The scholarship letter that must not overstate
A B1-level candidate must write a 120–150 word formal email to a Bulgarian university's international office requesting information about a Spanish-language summer course. She has a draft opening: «Querido señor, me llamo Ivanka y quiero saber cosas de su curso.» She knows the facts: the course runs 4 weeks in July, costs 600 euros, and she needs a certificate for her Erasmus application due 15 March. Her teacher warns that the register is too informal for a first contact and that «cosas» is too vague. The candidate also tends to translate literally from Bulgarian, producing phrases like «hago una pregunta» and «quiero saber por el curso». She has 25 minutes and must keep within the word limit while covering three points: dates, price, and certification.
1. Rewrite the opening two sentences so the register suits a formal first contact, and justify each change briefly.
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Model: «Estimado señor o señora: Me dirijo a ustedes para solicitar información sobre el curso de español de verano.»
Reasoning: (1) «Querido señor» presumes a known male recipient; «Estimado señor o señora» is the standard neutral formal salutation when the addressee is unknown. (2) «me llamo Ivanka y quiero saber» is conversational self-introduction plus a blunt want; «Me dirijo a ustedes para solicitar información sobre...» performs the same function in formal administrative register. (3) «cosas» is replaced by the specific object «información sobre el curso», which is what the task requires. The candidate should not merely swap one word; the whole speech act (asking) must be re-cast.
2. The candidate writes «Quiero saber por el curso.» Identify the interference error, correct it, and give one more natural alternative.
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The phrase calques a Slavic pattern of 'asking about/for' with a bare preposition. In Spanish, «saber» in this sense takes «sobre» or «acerca de», or better, a verb like «informarse»: «Quiero saber más sobre el curso» / «Quiero informarme sobre el curso». A cleaner formal option: «Les agradecería que me informaran sobre el curso.» Note that «preguntar por» means 'to ask after someone', not 'to ask about a course', so it is not a safe substitute here.
3. Draft the three content sentences (dates, price, certification) within a total of 45–60 words, keeping formal register and avoiding literal translation.
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Model: «Según la información publicada, el curso se imparte durante cuatro semanas en julio y tiene un coste de 600 euros. Les agradecería que me confirmaran si al finalizar se expide un certificado, ya que lo necesito para mi solicitud Erasmus, cuyo plazo vence el 15 de marzo.»
Reasoning: the dates and price are stated as reported facts («según la información publicada»), not as questions, which is more formal. The certificate is requested with a polite conditional («Les agradecería que me confirmaran»), and the deadline is linked with «ya que» to show purpose. This covers all three points in about 55 words, leaving room for the closing formula within the 120–150 limit.