9SPA - spanish

There are over 350 million native speakers of Spanish in twenty-two countries; this makes Spanish one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Spanish is a particularly significant language for New Zealand because of the important economic and cultural ties this country is developing with Spain, Latin America, and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. 

By learning it, you will be able to participate successfully in trade, technology, tourism, education, diplomacy, environmental issues, cultural exchanges, and humanitarian roles and responsibilities. 

This course will introduce you to the Spanish language and cultural aspects of Spanish speaking countries. You will learn how to talk about yourself, your interests and everyday activities. You will also learn about how people in Spanish speaking countries live through written texts, music and audio-visual resources. 

The main language focus will be on communicating in Spanish and every effort will be made to speak as much Spanish in the classroom as possible. There will be different tasks, which will develop all language skills: speaking, listening and writing. 

You will focus on understanding and using familiar expressions and everyday vocabulary. You will interact in a simple way in supported situations. To practice, you will use online resources and games too. 

An attitude to give it a go. Learning a language is, sometimes, challenging as you find yourself in a different classroom environment but it is also a lot of fun too. 

Level 1 of the curriculum is the entry level for students with no prior knowledge of the language. So no previous knowledge of Spanish is needed. If you have some previous knowledge, this course will help you to consolidate and expand it.

Assessment in the Junior School

Learning Progressions are an evaluation of student progress using various modes of learning as evidence (not just a one-off test).  They are based on the New Zealand Curriculum, and show the level at which a student is demonstrating knowledge or skills.  Our Learning Progressions Framework maps out students’ development as they move through Years 9 - 11. 

Within each subject, at the end of a phase of learning (ie. topic, unit or skill), students will be evaluated using these indicators: Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Advancing.  For more information about what these mean, please see the Year 9 - 11 section of our website.