World Languages

The program emphasizes building a strong foundation in Spanish grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Students engage in various activities to enhance their language skills, such as songs, conversational practice, interactive exercises, and ear training.

Understanding the culture is a vital part of learning a language. The program includes cultural studies that cover the history, traditions, and customs of Spanish-speaking countries. Students participate in cultural events, such as celebrating Día de los Muertos, preparing traditional dishes, and exploring Spanish art and music.
 

The Spanish program focuses on practical communication skills that students can use in real-life situations. This includes role-playing scenarios, writing assignments, and presentations. Students practice conversational Spanish in various contexts, such as ordering food at a restaurant, discussing current events, or navigating travel situations.
 

Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing the learning experience. The program incorporates language learning apps, online resources, and multimedia tools to provide interactive and engaging lessons. Students use these tools to access authentic Spanish media, such as news articles, books, videos, and podcasts.
 

Regular assessments, including quizzes, tests, and oral examinations, help track student progress and proficiency levels. The program uses a combination of formative and summative assessments in the lower grades, however the interpersonal, interpretive and presentational assessments are presented in Middle and High School to ensure students are meeting their acquisition and proficiency learning goals.
 

For higher levels, students have the opportunity to participate in the National Spanish Examination (NSE) which also provides students with nationwide recognition and scholarships to support their pursuit to expand their knowledge in the target language. Another, well known is the Seal of Biliteracy, this is a stamp provided for the South Carolina Department of Education on the High School diploma. This stamp recognizes that students have achieved the language proficiency requirements to be functional in a workspace environment.
 

Students from high levels are expected to teach students from lower levels. They will sing songs, create material to teach/review concepts or help manage the classroom given Spanish command when needed.

As they are introduced to Spanish, students are expected to implement what they have learned into their daily conversations in the classroom. Starting with Spanglish, students insert Spanish words English sentences. When they have built enough Spanish vocabulary this practice is turned around, now they are inserting only the English word they do not know in Spanish until they are able to work around the language. This practice not only happens in the Spanish classroom but also students extend it to other classrooms.

Students will have projects related to the topic they are studying. They are expected to prepare a slideshow and present their findings to the class in Spanish.

Assignments such as creating a Spanish-language video, writing a short story, or performing a skit that allow students to express their creativity in Spanish.