Spanish One

Students with higher reading scores may request to take this high school credit class.

Although it says "Advanced", this is a beginner course. No previous experience is assumed. The class is not geared towards Heritage Spanish speakers. I may sometimes ask such students to read and or do activities beyond the beginning level.

Current language acquisition research encourages the use of what we call comprehensible input in the classroom. Initially, the emphasis is not on grammar rules, but on communication. I taught English as a Second language, and then Spanish One, for many years using more of the traditional approach. I still see some value in explicit grammar explanations and even memorization, but that is no longer the major portion of class it once was. Students now have less homework, but must work harder while class is in session. Participation is required.

After the initial weeks of "Spanish Kindergarten", students will be talking about themselves, and helping to create stories. Welcome to what can become a lifelong adventure: Learning Spanish.