Goals & Strategies

GOALS:

Teach the 5 C’s of language education: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. The foreign language program emphasizes language as it is used in real-life situations that students are most likely to encounter. Through foreign language study, students develop sensitivity to the cultural and linguistic heritage of other groups, understand their influence on American culture, and become prepared to participate in a society characterized by linguistic and cultural diversity.

Students will be able to:

  • Introduce students to the language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world

  • Compose written phrases and sentences in the Spanish language

  • Develop vocabulary

  • Apply basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, vocabulary, and writing in a variety of life situations

  • Gain an understanding of Spanish and Hispanic culture in the US and abroad

  • Write short stories and letters in the Spanish language

  • Demonstrate the language skills necessary to advance in the Spanish language


STRATEGIES:

  • Various audio-visual aids

  • Worksheets handouts

  • Total Physical Response combines listening with physical movement. Actions are used to represent vocabulary taught in the target language. This is a very engaging way to introduce new vocabulary in a meaningful way.

  • With the Natural Approach, teachers work to make the language meaningful and memorable. In the beginning, the focus is on listening. I use a sequence of questions that gradually shift children from the listening to the speaking mode. This method is similar to the way in which students learn their native language.

  • You may see partner and small group activities that are designed to allow the students to practice the language with different peers. There can be information exchanges where the children are interviewing or surveying each other, finding similarities and differences, or following and giving directions. These activities are child-centered and build on the children’s language skills and interests.

  • Utilize Technology (web, Google Docs, Quizzlet, Kahoot, etc.) to facilitate communication, express creatively, and streamline workflows.