Semester Spanish Program
The Spanish Language Semester Program is designed to progressively develop the linguistic, academic, and cultural competencies of international students whose native language is not Spanish, facilitating their integration into university life.
Courses are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and follow the standards of the Instituto Cervantes Curriculum Plan (PCIC). Courses are offered from levels A1 to C1 and include academic credits.
What makes our program unique?
Unlike other Spanish programs in Chile, the UAI Semester Program integrates language teaching with the Liberal Arts model that distinguishes our university. Students not only learn Spanish: they develop critical thinking, argumentation skills, and a deep understanding of Chilean and Latin American culture through an active-participatory methodology inspired by the Core Curriculum of Columbia University.
In addition, students have the opportunity to become part of the UAI community, participating in student organizations, extracurricular workshops, cultural events, and sports activities alongside Chilean and international students from more than 20 countries.
Programs:
Spanish as a Foreign Language
Courses designed to progressively develop students’ communicative, linguistic, and sociocultural competencies in Spanish, from beginner to advanced levels, in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Schedule | Activities | Certification
Activities and Experiences: Each program includes complimentary activities designed to enrich students’ academic and cultural experience, such as a welcome orientation, local tours of Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, and Santiago, an urban Amazing Race, soccer tournaments, an international fair, an international dinner, and dance classes.
Certification: Upon completion of the program, students will receive an official Academic Transcript issued by Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez through its Spanish Language Center (CEIE).
Terms and Conditions:
- Admission Requirements: Students must meet the minimum Spanish proficiency level required for their chosen course, except for A1. A mandatory placement test must be completed before the start of the semester and is included in the course tuition.
- Attendance: Students must attend at least 80% of their classes to be eligible for a certificate of completion.
- Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made at least 45 days before the program start date are free of charge. Cancellations made 15–44 days before the start date are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made less than 15 days before the start date. Cases of force majeure will be evaluated individually. All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to [email protected].
BASIC SPANISH A1/A2
Through this course, the development of communicative competencies in Spanish is fostered in both oral and written expression, considering the use of the necessary tools to communicate in formal and informal contexts, in personal as well as professional settings. The use of language in context will enable clear and effective communication.
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $950 USD
Course Content by Level:
- A1 (Beginner): Personal introductions and greetings / Everyday vocabulary / Present indicative: regular verbs / Numbers, dates, and time / Basic pronunciation of Chilean Spanish
- A2 (Elementary): Talking about past experiences (past tenses) / Describing people, places, and objects / Expressing likes and preferences / Everyday interactions: shopping, dining, and transportation / Introduction to Chilean idiomatic expressions
- B1 (Intermediate): Developing arguments in spoken and written Spanish / Narrating using a range of verb tenses / Understanding journalistic texts / Debating and discussing current topics / Formal and informal registers
- B2 (Upper-Intermediate): Analysis of academic and literary texts / Report and essay writing / Understanding authentic spoken discourse / The subjunctive: uses and nuances / Spanish in professional contexts
- C1 (Advanced): Expressing complex nuances and registers / Analysis of Chilean and Latin American literature / Advanced academic writing / Pragmatics and discourse coherence
INTERMEDIATE SPANISH: COMMUNICATION B1/B2
Consolidating the communicative aspects of Spanish usage is the goal of this course, which is achieved through constant interaction in both formal and informal contexts. Fostering the ability to express oneself in this language in both oral and written terms will be key to integrating effectively into society.
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $950 USD
Course Content by Level:
- A1 (Beginner): Personal introductions and greetings / Everyday vocabulary / Present indicative: regular verbs / Numbers, dates, and time / Basic pronunciation of Chilean Spanish
- A2 (Elementary): Talking about past experiences (past tenses) / Describing people, places, and objects / Expressing likes and preferences / Everyday interactions: shopping, dining, and transportation / Introduction to Chilean idiomatic expressions
- B1 (Intermediate): Developing arguments in spoken and written Spanish / Narrating using a range of verb tenses / Understanding journalistic texts / Debating and discussing current topics / Formal and informal registers
- B2 (Upper-Intermediate): Analysis of academic and literary texts / Report and essay writing / Understanding authentic spoken discourse / The subjunctive: uses and nuances / Spanish in professional contexts
- C1 (Advanced): Expressing complex nuances and registers / Analysis of Chilean and Latin American literature / Advanced academic writing / Pragmatics and discourse coherence
INTERMEDIATE SPANISH: GRAMMAR B1–B2
This course is aimed at intermediate-level students who seek to consolidate and deepen their grammatical command of Spanish. Through analysis and practice in context, students work on complex structures that allow them to express themselves with greater precision and accuracy in diverse communicative situations, both oral and written.
