spanish booklet

8/12/2019 Spanish Booklet

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SPAIN Spain is situated in south-western Europe and occupies

almost the entire Iberian Peninsula. It has a population of 47.190.493 inhabitants. Its government structure is a parliamentary monarchy. Its anthem is The royal march. Spain's national anthem is

one of theoldest in Europe and its origins are unknown. Spain is divided into 17 regions and two territorial divisions.

MAJOR CITIESMADRID: The capital and largest city in Spain. It has got approximately 3.3 million

people and in Madrid metropolitan area there is a population of 6.5 million. It is the

third-largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin.BARCELONA: The capital of Catalonia the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid,

with a population of 1,621,537. It is also the largest Spanish city in the Mediterraneansea. It is located on the north-east Mediterranean coast between the rivers Llobregat and

Bess.INTERESTING PLACES WORTH VISITINGSANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELASantiago de Compostela is located in the north-west of Spain, in Galicia. With its

Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, the Old Town of Santiago is one of the

world's most beautiful urban areas. The oldest monuments are grouped around the tomb

of St James and the cathedral. Lots of pilgrims go there to see the tomb of the apostle

Saint James the Greater, Santiago.LA ALHAMBRAIt is one of Spains major tourist attractions. Alhambra means Red Female because the

building reflects the colour of red clay. It was built as a small fortress in the 9th century

and later became the emirs palace. When the Catholic Monarchs reconquered Granada

in 1492, Christian rulers started to use it.LANGUAGESpanish is spoken by more than 400 million people around the world and it is one of the

most important languages in business and in the cultural scene.


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In some places the word Castilian Spanish is used to refer to standard Spanish. That is

because of the region of Castille. In fact, Spanish originated in northern Spain as a

continuation of spoken Latin. In Spain there are a lot of dialects but we cant confuse

these with other languages in Spain. For example, Extremaduran or Andalucian would

be dialects and Catalonian and Basque would be different languages.FAMOUS PEOPLE

It very difficult to choose only two famous people in Spain because there are a lot of

people who are good at doing specific things, so we would highlight some well-known

people in different areas:Pedro Almodvar is one of the best film directors in Spain. In 2012, his film The Skin

I live in received four Goya awards and also won an Oscar for All about my

motherPablo Picasso was a Spanish sculptor and painter and he is also known for co-founding

the Cubist movement. His best works were Guernica, Las seoritas de AvignonorMaternity(Maternidad).

Diego Velzquez was a Spanish painter, one of the most important painters of the

Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque

period, important as a portrait artist. One of his most known works is Las Meninas LITERATUREWe can find some well known writers:

Miguel de Cervantes: He was a novelist, poet and playwright and considered to be the

greatest in Spanish literature and universally known for writing Don Quixote.

Antonio Machado: He was a Spanish poet and one of the leading figures of the Spanish

literary movement known as Generacin del 98. He was born in Seville and in his

poetry career, there are three stages:Soledades(1899-1907), Campos de Castilla

(1907-1917), Nuevas canciones (1917-1930)Federico Garca Lorca: He was a Spanish poet. Nowadays he is the most

widely read Spanish poet of all time. His major works were: Impressions

and Landscapes (1918), Book of poems (1921), Poem of Deep Song;

written in 1921 but unpublished until 1931. He was murdered in the Spanish

civil war.LEGEND OF LA SERRANA DE LA VERAIt is a widely spread legend from Extremadura about a woman who was

cheated by her lover. As he refused to marry her, she ran away, broken-

hearted, to live in the mountains. La serrana hid in a cave and every man who passed

by her was seduced and murdered. It happened to all men except one who managed to

escape and report it to the authorities. Eventually, she was sentenced to death.


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TERTIARY EDUCATION IN SPAINMost relevant universities in SpainAccording to El Mundo, a Spanish newspaper, ranking about universities in Spain,

the best ones are:

1. Universidad Complutense de MadridThe Complutense University of Madrid

is a public research university located in

Madrid, and one of the oldest universities

in the world (1293). The university

enrolls over 86,000 students. Alumni

include renowned philosophers (Jose

Ortega y Gasset, Ignatius of Loyola,),

writers (Federico Garca Lorca, Antonio

de Nebrija, Pedro Caldern de la Barca),

scientists (Santiago Ramn y Cajal,

Severo Ochoa)2. Universidad Politcnica de Madrid:

Its a Spanish University, located in Madrid. It was founded in 1971 as the result of

merging different Technical Schools of Engineering and Architecture(18th century).

