Spanish 1 is a high school course offered in grades 7-12. It is very important to note that the curriculum is the same across grade levels. This is the same course high school juniors and seniors can take. The class has the same expectations and workload found in high school. For this reason, we recommend parents and students consider this before choosing to take a foreign language in middle school. Students will take a semester exam in the fall and in the spring semesters. These semester exams are averaged in with their two 9 week averages, just as they are in high school, to determine a final semester grade. Students that successfully complete the coursework for Spanish 1 will earn high school credit.

Students will be introduced to basic everyday vocabulary such as saying hello and goodbye, telling time, days of the week, and months of the year. As the year progresses, students will learn how the Spanish language is structured which will prepare them for Spanish 2. New vocabulary will be introduced throughout the year to provide the building blocks of language construction. The goal is to be able to read, write, listen and speak in the target language. Cultural lessons also instill a love for the Spanish language and culture.

Español II is a continuation of learning acquired in Español I. Students are required to use the target language in class daily. Español II includes a stronger emphasis on speaking, listening, reading and writing, as well as humanities concepts such as the visual arts, music and dance. Students continue to study the culture and lifestyles of many Spanish-speaking countries and their residents.

At the end of this course, students are able to:

- improve skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing

- communicate basically in Spanish, practice pronunciation

- read and understand short stories and authentic texts written in simple Spanish

- understand simple questions in Spanish and respond appropriately

- understand teacher directions/stories.

- form cohesive writing samples in Spanish

This course is designed for students who may speak Spanish at home, but have never really learned to read and write well. Students must take and pass an exam in order to be placed in this course. The placement exam will be given in January. Students will receive credit for high school Spanish 1 if they successfully complete this course.

This course is designed for students who speak Spanish at home and have learned Spanish in school in another country or students who were in Bilingual classes in elementary school or students who have successfully completed Native Speaker Intermediate. Students must take and pass an exam in order to be placed in this course. The placement exam will be given in January. Students will receive credit for high school Spanish 2 and Spanish 3 if they successfully complete this course.