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $950 USD
Course Content by Level:
- A1 (Beginner): Personal introductions and greetings / Everyday vocabulary / Present indicative: regular verbs / Numbers, dates, and time / Basic pronunciation of Chilean Spanish
- A2 (Elementary): Talking about past experiences (past tenses) / Describing people, places, and objects / Expressing likes and preferences / Everyday interactions: shopping, dining, and transportation / Introduction to Chilean idiomatic expressions
- B1 (Intermediate): Developing arguments in spoken and written Spanish / Narrating using a range of verb tenses / Understanding journalistic texts / Debating and discussing current topics / Formal and informal registers
- B2 (Upper-Intermediate): Analysis of academic and literary texts / Report and essay writing / Understanding authentic spoken discourse / The subjunctive: uses and nuances / Spanish in professional contexts
- C1 (Advanced): Expressing complex nuances and registers / Analysis of Chilean and Latin American literature / Advanced academic writing / Pragmatics and discourse coherence
ADVANCED SPANISH: CHILEAN CULTURE C1
This course is designed for advanced-level students who wish to deepen their linguistic competence through the study of Chilean culture. Through texts, audiovisual materials, and communicative activities, students analyze social, historical, and cultural aspects of Chile, strengthening their critical understanding and their ability to express themselves in Spanish.
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $950 USD
Course Content by Level:
- A1 (Beginner): Personal introductions and greetings / Everyday vocabulary / Present indicative: regular verbs / Numbers, dates, and time / Basic pronunciation of Chilean Spanish
- A2 (Elementary): Talking about past experiences (past tenses) / Describing people, places, and objects / Expressing likes and preferences / Everyday interactions: shopping, dining, and transportation / Introduction to Chilean idiomatic expressions
- B1 (Intermediate): Developing arguments in spoken and written Spanish / Narrating using a range of verb tenses / Understanding journalistic texts / Debating and discussing current topics / Formal and informal registers
- B2 (Upper-Intermediate): Analysis of academic and literary texts / Report and essay writing / Understanding authentic spoken discourse / The subjunctive: uses and nuances / Spanish in professional contexts
- C1 (Advanced): Expressing complex nuances and registers / Analysis of Chilean and Latin American literature / Advanced academic writing / Pragmatics and discourse coherence
ADVANCED SPANISH: GRAMMAR C1
Through this course, command of Spanish is deepened through the analysis and conscious use of complex grammatical structures typical of academic, professional, and cultural contexts. Work with the language is oriented toward improving precision, coherence, and discursive appropriateness, fostering clear, nuanced, and effective communication in highly demanding communicative situations.
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $950 USD
Course Content by Level:
- A1 (Beginner): Personal introductions and greetings / Everyday vocabulary / Present indicative: regular verbs / Numbers, dates, and time / Basic pronunciation of Chilean Spanish
- A2 (Elementary): Talking about past experiences (past tenses) / Describing people, places, and objects / Expressing likes and preferences / Everyday interactions: shopping, dining, and transportation / Introduction to Chilean idiomatic expressions
- B1 (Intermediate): Developing arguments in spoken and written Spanish / Narrating using a range of verb tenses / Understanding journalistic texts / Debating and discussing current topics / Formal and informal registers
- B2 (Upper-Intermediate): Analysis of academic and literary texts / Report and essay writing / Understanding authentic spoken discourse / The subjunctive: uses and nuances / Spanish in professional contexts
- C1 (Advanced): Expressing complex nuances and registers / Analysis of Chilean and Latin American literature / Advanced academic writing / Pragmatics and discourse coherence
PHONETICS OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE
This course introduces students to the phonetic and phonological system of Spanish, with an emphasis on pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. Through practical exercises in oral perception and production, participants develop clearer and more comprehensible pronunciation in different communicative contexts.
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $950 USD
Course Content by Level:
- A1 (Beginner): Personal introductions and greetings / Everyday vocabulary / Present indicative: regular verbs / Numbers, dates, and time / Basic pronunciation of Chilean Spanish
- A2 (Elementary): Talking about past experiences (past tenses) / Describing people, places, and objects / Expressing likes and preferences / Everyday interactions: shopping, dining, and transportation / Introduction to Chilean idiomatic expressions
- B1 (Intermediate): Developing arguments in spoken and written Spanish / Narrating using a range of verb tenses / Understanding journalistic texts / Debating and discussing current topics / Formal and informal registers
- B2 (Upper-Intermediate): Analysis of academic and literary texts / Report and essay writing / Understanding authentic spoken discourse / The subjunctive: uses and nuances / Spanish in professional contexts
- C1 (Advanced): Expressing complex nuances and registers / Analysis of Chilean and Latin American literature / Advanced academic writing / Pragmatics and discourse coherence
Elective courses on specific topics
Courses designed to develop and apply Spanish in specific professional, academic, and cultural fields, with an in-depth focus on specialized vocabulary and the communication skills specific to each area. A minimum B1 level of Spanish is recommended to enroll in these courses.
