Spanish

SPANISH LANGUAGE AND HISPANIC CULTURES

Course Name: Spanish 1

Course # 449

Level: CP

Grade Level: 9-12

Credits: 6

Prerequisite:  None

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  None or Novice Low (N-1)

End of Course Proficiency Target:  Novice Mid (N-3)

Spanish 1 College Preparatory (CP) is designed for students beginning their study of the language and/or for those students who have not yet attained Novice Mid (N-3) proficiency. Through interactive activities focused on making language comprehensible and accessible, students develop basic proficiency in interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal communication. Thematic cultural units provide the context for the learning and permit students to carry out real-world tasks and functions in the target language. Vocabulary and grammar are taught in context and for a communicative purpose. Students develop proficiency in the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures by working with a variety of authentic texts, media, and related technologies and by carrying out regular performance tasks. Classes are conducted in Spanish. *Spanish 1 College Preparatory (CP) and Spanish 1 Honors (H) may be combined. 

Course Name: Spanish 1

Course # 419

Level: H

Grade Level: 9-12

Credits: 6

Prerequisite:  None

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  None or Novice Low 1 (N-1)

End of Course Proficiency Target:  Novice High (N-4)/Intermediate Low (I-1)

Spanish 1 Honors (H) is an accelerated course designed for students who are beginning and/or continuing their study of the language. It is designed for students interested in attaining Novice High (N-4)/Intermediate Low (I-1) proficiency in one year. Through interactive activities focused on making language comprehensible and accessible, students develop basic proficiency in interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal communication. Thematic cultural units provide the context for the learning and permit students to carry out real-world tasks and functions in the target language. Vocabulary and grammar are taught in context and for a communicative purpose. Students develop proficiency in the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures by working with a variety of authentic texts, media, and related technologies and by carrying out regular performance tasks. Classes are conducted in Spanish. Spanish 1 Honors (H) and Spanish 1 College Preparatory (CP) may be combined. *Grades 11 and 12 students who have already successfully completed a minimum of two consecutive years of the same world language at CHS may elect to take this course for Honors credit. 

Course Name: Spanish 2

Course # 423

Level: CP

Grade Level: 9-12

Credits: 6  

Prerequisite:  Successful completion of Spanish 1 (C- or better) or teacher recommendation

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  Novice Mid (N-3)/Novice High (N-4)

End of Course Proficiency Target:  Intermediate Low (I-1)

Spanish 2 College Preparatory (CP) is designed for students who have successfully met the Novice Mid (N-3) or Novice High (N-4) proficiency goals of Spanish 1. Through real-life performance-based tasks, students gain proficiency in interpersonal speaking and writing; interpretive listening and reading; and presentational writing and speaking. Up-to-date authentic readings, video and audio texts, digital realia, and collaborative technologies enhance the student-centered experience. Thematic units allow students to gain a greater appreciation of diverse cultural practices of the Spanish-speaking world and use the language in context. Students expand their ability to communicate about familiar topics using sentences and begin to use more than one timeframe. The Spanish 2 CP class allows for brief explanations in English from time to time.  Students are expected to review and study vocabulary on a regular basis.

Course Name: Spanish 2

Course # 422

Level: H

Grade Level: 9-12

Credits: 6  

Prerequisite:  Successful completion of Spanish 1 H (B- or better) or teacher recommendation.

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  Intermediate Low (I-1)

End of Course Proficiency Target: Intermediate Mid (I-3)

Spanish 2 Honors (H) is an accelerated course designed for students who have successfully met the proficiency goals of Spanish 1 H and are starting to work at the Intermediate Low (I-1) level. Students expand their ability to communicate about familiar topics using a variety of questions, well-connected sentences, and a few time frames. Through real-life performance-based tasks, students gain proficiency in interpersonal speaking and writing; interpretive listening and reading; and presentational writing and speaking.  Up-to-date authentic visual and audio texts, realia, and collaborative technologies enhance the student-centered experience.  Thematic units allow students to gain a greater appreciation of diverse cultural practices of the Spanish-speaking world and use the language in context. The class is conducted entirely in Spanish.  Students’ home study and regular class participation in the target language are essential for success. Students are expected to speak, write, read, and listen to authentic texts on a range of daily topics at the intermediate level. Students should feel comfortable using Spanish and initiating conversations in Spanish with their teacher and their peers.