According to the annual university ranking conducted by El Mundo, the Technical

University of Madrid ranks as the top technical university in Spain, and second overall.The UPM is part of the TIME network, which groups fifty engineering schoolsthroughout Europe.3. Universidad Autnoma de Barcelona

The Universitat Autonomade Barcelona also known as UAB is a public university

mostly located near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. it consists of 57

departments in the experimental, life, social and human sciences, spread among 13

faculties/schools. All these centers together award a total of 85 qualifications in the

form of first degrees, diplomas, and engineering degrees. UAB has more than 40,000

students and more than 3,600 academic and research staff. The UAB is a pioneering

institution in terms of fostering research4. Universidad Autnoma de Madrid

The Autonomous University of Madrid is one of the top universities of Spain and

commonly known by its Spanish initials UAM or as "la Autnoma". UAM is a Spanish

public university established in 1968. UAM has been one of Spain's most prominent

higher education institutions, being ranked first amongst Spanish universities by the El

Mundo University Supplement (known as "Las 50 Carreras"), by The Times Higher

Education Supplement, and by the Academic Ranking of World Universities.


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5. Universidad de BarcelonaThe University of Barcelona (Catalan: Universitat de Barcelona) is a public university

located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. With 75 undergraduate programs,

353 graduate programs and 96 doctorate programs to over 63,700 students, UB was

considered to be the best University in Spain in the 2011 QS World University

Rankings. In 2010, according to University Ranking by Academic Performance

(URAP), it is the best university in Spain and 83rd university in the world.Universidad de SalamancaThe University of Salamanca is a Spanish higher education

institution, located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid,

in the autonomous community of Castilla and Len. It was

founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundationby King Alfonso IX. It is the oldest founded university in

Spain and the third oldest European university in continuous

operations. It is the top-ranked university in Spain based on

the number of students coming from other regions.[6]It is also

known for its Spanish courses for non-native speakers, which

attract more than two thousand foreign students each yearMost demanded degrees:1. Master in Business Administration (ADE)2. Architecture3. Fine Art4. Library science5. Biology

Access to university.

You need to meet the following requirements:1- Bachillerato Certificate (equivalent to Upper Secondary certificate)2- PAU (University Entrance Exam):

a) Compulsory exams (foreign language, Spanish, History and Philosophy)b) Optional exams (depending on the subjects chosen)

Admission mark:6/14 Bachillerato marks4/14 Compulsory PAU exams4/14 Optional PAU exams
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Salamanca#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Salamanca#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Salamanca#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Salamanca#cite_note-6


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ERASMUSThe Erasmus programme involves pursuing studies in another European University and

promotes training placements in companies or organizations from an EU country.

During this period, the student doesnt have to pay the tuition fees in the host institution

(accommodation, the trip ) because the student receives a grant for these expenses,

although it is not a very big one. There are two types of mobility programs: mobility for

studying and

mobility for work experience. Its usually required to have an important knowledge of

Spanish. In most universities classes are mainly taught in Spanish, B1Level is advised

at least, but UCM, for example, offers a free Spanish Language Course for levels under

C-1 to students who apply for itHOW A FOREIGN STUDENT CAN GET INTO A SPANISH UNIVERSITY

You must have studied in the European Union or one of these countries: Andorra,

Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or China, but you can also study in ouruniversities by having the European Baccalaureate diploma or the International

Baccalaureate Diploma. On the other hand, you can also take the PAU entrance test to

improve your marks. If you dont meet these requirements you must pass a test arranged

by the UNED (Distance Learning National University).

The recognition of foreign certificates, diplomas or studies for non-university education

involves the declaration of their equivalence with the current certificates in the Spanish

educational system. In the case of university degrees, this may involve recognition of

the equivalence of degrees and diplomas gained abroad or partial validation of studies

passed.