Schedule | Activities | Certification
Activities and Experiences: Each program includes complimentary activities designed to enrich students’ academic and cultural experience, such as a welcome orientation, local tours of Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, and Santiago, an urban Amazing Race, soccer tournaments, an international fair, an international dinner, and dance classes.
Certification: Upon completion of the program, students will receive an official Academic Transcript issued by Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez through its Spanish Language Center (CEIE).
Terms and Conditions:
- Admission Requirements: Students must meet the minimum Spanish proficiency level required for their chosen course, except for A1. A mandatory placement test must be completed before the start of the semester and is included in the course tuition.
- Attendance: Students must attend at least 80% of their classes to be eligible for a certificate of completion.
- Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made at least 45 days before the program start date are free of charge. Cancellations made 15–44 days before the start date are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made less than 15 days before the start date. Cases of force majeure will be evaluated individually. All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to [email protected].
PROFESSIONAL SPANISH FOR BUSINESS AND GLOBAL MARKETS (B1/B2)
This course is designed for students who need to use Spanish in professional contexts related to the business world. It addresses communicative situations typical of the corporate environment, such as meetings, presentations, and negotiations, along with the vocabulary and linguistic structures needed for effective and appropriate communication. It promotes the learning of Spanish in situated communicative settings through attendance at talks, events, and companies focused on the business world.
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $1188 USD
SPANISH FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL COMMUNICATION (B1/B2)
This course is aimed at students or professionals who need Spanish to interact in healthcare contexts. Through real communicative situations, linguistic skills are developed for patient care, working in healthcare teams, and understanding specialized texts, promoting clear, empathetic, and relevant communication.
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $1188 USD
LIVING TO TELL THE TALE: LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE
This course explores the role of memory, nostalgia, and identity in Latin American literature. Through the reading and analysis of representative works by authors such as Gabriel García Márquez, students will discover how writers from the region transform memories and personal experiences into narratives that reflect both individual stories and cultural and collective processes. The course offers an opportunity to understand the richness of Latin American literature and its ongoing search for identity.
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $1188 USD
CINEMATIC BOLDNESS: CHILE THROUGH DOCUMENTARY
This course offers an introduction to Chilean documentary cinema as a tool for understanding the country's history, memory, and social processes. Through the analysis of fundamental works and prominent filmmakers, students will explore how documentary has contributed to preserving collective memory, reflecting on key historical events, and promoting a critical perspective on Chilean society.
- Hours: 45 hours
- Credits: 4
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $1188 USD
UAI CORE Program
Courses that allow students to become part of the academic experience at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, sharing the classroom with degree-seeking students and developing skills across different areas of the Core Curriculum. A minimum B2 level of Spanish is recommended to enroll in these courses.
CORE: ARTS AND HUMANITIES
This course moves away from traditional historical chronology to propose an exercise in critical analysis and direct observation of fundamental works. Students engage with works of architecture, painting, and sculpture in order to shed prejudices and extract relevant information from the formal structure and the context of creation. The pedagogical process moves from technical description to iconographic and symbolic interpretation, fostering an in-depth discussion complemented by the practical experience of visiting monuments, buildings, and exhibitions.
- Hours: 45
- Credits: 4
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $1188 USD
CORE: SCIENCES
This course delves into the great questions of contemporary physics and biology, using science as a tool to enhance logical reasoning. Rather than the memorization of data, the course seeks to have students learn to discern the weight of theories and the support that available evidence gives them. Through this exercise, a critical dimension is cultivated, capable of identifying nuances in complex problems and building one's own solid argumentative line grounded in scientific rigor.
- Hours: 45
- Credits: 4
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $1188 USD
CORE: ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING
Under the methodological premise of "learning to write by writing," this course is designed to transform thought into effective essay texts. The work focuses on bibliographic research and the mastery of persuasive resources, requiring the student a constant process of editing and refining their proposals. The ultimate goal is for students to achieve expressive autonomy where content and form align to present solid arguments that enable them to succeed in any professional environment.
- Hours: 45
- Credits: 4
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $1188 USD
CORE: ETHICS
This course delves into the moral dimension of human existence, going beyond the ethics-politics relationship to focus on individual responsibility in the face of reality. Through questions about the justice of actions and the search for a good life, students learn to analyze, evaluate, and justify their everyday and professional decisions. The experience seeks to strengthen the conviction that not all conduct is indifferent, promoting an intellectual autonomy that values integrity and moral validity as pillars of professional practice in society.
- Hours: 45
- Credits: 4
- Duration: 17 weeks
- Minimum enrollment: 5 students
- Maximum enrollment: 24 students
- Campus: Viña del Mar
- Price: $1188 USD