Developing connections
Teaching Spanish in Victoria means providing students with a window to discover 21 different countries with their many enriching cultures for a Global vision of the world around them.
Through our language speaking programs, we make connections. Through Geography, History, Social Sciences students learn about other countries and their people. Our curriculum connections with Visual Arts, Performing Arts and AUSLAN, our students learn and reflect on the many ways namely artistic, cultural and interpersonal people communicate their thoughts, feelings and knowledge. Our connections with Science, Maths and ICT help students to tackle the Critical and Creative thinking skills components of the Victorian Curriculum.
There are 21 countries with 572 million people speaking Spanish worldwide. When we teach, we consider creative applications of knowledge and skills through which students can create a learning product. Mexico with 127 million population followed by the United States of America with 57.9 million Spanish Language speakers accompany Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia and so many other nations with a huge cultural richness. The cultural wealth Latino American countries and Spain, all diverse in its own, support the language variation and role of language and culture sub-strands from the Languages Curriculum for both the Australian and Victorian curriculum.
VATS is constantly providing Spanish language teachers in Victoria with cutting edge research-based approaches and resources that effectively reach all students to have a meaningful language learning journey.
"Anchors and sails for effective Teaching and learning of Spanish in Victoria"... it demonstrated once again the capacity and carefully selected expertise VATS puts together each year to support and increase the number of schools offering Spanish... shared a colleague.
Spanish, the second most widely spoken language in the world, brings a wide range of benefits for Victorian students. For English speakers, it is very easy to learn due to the simple correspondence of sounds and letters. This phonological simplicity may also constitute a great tool for children to improve their literacy skills. What is more, through an integrated series of curriculum contents, Spanish could also widen and enhance the available learning opportunities for your students. Varied knowledge and skills related to other school subjects could be easily embedded in a Spanish Language Program.
The Victorian Association for Teachers of Spanish embraces the “Victorian Vision for languages 2025”. VATS is not only supporting primary and secondary schools currently teaching Spanish, but we are also keen on assisting each and every school interested in offering a Spanish language program. In order to provide your school students with an outstanding Spanish Language Program, VATS is equipping a great team of VIT registered teachers with skills and knowledge such as student-centered teaching approaches, play-based and language immersion teaching techniques, curriculum design, integrated programs, the use of ICT tools, and more. These all entitle us to say that your students will love learning Spanish.
Notice how from a music and dance integrated units, students took their skills, knowledge and joy to Federation Square! There are also some samples of how Spanish is taught below. And, of course some relevant professional learning we have been doing.
Locating countries 2.mp4(HITS 3) Learning intentions and Success criteria.mp4
Inspirational professional development