Course Name: Spanish 3

Course #425

Level: CP

Grade Level: 10-12

Credits: 6

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 2 CP (C- or better) or teacher recommendation.

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  Intermediate Low (I-1)

End of Course Proficiency Target: Intermediate Mid (I-3)

Spanish 3 College Preparatory (CP) is designed for students who have successfully met the proficiency goals of Spanish 2 CP and are working at the Intermediate Low (I-1) level. Students continue to enhance their interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication skills by carrying out a variety of Intermediate level performance tasks to meet the end-of-course target of Intermediate Mid (I-3) proficiency. Through thematic units, students explore the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries in greater depth and develop more advanced skills to improve their comprehension and expression in Spanish.  Students read, view, and study authentic cultural texts and media to expand their linguistic and cultural proficiency.  Emphasis is placed on written composition and oral communication skills. The class is conducted entirely in Spanish.  Students’ home study and regular class participation in the target language are essential for success. Students are expected to speak, write, read, and listen to authentic texts on a range of daily topics at the intermediate level. Students are expected to speak Spanish with their teacher and their peers during class with little to no reliance on English.  In addition, students are expected to review and study vocabulary on a regular basis.

Course Name: Spanish 3

Course # 424

Level: H

Grade Level: 10-12

Credits: 6

Prerequisite:  Successful completion of Spanish 2 H (B- or better) or teacher recommendation.

Beginning of Course Proficiency: Intermediate Mid (I-3)

End of Course Proficiency Target: Intermediate Mid (I-4)

Spanish 3 Honors (H) is an accelerated course designed for students who have successfully met the proficiency goals of Spanish 2 H. Students continue to enhance their communication skills and are expected to develop Intermediate Mid (I-4) proficiency in all modes of communication by the end of the course. Students explore the cultures of Hispanic countries in greater depth and carry out more advanced performance tasks that require them to use paragraphs and multiple time frames. Students read, view, and study selected authentic texts and media to develop greater linguistic and cultural proficiency. Students explore the cultural products, practices, and perspectives of Spanish-speaking communities by interacting with authentic texts, such as music, children’s books, short novels, art, and films. Increased emphasis is on essay writing and oral communication. Conducted exclusively in the target language and designed for students who intend to study AP Spanish Language and Culture, this course is demanding and requires significant independent work.  Students are expected to use Spanish as the primary language in the classroom and readily communicate in Spanish using well-connected, comprehensible sentences. Students’ home study and daily, active participation in the target language are essential for success. 

Course Name: Spanish 4

Course # 427

Level: CP

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 6

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 3 CP (C- or better) or teacher recommendation 

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  Intermediate Mid (I-3)

End of Course Proficiency Target:  Intermediate Mid (I-4)

Spanish 4 College Preparatory (CP) emphasizes communication through the study and analysis of Spanish language films and authentic texts that represent different genres and cultural themes. Drawing on previous knowledge, students view, discuss, and critique films and texts that allow them to explore a range of topics related to geography, politics, contemporary life, ecology, employment, music, art, and identities. Students review and enhance their understanding of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures as they work towards reaching the Intermediate Mid (I-4) proficiency level.  Conducted entirely in Spanish, this course is taught at a pace that allows students to develop strong communication skills at the Intermediate proficiency level.  Spanish 4 CP is the first year of the two-year, upper-level Spanish 4/5 CP curriculum. Students enrolling in Spanish 4 CP should be prepared to work daily on class assignments and feel comfortable using the target language for all class activities. Spanish 4 CP and Spanish 5 CP may be combined, offering students a two-year, in-depth study of the cultures, identities, and histories of the Spanish-speaking world. 

Course Name: Spanish 4

Course # 426

Level: H

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 6

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 3 H (B- or better) or teacher recommendation

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  Intermediate Mid (I-4)

End of Course Proficiency Target:  Intermediate High (I-5)

Spanish 4 Honors is an accelerated course designed for students who have successfully met the proficiency goals of Spanish 3 Honors. Students continue to enhance their communication skills and work toward Intermediate High (I-5) proficiency in all modes of communication.  Students explore a variety of genres and media to further build strong skills in reading and listening comprehension, conversation and presentation, and composition writing. Performance tasks focus on the accurate use of more sophisticated vocabulary and structures, extended discourse, and multiple time frames.  Culture continues to drive all thematic units and emphasis is placed on the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world, as students compare the products, practices, and perspectives of Spanish-speaking countries. Conducted exclusively in the target language and designed for students who intend to study AP Spanish Language and Culture, this pre-AP course is demanding and requires significant independent work. Students are expected to communicate with both their teacher and their peers with little to no hesitation on a variety of topics.