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DISABILITY IN SPAINIn the mid 1900s, people with disabilities were segregated from mainstream society

and confined in mental institutions. Fortunately, things have changed dramatically and

now there is a concern about their situation.Throughout the 20th century, they still were separated from the others, and, often,

rejected. Even the terms used to refer to them were cruel and inappropriate, but, luckily,

at the end of the 20th century other terms started to be used. Social awareness and the

development of associations composed of parents and disabled people also contributed

to normalization and integration.On the other hand, there are still some problems, such as in rural areas, or when they

have to ask for a sign language interpreter or the expenses families have to face because

there isnt enough funding for disabled people.If we talk about employment, sometimes theres a lack of concern. It is, because they

dont really know that disability. There are workplaces or jobs where they dont want toadmit people with disabilities or maybe just be responsible for them. But not everything

is so negative; there are a lot of employers who hire people with disabilities and benefit

from a range of grants and other funding.And, of course, there are some laws related to the disabled peoples situation, such as

LISMI. This is a law, passed on 7th April 1982, for the Social Integration of

Handicapped People, which claims that all the Spanish companies with a workforce of

over 50 workers must have a reservationquota for disabled people ".Its goal, among others, is to stimulate and to promote the disabled labour integration.In spite of the existence of this law, there were a number of companies that didnt fulfillthis legal obligation, so new measures had to be taken to implement the law thoroughly.

That way the advantages people from general population have over disabled people are

reduced.In terms of education different laws were developed at the beginning of this century to

fight against discrimination and encourage inclusion, which means equal education of

all students in regular classes and appropriate educational classes for every student, so

everyone is accepted and supported.

Breaking down barriersPeople with disabilities face many barriers every day from physical obstacles in

buildings to systemic barriers in employment. However, the most difficult barriers to

overcome are attitudes other people carry regarding people with disabilities.

We can see these attitudinal barriers through pity. People feel sorry for the person with a

disability, which tends to lead to patronizing attitudes. People with disabilities dont

want pity or charity, just equal opportunity to learn their own way and live

independently.Unlike physical barriers, attitudinal barriers that often lead to discrimination cannot be

overcome simply through laws. The best remedy is familiarity, getting people with and

without disabilities to mingle as co-workers, associates and social acquaintances. Intime, most of the attitudes will give way to comfort, respect and friendship.


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Etiquette: What can we do to interact with people with disabilities? Listen to the person with the disability. Do not make assumptions about what

that person can or cannot do..

Extend common courtesies to people with disabilities as you would do withanyone else. Shake hands or hand over business cards. If the person cannotshake your hand or grasp your card, they will tell you. Do not be ashamed of

your attempt, however..

It is okay to feel nervous or uncomfortable around people with disabilities, andit's ok to admit that. It is human to feel that way at first. When you encounter

these situations, think "person" first instead of disability; you will eventually

relax.

Foundations in SpainOne of the main associations in Spain working hard on the representation and defence

of people with disabilities is CERMI. How can CERMI achieve this purpose? They try

to group the entire people with disabilities sector and make social pressure. With this

they have higher strength and representation before the government, this is very

important to achieve the objective of non-discrimination and full citizenship for people

with disabilities.This organization works in the entire Spanish state, but just CERMI cant cover all so it

is divided into separate platforms and so they can focus on more specific cases. There

are also other associations that support and help CERMI with its functions and

objectives. We can name some of them: Down Extremadura, FEAPS, ONCE (which is

an organization for blind people that runs the most popular charity lotteries in Spain

and its main source of income. Nowadays CERMI groups turn to 7000 associations and

organizations which together represent more than 3.8 million people, 10% of the total

population.

High-skilled people with disabilities. Appropriate and inappropriate termsPerhaps Stephen Hawking is the best-known person with a disability. He was born in

Oxford and he is one of the most important scientists in human history, he is an English

theoretical physicist and cosmologist.Hawking has a disease called neuro-muscular dystrophy, an important disability thatmade him lose mobility and later the ability to speak..He has a quality which is perseverance, and as a result of it, he provided new knowledge

to modern science, especially about the universe, the Big Bang theory, and the black

holes.Another high-skilled person with a disability is Teresa Perales, a Spanish professional

swimmer, who has won a total of 22 Paralympic medals (six of those were won at the

2012 London Games).She is paraplegic, nevertheless, she has been strong enough to become a professional

swimmer.

