Course Description and Objectives

Middle School Spanish engages students in various types of communication, enables students to gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures, provides students opportunities to make comparisons between their culture and other cultures, and to use the target language to function linguistically and culturally within the community.  All four skill areas (listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing) are included and assessed throughout the course as well. Grammar will be taught implicitly. Our work will focus on the following standards and skills (As dictated by the North Carolina Dept. of Public Instruction):

• Use the language to engage in interpersonal communication

• Understand words and concepts presented in the language

• Use the language to present information to an audience

• Compare the students’ culture and target culture

What are the benefits of language learning?  (from the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Language ACTFL) 

• Enhanced Problem Solving Skills 

• Improved Verbal and Spatial Abilities

• Improved Memory Function (long & short-term)

• Enhanced Creative Thinking Capacity

• Better Memory

• More Flexible and Creative Thinking

• Improved Attitude Toward the Target Language and Culture

These cognitive benefits of language learning have been shown to enhance student performance producing:

• Higher standardized test scores

• Higher reading achievement

• Expanded student vocabulary in native language (English)

• Higher academic performance at the college level  

"Speak a new language so that the world will be a new world."   Rumi, Persian Poet