The Spanish as a Foreign Language Program is open to international students willing to develop or improve their language and communication skills in Spanish. Our courses provide students with the necessary tools to successfully communicate in real-life situations at the highest academic level. Previous knowledge of Spanish is not required. Students applying for courses at the upper levels must complete a placement test. All courses are offered in two formats, either regular (6 weeks) or intensive (3 weeks).
The course follows a flipped learning model, which includes both independent student work and synchronous learning moments (online with the instructor and the rest of the class).
These courses cover the basic levels A1 and A2 (CEFR), and they include functional, grammatical, lexical, socio-pragmatic and cultural contents. Students develop their communicative competence at a basic level using the language skills (comprehension, expression, and oral and written interaction) in different social contexts.
At the end of these courses, students will be able to:
These courses cover the intermediate levels B1 and B2 (CEFR), and they include functional, grammatical, lexical, socio-pragmatic and cultural contents. Students develop their communicative competence at an intermediate level using linguistic skills (comprehension, expression, and oral and written interaction) in different social contexts.
At the end of these courses, students will be able to:
This course seeks for students to develop their communicative competence in Spanish at the intermediate level (B1-B2 of the CEFR), while acquiring the necessary tools to participate in university and/or academic research life in that language. In addition to the functional, grammatical, lexical, socio-pragmatic and cultural contents of these levels, the focus is on the use of different registers for both oral and written communication, note-taking, and comprehension and production of academic texts of different types (exams, summaries, presentations, essays, reports, papers, articles, etc.).
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
This course offers students the chance to approach sustainability from different perspectives (biological, ecological, social, economic), while developing at the same time their communicative competence in Spanish at an intermediate level. The course methodology integrates language and content by using authentic documents from the environmental sciences (dissemination and research articles, advertising campaigns, documentary films), case studies, and projects development.
Students taking this course will be exposed to the knowledge and skills from the field of health and medicine, while developing their communicative competence in Spanish at an intermediate level. The course methodology integrates language and content by using authentic documents in health studies and practice (medical dictionaries, divulgation and research articles, diagnostic imaging, etc.), case studies, simulations and project development.
Students taking this course will be exposed to the field of gender studies, while developing their communicative competence in Spanish at an intermediate level. The course methodology integrates language and content by using original documents (articles, campaigns, documentary films), case studies, public debates and project development.
Contact: spanish@unsam.edu.ar
In collaboration with IDAES and other prestigious schools and institutes in a variety of fields, UNSAM is launching the first Summer Institute in 2021.
The course offering in English aims to engage both international and local students in global debates. They gain a different perspective on contemporary issues through peer learning and eventually become study abroad ambassadors. Students have access to an open series of Lectures and Events on campus and may choose 2 from the following 5 courses.
How and why did youth become a cultural and political actor in Latin America? In addressing this question, the course will explore crucial themes in Latin American history: the evolution of student movements; the connections among youth, party politics, and social movements; the rise of a “youth market” and youth artistic expressions. Special attention will be given to the emergence of the youth-based feminist and LGTB+ movements, drawing on examples from Argentina, Chile, and Mexico, and students will have the chance to interact with young political and social activists, as well as with artists and journalists.
This course focuses on the impact of gender on the access to healthcare and health/illness experiences in Argentina. By developing an open and holistic perspective to show the multiple connections of gender with class, race, age, and ability, it will provide some insights into the local dynamics, which is necessarily aligned with global processes such as immigration and neoliberal policies on health. The course is structured around topics such as access to sexual and reproductive rights for women and the LGTBI community; indigenous and migrant health; new alternative medicines & spirituality; and science, gender and health.
The purpose of this course is to explore ethnic diversity and the politics of multiculturalism in Argentina. Although the country is widely perceived as being one of the most “European” in Latin America, Argentina is formed by diverse groups. How is ethnicity and cultural diversity conceptualized in Argentina? How is it different or similar to other Latin American countries? The course examines, from a historical and anthropological perspective, the experiences of incorporation and exclusion of the diverse communities which are part of the country, such as native populations, European and Latin American immigrants, and Afro-argentines.
How has the concept of ecology grown out of our scientific tradition? How does it challenge some of that tradition’s underlying premises? How can we bring about cultural change at the depth, scale, and speed that is called for by the ecological crisis? This course will expose students to critical moments in classical and contemporary philosophy to better understand today's ecological challenges, and to recognize and resolve ethical dilemmas that arise in our relationship with nature. Students will attend field studies related to the environment and tutored by UNSAM researchers, and they will participate in public debates on campus.
The course will focus on some key concepts of art history and aesthetics to approach traveling as an experience that may be represented in an artist’s book ̶ a type of object in which the author combines images with texts, narratives with notes, and everything amounts to an expression of the released subjectivity, inspired by the experience of travel. Through the study of inspiring examples of artists’ books, as well as fieldwork and close observation in different locations near Buenos Aires, students will be able to understand landscape as a cultural construction of nature.
In order to facilitate a successful and life-changing immersion in Argentina, the Summer Institute offers also a comprehensive Spanish Language option at the Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. Students take a placement test before arrival and develop their proficiency in Spanish with a set of specifically designed field studies and academic materials.
We know how important it is for a student to feel at home while living abroad, to be able to focus and elaborate on a wide range of lessons and stimuli. This is why we carefully select their host families —welcoming, comfortable, and well-located homestays, who provide breakfast and 6 meals a week. Students reach both campi —Miguelete and Volta— by public transportation and are exposed to the contrasts between suburban and downtown Buenos Aires. During the week, they may lunch at the community mensa, a healthy and affordable menu prepared by the Sustainable Food Program on campus. Orientation and Farewell dinner are included in the Program.
For more information, please contact studyabroad@unsam.edu.ar
Aligned with UNSAM’s mission of giving back to the community, Study Abroad offers a unique opportunity for students across the board to participate in ground-breaking projects in the district of San Martín, Buenos Aires, with a population of ca. 500,000 people. The program includes a Social Action Seminar to guide students through relevant readings and help them reflect on this hands-on, life-changing experience. Under the supervision of trained tutors and accompanied by local students, they are exposed to life and work at a variety of placements on a carefully planned itinerary, including education, health, the environment, social entrepreneurship, and justice.
This seminar introduces international students to the inspiring ways in which the people in the Reconquista Area organized themselves to face the devastating crisis that hit Argentina in 2001, and how they transformed it into an opportunity for growth and an example of community development in the region. Their life stories will be recorded with the help of a professional crew, for this unique experience to be disseminated and made visible to the world. Classes are highly interactive and take place both on campus and at different locations in the Area. At the end of the seminar, students present a comprehensive project in a field of common interest to develop with an international partner.