A person really surprising is Miguel Galindo, a Spanish skier and a ski coach who


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teaches and helps blind skiers by telling them how to go on a mountain. It is incredible

because people who dont have any disability wouldnt be able to go through a

mountain without seeing anything, so they must have very high developed senses.There are many other high-skilled people who have become professionals in their field,

and in spite of their disability, they have fulfilled their wish, with determination,

patience and a very high mental strength..Concerning RESPECTFUL DISABILITY LANGUAGE, it consists of using terms

which dont cause an offense to disabled people.The problem is that we dont know when a word offends a disabled person, because we

dont pay attention to the meaning behind the word. However, we have to be careful

with our vocabulary, because if we were disabled, we wouldnt like to be called with

terms that might sound offensive or pejorative.For example, it is correct to use terms like disabled, or people with disabilities, but

to talk about people who are not, we shouldnt use normal people or healthy people.That way, we would address to a blind person, using blind, but not dumb or

invalid.

Other terms we shouldnt use are words like retarded, insane, deformed and many

others.

Instead, we should use terms such as person with learning disability, wheelchair

user or person with a speech disability.


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BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN SPAIN

ADDRESSING A PERSON:

In Spain, people have two surnames, composed of their fathers first surname and their

mothers first surname. Also like in other countries we can have two first names We usually say Sr (Mr) and Sra (Mrs) before the name or replace the name when we

address

to an older person, a superior or a stranger only if this is not a young person. In this case

we dont use Seor or Seora, because we speak in one way or another depending on if

we are in a formal or informal atmosphere.INFORMAL: (When there is an atmosphere of trust.) friends, family. In this friendly

environment we talk in a relaxed manner, we address people saying t instead of

usted, which is very formal and also we use slang, each region has its own way of

speaking and greeting. To greet we can say hey or holaFORMAL: We use formal language in more formal situations where we use a precisevocabulary for example in a job interview, a debate or a ceremony. As opposed to

informal language we use usted instead of t

DRESS CODE:In Spain there arent strict rulesabout what to wear or not. As in all countries, we use an

outfit or another depending on what we will do and where.

In a business: If you want to make a good impression you have to look fashionable. For

business, men should wear a suit with a jacket with or without a tie, even in warm

weather, and women usually wear dresses, blouses and skirts combined with heels.

Parties and celebrations: When we go out we usually get dressed up or try to look our

best. Men wear jeans with trendy shirts and maybe a jacket. In this type of parties it

isnt common to wear a tie, but there are men who put it on. Women wear dresses, skirts

and also jeans with tight shirts, boots or heels... Women put on make-up themselves and

they usually put on lots of accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, also hair accessories

like ribbons.A middle-aged or old man doesnt wear the same clothesto go to a party as a teenager.

They prefer more comfort and elegance at the same time. Finally in Spain not everyone wears Flamenco dresses. There are many types of

folkloric costumes, each region has its own, and some people might wear these cotumes

on a specific date.TIME AND PUNCTUALITY

In Spain the working hours for shops and businesses are regulated by thegovernment. Shops are usually open in the morning and reopen after lunch until

about 0830. pm, Monday through Friday, and Saturday morning. Large

department stores are open all day. Professional offices usually open from 10 to

2, then from 5 to 8. Banks are open from 9 to 2 pm .

Most shops and businesses close at lunchtime to rest and take a siesta , whichis typical in Spain. The Spanish usually take a siesta in summer, because it is


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very warm.

Lunch is usually served between 2 pm and 4 pm. Dinner generally takes placeat 10 pm.

The view of time tends to be somewhat flexible. In social situations it iscommon to show up late but being on time for business situations is expected.

But appointments and deadlines tend to be kept and most transportation servicesrun on time.

As a general rule, in the south, people tend to be more relaxed about time than inthe north.

AT SCHOOLIn most public high schools you do not have to wear uniforms, and students

usually go with casual wear. But in private and government-funded schools

students must wear uniform.

Marks at high schools are given on a scale from 0 to 10 with 10 being the

highest and 5 being the minimum passing grade for a given subject.

Mobile phones are not allowed at schools as a general rule. If you need to make

a phone call, you can use the telephone in the main office. If a teacher sees you

using your mobile in class it can be taken away until your parents come to

collect it.

