Spanish

The Elementary Spanish Program of the Windsor Central Supervisory Union seeks to equip students with the communication skills in Spanish, to provide them with the perspectives of those countries where Spanish is spoken, and to prepare them for success in a multilingual economy and society. We understand that language is an innate human capability from which all students benefit. The study of World Languages is an interdisciplinary pursuit that intrinsically gives students a global perspective; students gain an increased knowledge of their relationship to the world by developing an appreciation for other viewpoints and a deeper understanding of their own culture and the world.

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Here at BA, we take a proficiency-based approach to language acquisition. According to the Center on Advanced Research for Language Acquisition (CARLA), there are three components to proficiency:

1. CONTENT: the topic of communication

2. FUNCTION: the task to be completed/the purpose of the communication

3. ACCURACY: correctness or appropriateness of the language for the context

This means that proficient learners can accurately and appropriately communicate something with a specific purpose. 

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WHAT TO EXPECT IN SPANISH CLASS:

Effective communication is the goal. Applying the four modalities of language (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) students will use the Spanish language to explore their own, Spanish-speaking, and ancient cultures. In class, students will be exposed to a variety of resources such as stories, songs, film, articles, art, legends, and history. Students will use purposeful language in class so they are prepared to communicate in the real world. Interactions in class center on what each student needs, knows, and can do now and what each student needs in order to move forward. 

Students will read, listen, write, and speak as able in Spanish. Students will not memorize vocabulary, study verb conjugations, or learn about the Spanish language in English. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

• Be a student: ask your child to share with you what they are doing in Spanish class

• Notice Spanish: help your child see the Spanish being used in your community

• Practice Curiosity: ask English language learners that you meet to share their stories with you!

Please contact Elaine Leibley at eleibly@wcsu.net with any questions

• Cato Institute Sphere Summit 2023 

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"We acquire language when we understand messages, when we understand what people tell us and when we understand what we read."

-Dr. Stephen D. Krashen

Linguist, educational researcher

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