2 elective credit. Upon successful completion of this program students will be awarded a preclusion for ALS200, and awarded one credit point of CPL as a Level 2 elective credit.

For more information about the In-Country Language program please refer to the Work Integrated Learning website or contact the WIL team: artsed-wil@deakin.edu.au.

Career opportunities

This course will allow you to work in business or trade, health or education, IT or engineering, diplomacy or security, arts or sciences. A Diploma of Language will equip you with skills in another language and familiarity with another culture. This will not only give you an edge in terms of your personal qualities but will also expand your options for employment far beyond Australian shores to exciting and challenging positions in the Arab Gulf States, the Middle East and North Africa; China, Taiwan and Hong Kong; or Malaysia and Indonesia.

For more information go to DeakinTALENT

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, your fee category and the year you started. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline specific knowledge and capabilities	Acquire theoretical, technical knowledge of the language system (pronunciation, grammar, syntax, and sociolinguistic practices) in Spanish and apply this knowledge in a range of contexts to undertake paraprofessional work and as a pathway for further learning
Communication	Communicate effectively and naturally in a range of daily and professional/academic contexts both orally and in writing using appropriate grammar, syntax, pronunciation and sociolinguistic practices in the language of study
Digital literacy	Use online technologies and new media for communication and immersion in authentic material in the language of study as well as for autonomous language study
Critical thinking	Analyze and evaluate information relating to and expressed in the language of study to support effective and natural language use
Problem solving	Use individual initiative to identify linguistic and sociolinguistic problems and apply knowledge of the systems of the language of study to develop personal strategies for solving problems in communication and cultural interpretation
Self-management	Demonstrate autonomy, responsibility, and commitment to enhancing mastery of the language of study
Teamwork	Work and study collaboratively with other language students and also native speakers of the language of study
Global citizenship	Understand and analyse issues related to the societies that use the language of study in the domestic, regional, and global context
Approved by Faculty Board May 2014

Course rules

To qualify for the award of Diploma of Language, a student must successfully complete;

8 credit points from the specified list of units below and;
AAI018 Academic Integrity (0-credit-point compulsory unit)