MEETING AND GREETINGA kiss on both cheeks. Actually you dont kiss their cheeks, you just kiss on the air

while youre touching cheeks. From left side to right side. Thats used between girls anda woman and a man.

Shaking hands. You shake the right hand, this is used between men, and everyone if it

is a serious situation.Hug. This happens among friends.

Meeting. In meetings Spaniards would like to check if they can trust you, so they will

ask you about things like your family. You should be honest.CONVERSATIONSpanish people love to talk, so you can ask about their family or free time. But you

should be careful with some topics like age or Spanish food, for example. Here in Spain

we are very proud of our cured ham and wine, so maybe speaking badly about that isnt

a good idea. If youre a woman probably they will say things like you look good.Then you could say thanks, because in Spain we prefer humble people.BUSINESS MEALSDoing business in Spain is similar to doing business in the rest of Europe.While many Spaniards kiss on both cheeks when meeting, this is not common in

business relationships. When doing business in Spain handshakes are standard as with

the rest of Europe and a kiss is appropriateIf you are female, don't be surprised if they compliment you and tell you that you look


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ADMINISTERING FIRST AIDFollowing the Spanish Red Cross advice, in case of emergency it is crucial to adopt the

PAS approach to avoid that lack of knowledge or panic doesnt let us take correct

emergency actions. In Spanish, P.A.S. stands for protecting (proteger), warning (avisar)

and helping (ayudar).The first one is to protect, which means that you must move the person out of the road

and protect their spine. Also you should keep calm and put on the reflective

vest. Next, go out of the vehicle and place the warning triangles in the correct

distance.The next step is to help. Alert emergency services bycalling 112 to request

the presence of an ambulance and qualified personnel at the site. If more than one person is there one should attend to the victim and the other

one should call 122 for help.When calling 122, indicate:

Whether the victim is unconscious. Approximate age Exact location

Administering first aid. Different cases:Check for breathing:You must check the airways, if theres no response, you must shout

for help and you must start CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)

Clearing the airwayInitial evaluation. Examination of the mouth, consciousness and

breathing.If the victim coughs strongly and is breathing well: encourage him to cough and do not

perform any manoeuvresIf coughing is weak and breathing is difficult, perform manoeuvres to clear

the airway like this: Five blows on the back with the heel of the hand (between the

shoulder and blades), with the adult leaning slightly forwards. Then perform five abdominal thrusts (Heimlich manoeuvre)

Mouth to mouth ventilation Cover the victims mouth with your lips. Pinch the victims nose between the thumb and index finger of the hand that is

on the victims forehead, keeping the airway open.

Breathe your air into the victims mouth, making sure that the chest rises. If youcannot make the chest rise on breathing in air, check that the airway is open

Cardiac massageIt consists of rhythmic compressions of the chest which make the blood flow towards


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the vital organs such as the heart, lungs and brain. We must follow these steps: Put the victim on the floor face up. Locate the centre of the chest and place the

heel of one hand on the lower third of the sternum. Place the heel of the other

hand on top of the other hand, interlocking the fingers of both hands together.

With your arms straight, press the weight of your body, pushing the victimschest down about 4-5 cm.

The arms should be vertical over the centre of the chest in order to apply thepressure more easily and the fingers should be raised so as to avoid damaging

the ribs

Moving an unconscious personIf the victim cannot stand, is unconscious or they are in a room filled with smoke, you

can move the victim:By crawling while the victim holds onto your shoulders/neck (conscious victim).By grabbing their shoulders/shirt, cradling their head in your arms and pulling.By rolling them onto a blanket or sleeping bag and pulling.

ShockIt is the body's reaction to a serious injury. It is a general term that describes a

weakening of thebody's systems, especially the cardiovascular system.How to treat shock:

Have the victim lie down and be calm. Start with nopillow.

Cover them with a blanket. If their face is pale, raise feet. If their face is red, raise

their head.

Monitor his condition and write down what you see:Take his pulse every five minutes.

Note the breathing pattern: shallow/deep, quick/slowCheck the injury and change dressings or make adjustments as needed.

Look for additional injuries. Ask the victim for medical information: medical history, allergies, phone

numbers of people to contact, etc.

Talk to the victim and reassure him.

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