Course Name: Spanish 5

Course # 429

Level: CP

Grade Level: 12

Credits: 6

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 4 CP (C- or better) or teacher recommendation

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  I-4 (Intermediate Mid)

End of Course Proficiency Target:  I-5 (Intermediate High)

Spanish 5 College Preparatory (CP) emphasizes communication through the study and analysis of Spanish language films and authentic texts that represent different genres and cultural themes. Drawing on previous knowledge, students view, discuss, and critique films and texts that allow them to explore a range of topics related to geography, politics, contemporary life, ecology, employment, music, art, and identities. Students review and enhance their understanding of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures as they work towards reaching the Intermediate High (I-5) proficiency level.  Conducted entirely in Spanish, this course is taught at a pace that allows students to develop strong communication skills at the Intermediate proficiency level. Spanish 5 CP is the second year of the two-year, upper-level Spanish 4/5 CP curriculum. Students enrolling in Spanish 5 CP should be prepared to work daily on class assignments and feel comfortable using the target language for all class activities. Students read more complex texts, conduct presentations, and complete longer writing assignments to help them prepare for the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy. Spanish 4 CP and Spanish 5 CP may be combined, offering students a two-year, in-depth study of the cultures, identities, and histories of the Spanish-speaking world. 

Course Name: Spanish 5

Course # 428

Level: H

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 6

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Spanish 4 H (B- or better) or teacher recommendation

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  I-5 (Intermediate High)

End of Course Proficiency Target:  A-1 (Advanced Low)

Spanish 5 Honors (H) is structured around major cultural themes related to the diverse Spanish-speaking world. Students further develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills to prepare for the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy.  Students work at the Intermediate High (I-5) and/or Advanced Low (A-1) proficiency levels for all modes of communication: interpretive reading and listening; interpersonal speaking and writing; and presentational speaking and writing. Students write emails and essays regularly; prepare audio and video recordings; participate in discussions; give cultural presentations; read and listen to authentic texts, including literature, podcasts, and news stories in Spanish; and use grammar and structures accurately to carry out a variety of language tasks.  Students must think critically and respond by speaking and writing about a variety of topics facing contemporary Hispanic cultures. Taught entirely in Spanish, this course is demanding and requires significant independent work. Students are encouraged to form study groups as part of their independent work.  Students enrolling in Spanish 5 H are expected to speak, write, read and listen about various cultural topics at an advanced level in Spanish. Spanish 5 Honors may be combined with the AP Spanish Language and Culture course. 

Course Name: AP Spanish Language and Culture

Course # 420

Level: AP

Grade Level: 11-12

Credits: 6

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Spanish 4 H (B- or better) or teacher recommendation

Beginning of Course Proficiency:  I-5 (Intermediate High)

End of Course Proficiency Target:  A-1 (Advanced Low)

AP Spanish Language and Culture is structured around major cultural themes related to the diverse Spanish-speaking world. Students further develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills to prepare them for the AP Spanish language examination and the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy. Students work at the Advanced Low (A-1) proficiency for all modes of communication: interpretive reading and listening; interpersonal speaking and writing; and presentational speaking and writing.  Students can expect to write emails and essays regularly; prepare audio and video recordings; participate in discussions; give cultural presentations; read and listen to authentic texts, including literature, podcasts, and news stories in Spanish; and use grammar and structures accurately to carry out a variety of language functions.  This course follows the requirements of the College Board and is the equivalent of an intermediate-level college course and is taught entirely in Spanish. Students must think critically and respond in both speaking and writing to issues related to contemporary Spanish-speaking cultures, including the role of the Spanish language in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.  This course is demanding and requires significant independent work. Students are encouraged to form study groups as part of their independent work.  AP Spanish Language and Culture students are required to complete summer work and to take the Spanish Language and Culture Advanced Placement Examination in May. AP Spanish Language and Culture and Spanish 5 Honors may be combined.