• Spanish

    Spanish 1-2: Course credit earned: World Language or Elective (1.0) may be taken only once for credit. No Prerequisite Grades 9-12 The first step in a four-year progression in Spanish is designed to develop language skills: oral comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Students learn to comprehend relatively simple questions, commands and statements and to respond to them orally. Attention is given to accurate pronunciation and intonation, as well as to the structure and vocabulary of the language. Sufficient skills in alignment with the ACTFL national language descriptors are developed to be of help in travel and in the study of culture. Course goal is Novice High proficiency level within the ACTFL descriptors.

     

    Spanish 3-4: Course credit earned: World Language or Elective (1.0) may be taken only once for credit. Prerequisite: Spanish 1-2 Grades 9-12 This second-level course continues to develop skills acquired on the first-level course. Emphasis is still on the spoken language with increasing amounts of reading and writing. Students learn to comprehend more complex sentence structures in all modes (speaking, listening, reading, writing). General knowledge of the language and of the culture of countries in which Spanish is spoken is extended. Sufficient skills in alignment with the ACTFL national language descriptors are developed towards functional ability in the language. The course goal is Intermediate Low proficiency level within the ACTFL descriptors.

     

    Spanish 5-6: Course credit earned: World Language or Elective (1.0) may be taken only once for credit. Prerequisite: Successful Completion of Spanish 3-4 or teacher approval Grades 9-12 Semesters 5 and 6 of Spanish pace emphasis on task performance and communicative performance, while exploring complex grammar more deeply. More emphasis is given to reading appropriate level texts and to answering questions. We push to maintain consistent use of sentences, with increasing complexity, as we progress toward paragraphs and topics that go beyond personal interest. An additional focus is past tense narration. Grammatical structures are practiced as needed to support the complexity of the language. Sufficient skills in alignment with the ACTFL national language descriptors are developed towards functional ability in the language. Course goal is Intermediate Mid proficiency level within the ACTFL descriptors.

     

    Spanish 7-8: Course credit earned: World Language or Elective (1.0). Maybe it may be taken only once for credit. Prerequisite: Spanish 5-6. Grades 9-12 This course seeks to develop language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) that can be used in more academic tasks and is taught entirely in Spanish. Extensive training in the organization and writing of compositions will be emphasized, as well as oral skills. Grammar is focused around complex structures and concepts while increasing vocabulary for academic speaking and writing. Reading is increased and a main focus of the course. Sufficient skills in alignment with the ACTFL national language descriptors are developed towards functional ability in the language. Course goal is Intermediate High proficiency level within the ACTFL descriptors.

     

    AP Spanish Language and Culture: (Offered 2022-23 School Year) Credit earned: World Language or Elective (1.0) may be taken only once for credit. Prerequisite: Spanish 7-8 or Spanish Immersion 7-8 Grade 11- 12 AP Spanish is offered as a continuation of the Spanish curriculum following 4th year and is open to any interested student. Students should be very aware that AP Spanish is an especially rigorous course intended to match the 3rd year of university-level study. Students can expect frequent and challenging work in reading and writing. The course focuses around universal themes and cultures while also preparing for the AP exam. No student needs to be perfect in Spanish to take the course or even to pass the AP exam. Spanish is used exclusively in class and any study of grammatical structures is focused on refining the language as it is applied in various contexts. Most student work is centered around applications. The course goal is Advanced-low proficiency.

     

    AP Spanish Literature and Culture: (Offered 2021-22 School Year) Course credit earned: World Language or Elective (1.0) may be taken only once for credit. Prerequisite: AP Spanish Language and Culture Grades 11-12 AP Spanish Literature and Culture introduces students to the formal study of a representative body of texts and accompanying art and media from Peninsular Spanish, Latin America, and U.S. Hispanic literature. Emphasis is placed on approaching the study of literature through understanding, summarizing, and relating texts to global, historical and contemporary cultural contexts. The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in Spanish across the three modes of communication (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational) and the five goal areas (communications, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities) outlined in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. Special attention is provided to critical reading, analytical writing, and investigative research skills, and students are encouraged to reflect on the many voices and cultures included in the linguistically and thematically challenging AP Literature and Culture’s reading list. Students transition from talking about themselves to discussing global themes.

     

    Spanish Immersion: Lengua y Literatura 5-6: Course credit earned: World Language or Elective (1.0) may be taken only once for credit. Requires enrollment in the immersion program Grade: 9 This course is designed to increase the proficiency of Spanish Immersion students in all modalities of the Spanish language: speaking, reading, writing skills, listening and to develop and reinforce specific language skills that are typically problematic for language immersion students. The fundamentals of critical thinking and literary analysis are taught through the reading, writing and presentation of short stories, plays, poetry, short-novels and/or excerpts of longer novels. This is a content-based class that follows Language Arts and Social Studies grade level standards. Also, the study of grammar and contextual vocabulary is done through the study of art, literature, history, culture, human rights, current events, personalities and influential people of Spain and the Latin countries, and the various Latin communities in the United States. Additional readings enhance the study of the literature and culture of these countries and communities. Grammar studies will focus on: the study of spelling, accentuation and punctuation rules, ser/estar, preterit/imperfect, the sequence of tenses, the compound tenses and the subjunctive mode. Students are encouraged to: read newspapers and online articles published in Spanish-speaking countries, go to Spanish-speaking plays, and culturally relevant events. Students are expected to speak only in Spanish in class.

     

    Spanish Immersion: Lengua y Literatura 7-8: Course credit earned: World Language or Elective (1.0) may be taken only once for credit. Requires enrollment in immersion program Grade: 10 This course is designed to increase the proficiency of Spanish Immersion students in all modalities of the Spanish language: speaking, reading, writing, listening and to develop and reinforce specific language skills for immersion students and native speakers. With this course, students continue to expand their skills established in the previous year. Skills in writing and speaking forms will continue to be emphasized. Students are expected to read more, develop critical analysis of literary works and write using more complex structures. Oral presentation will also be an expectation and all students will speak solely in the target language. ACTFL novice-high level of proficiency.