Course Descriptions for Foreign Language
Spanish Classes
- Exploratory Spanish (Kindergarten)
This course is an appetizer before the main Spanish course. It is meant for absolute beginners, as it introduces many basic words and a few common Spanish expressions in a very informal, fun way. Songs and information on Hispanic culture help build interest in developing additional Spanish-speaking skills. Sentence structure is not emphasized. This course is meant to prepare the student for more structured exploration and mastery of the Spanish language.
o Children’s Spanish I
This course uses the concept of a treasure hunt on a Spanish-speaking island to build motivation for learning the language. Each unit is based on a story the young characters must understand in order to gain clues for the treasure hunt. Thus, the motivation to learn words and sentence structures is built into the adventure. This course employs a unique approach to foster fluency quickly and easily. Each story is told first in English, with some of the words that can be understood from context spoken in Spanish. Next, Spanish words and phrases from the story are introduced, paired with one specific picture per word or phrase. Then, the same story is retold using more Spanish and less English. Students then complete related activities which prepare them to understand the story almost completely in Spanish. This approach encourages quick mastery and helps the student to think in Spanish, rather than in English. The course focuses on spoken Spanish, but exposure to reading and writing is an added benefit. Fascinating information on Hispanic culture is gracefully interwoven into the adventure story.
o Children’s Spanish II
This course uses a mystery story spread across several Spanish-speaking countries as a foundation on which to build motivation for learning more of the language. The young characters need to know Spanish vocabulary in order to find the clues. Children's Spanish II uses a unique approach to building Spanish fluency quickly and easily. Each story is told first in English, with some of the words that can be understood from context spoken in Spanish. Next, Spanish words and phrases from the story are introduced and paired with one specific picture per word or phrase. Then, the same story is retold using more Spanish and less English, with the pictures presented for the students to follow. After more story-related activities for these same expressions, the story is retold one last time, completely, or almost completely in Spanish. As a result of the activities, the student is prepared to understand and retell the story in Spanish. The course focuses on spoken Spanish, but there is more exposure to reading and writing than in Children's Spanish I. Fascinating information on Hispanic culture is gracefully interwoven into the adventure stories.
o Children’s Spanish III
In this course, the student will continue to explore the Spanish language by listening to the adventures of Tony and Lisa, and their Grandpa Glen. This course engages the student through the use of storytelling and solving puzzles and allows the student the opportunity to be an active participant in the adventure. The Spanish III course encourages the development of language skills by incorporating more Spanish into the stories. By the end of the course, the student will be able to read and understand passages written entirely in Spanish. The vocabulary learned in Spanish II will help the student adapt to the faster pace of this course, and become a more independent learner.