Course description :
In this semester course, students will build a foundation of the Spanish language through speaking, writing, listening and reading. Through practice in and out of class, students will work towards meeting the "Novice Low" level of proficiency as outlined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL). Working towards meeting the novice low level means that students will have a working Spanish proficiency in the following areas:
Speaking :
Conversation about basic personal information, basics objects, activities, preferences and immediate needs.
Responses to direct questions or requests of information.
Use of formulaic questions
2. Writing :
Incorporation of learned vocabulary and phrases into sentences,
Responses dealing with common elements of daily life.
Formation of question regarding very familiar topics.
3. Listening:
Comprehension of speech dealing with need.
Comprehension of phrases of study.
4. Reading:
Comprehension of key words, cognates and learned phrases.
Comprehension of short and simple texts.
In addition, culture and customs of the Spanish speaking world are taught throughout the semester. For each unit of study, students will have the opportunity to read about various aspect of culture in the target language.
The course is divided in 4 units.
We will divide these units in chapters. The students will complete a chapter each week and will take a test at the end of each chapter.
Course Content summary
Unit 1: It’s All About Me
Proficiency Target: Novice Low
I can give basic personal information about myself and others including my name, birthday, age, physical characteristics and address.
I can understand, talk and write about families in other cultures and my own.
I can understand, talk, and write about things I like and don’t like and understand what others from other cultures or communities like or don’t like.
Unit 2: Where I Spend My Time (School/home): I can do everything from Unit 1 and…
I can understand, talk, and write about where and how I and others spend our time at school in other cultures and my own.
I can understand, talk, and write about where and how I and others spend our time at home, in other cultures and my own.
Unit 3: Chillin’: I can do everything from Unit 1, Unit 2 and…
I can understand, talk, and write about what I and others are going to do in our free time in other cultures and my own.
I can understand, talk, and write about what I and others do in our free time in other cultures and my own.
Unit 4: Getting Around: I can do everything from Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3 and …
I can express what I need, ask where to get it and understand/tell where to get those things around town in other cultures and my own.
I can get around by telling, writing, giving or following directions when someone describes where something is located in communities of other cultures and my own.