!Se habla Español aquí!

We engage students with meaningful and intentional interaction, using Spanish as our primary language in class. Students learn key vocabulary, grammar structures and cultural concepts through storytelling, games, in-class conversation, class presentations and group activities.

This program’s standards and learning outcomes are based on the American Council for Teaching Foreign Language and World Language standards. Students who commit to a two-year program can expect to be fully prepared to test into Spanish II in Grade 9.

This program’s courses include:

Exploratory Spanish

This course, designed for students in Grade 6, emphasizes in-class engagement and inspires students to overcome their fears and believe in their own ability to become bilingual and bi-literate. Students learn through activity, not rote memorization.

Spanish I

During this two-semester course, students in Grades 7 and 8 focus on comprehension. They are not required to “produce” language, but, rather, to focus their full attention on listening to language. Teachers introduce new vocabulary and grammar through activities grouped according to significant themes. As students become more proficient in their ability to comprehend Spanish, they begin to speak the language more organically and authentically. By the end of the second semester, students engage in class regularly by speaking and writing.

Spanish II

While in Spanish I students listen with the intent to understand, in Spanish II, they speak with the intention to be understood.During this two-semester course, students in Grades 7 and 8 significantly increase their conversation and begin to focus on the “how” of the Spanish language. More attention is given to specific grammar principles students have learned but cannot yet explain, such as verb conjugation, subject/modifier agreement, nouns and gender.