Spanish
The fundamental purpose of Spanish instruction at the middle school level is to enable students to communicate in Spanish in a culturally appropriate way while integrating the five C’s of the national standards at all levels: Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Central to world language learning is using the second language to communicate, to become part of another culture, and to help students understand another culture’s perspective or view of the world. The Connections standard links world language study with other disciplines to create interesting, meaningful and authentic contexts for communication in the classroom allowing students to make comparisons and find similarities between the Spanish language and their own. Students will learn how to apply the skills and knowledge gained in the classroom to the outside world and in their own communities.
While key grammar elements such as parts of speech, verb conjugations, and reading and writing in the target language are integral parts of the 6-8 program at Star of the Sea, listening and open conversation in Spanish and in English about multi-cultural topics such as history, geography, and literature is also highly emphasized.