SPAN 311 at the University of Maryland Global Campus is an in-depth review and expansion of Spanish communication skills.
UMGC says the aim is to express opinions and use narration and description in a variety of personal and professional contexts, with a focus on improving linguistic proficiency while increasing cultural awareness.
The prerequisite is SPAN 212 or an appropriate placement test score. Unlike earlier courses, UMGC does not list the online equipment note for this entry, so check your section for requirements.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | University of Maryland Global Campus |
| Course code | SPAN 311 |
| Credits | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate (foreign language) |
| Prerequisite | SPAN 212 or an appropriate placement test score |
| Credit note | Students may receive credit for only one of SPAN 301 or SPAN 311 |
| Subject area | Spanish language, advanced |
| Typical work | Compositions, discussions, readings (check your class) |
What SPAN 311 Covers
UMGC highlights these communicative aims.
| Theme | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Expressing opinions | Stating a view, giving reasons and responding to others |
| Narration | Telling events in clear time order with appropriate tenses |
| Description | Rich, precise description of people, places and situations |
| Personal and professional contexts | Adjusting tone and vocabulary |
| Cultural awareness | Understanding perspectives within the Spanish-speaking world |
Skills to Strengthen
Argument and Opinion
Opinion writing needs a position, reasons and connectors. Phrases such as en mi opinion, por un lado and por otro lado help organize it.
Example structure: position, two reasons, a counterpoint, conclusion.
Narration
Good narration uses a consistent mix of past tenses: completed events for the plot, imperfect for background. Check each verb against its role.
Description
Vary vocabulary and use adjectives that agree. Prefer specific details to generic words like bueno.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
Your class defines the tasks. Typical activities include these.
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion compositions | Argument and accuracy | Plan position and reasons before drafting |
| Narrative pieces | Tense control | Mark each verb as plot or background |
| Descriptive writing | Vocabulary range | Use sensory detail and varied adjectives |
| Discussion tasks | Fluency and cultural awareness | Prepare phrases and examples, not scripts |
Raising the Quality of Your Writing
At this level, aim for variety and precision. Replace repeated words with synonyms, vary sentence length, and use connectors deliberately rather than by habit.
Read widely in Spanish, including opinion pieces and short stories, and note phrases you could reuse. Keep a personal bank of expressions for opinions, comparisons and transitions.
Because the course also builds cultural awareness, pay attention to what texts assume about their readers. Tone, politeness and references vary across Spanish-speaking regions, and noticing these differences will improve both your reading and your writing.
Plan time for revision. Advanced work is judged on precision, so a second pass focused only on word choice, accents and agreement usually improves a draft more than adding new content.
Plan your practice around the three aims named in the catalog: opinion, narration and description. Write one short piece of each per week, and compare how connectors, tenses and vocabulary differ. This keeps all three skills active instead of leaving one to the last minute.
As a final check before submitting, read the piece aloud. Awkward phrasing, missing words and tense slips are easier to hear than to see.
A Drafting Routine for Compositions
Use this routine for each composition.
| Step | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Outline | Position or storyline in a few bullet points | Gives structure |
| 2. Draft | Write without checking dictionaries too often | Builds fluency |
| 3. Revise tenses | Check each verb against its role | Fixes common errors |
| 4. Revise style | Vary words and connectors | Raises quality |
| 5. Proofread | Spelling, accents and agreement | Removes small errors |
A Worked Example: Structuring an Opinion Paragraph
A clear opinion paragraph has a position, reasons and a counterpoint.
En mi opinión, el trabajo remoto mejora la calidad de vida. Por un lado, ahorra tiempo de transporte. Por otro lado, algunas personas pierden contacto con sus colegas. Sin embargo, creo que los beneficios superan los problemas.
Rewrite the paragraph for a different topic by keeping the connectors and changing the content. This builds a flexible structure you can use under time pressure.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Idiomatic expression. Learn phrases as units, not word by word.
- Subjunctive in opinions. Review trigger expressions.
- Accents and spelling. Proofread aloud.
- Translating from English. Think in Spanish structures.
Study Tips for SPAN 311
- Read opinion articles and note connectors.
- Practice narrating your day in the past.
- Use a monolingual dictionary for nuance.
- Keep an error log by category.
How We Help with SPAN 311
Send the assignment prompt, any rubric, your draft and feedback from earlier tasks. A tutor with Spanish language training can explain grammar, correct and comment on your own written work, and suggest ways to practice. We do not take speaking assessments, exams or quizzes for you.
GradeEssays is independent and not affiliated with University of Maryland Global Campus. Our work is a study and reference aid: use it to understand the material, then complete and submit your own work under University of Maryland Global Campus's academic integrity policy.
Every order is written from scratch, comes with free revisions within the scope of your original request, and is refunded in full if it is late.
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Frequently Asked Questions
SPAN 212 or an appropriate score on a placement test, per UMGC.
UMGC says credit can be received for only one of SPAN 301 or SPAN 311.
Expressing opinions and using narration and description in personal and professional contexts, improving proficiency and cultural awareness.
UMGC describes an in-depth review and expansion of communication skills.
Three.
Yes. We comment on your own drafts and explain grammar, but we do not complete graded tasks for you.