World Languages - Spanish
The Spanish Club continues to grow as new activities and trips are planned each year. This year the Spanish Club officers are working very hard to make the Spanish Club the best it can be. Already, the club has participated in the Homecoming Parade and has given money and gifts to the Christmas Mother. The officers have also organized dinners at Mexican restaurants, such as La Siesta. This helps to enrich the knowledge of the Spanish culture. This spring the Spanish Club plans to travel to Washington D.C. to visit the National Gallery of Art and eat at a Spanish restaurant. These are just a few of the activities that the Spanish Club offers its members. The club gives students the opportunity to experience Spanish in the real world.
FLES
FLES, is a program that teaches students new responsibilities and allows them to experience something different. This program gives students taking Spanish at James River the opportunity to teach kids the basics at the elementary school level. Once a week, a group of students goes to a selected school and teaches Spanish to the elementary students. They make posters and worksheets for the kids. Activities are planned so that the kids can learn the material much easier. The students teach the class over a period of about five to six weeks. Through FLES, students experience the job of the teacher. They must be on time and be able to teach the kids. FLES teaches these students responsibility, patience and hard work.
Why Take Spanish?
Spanish is a very important language in the world. By 2000, the U.S. will be bilingual in Spanish and English. More than 300 million people in the world speak Spanish and the Spanish-speaking population of the United States is almost 30 million. Spanish is a valuable tool for a person to have in medicine, business, law, and social services. Spanish allows a person to open many doors, break down barriers, and offers many interesting opportunities.
Spanish 1 Z 9-12
The four linguistic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as cultural and grammatical concepts are practiced in real-life situations. The goal for students is to communicate in the language at the survival level in such basic language functions as ordering food, making purchases, getting around in foreign cities; and talking about self, family, and leisure activities. Many opportunities for oral and written communications are expanded through the use and application of technology. Upon completion of the BEGINNING STAGE students are able to effectively handle basic task-oriented and social situations. They can ask and answer questions, initiate and respond to simple statements, and maintain a conversation in a restricted manner. Their vocabulary is adequate to express elementary needs. The speaker can generally be understood by a sympathetic audience. As much as possible, the class is conducted in Spanish.
Spanish 2 H Z 9-12
The four linguistic skills culture, and grammatical concepts continued to be emphasized and practiced in additional real-life situations. The goal for students is to communicate with increasing proficiency by discussing weather, lodging, daily routines, health, and fitness, and the regions of the Spanish-speaking world. Many opportunities for oral and written communication are expanded through the use of technology. The content of Spanish 2 Honors expands and enriches the curriculum for Spanish 2. The students develop the basic linguistic skills at an accelerated pace and are expected to express themselves beyond simple mechanical responses, demonstrating the ability to manipulate and create in the language. The course also includes a practicum, an opportunity to put into practice what already has been learned, and combine linguistic skills with other talents.
Spanish 3 H Z 10-12
Linguistic skills and grammatical concepts are strengthened, while cultural concepts are expanded to enable students to understand cultural differences. The goal is for students to communicate with increasing proficiency by discussing the world of work, travel in Spain, the Spanish-speaking world, and the Spanish cuisine. Many opportunities for oral and written communications are expanded through the use and application of technology. Upon completion of the DEVELOPING STAGE, students are able to handle effectively basic task-oriented and social situations. They can ask and answer questions, initiate and respond to simple statements and maintain a conversation in restricted manner. Their vocabulary is adequate to express elementary needs and a sympathetic audience can generally understand the speaker. Classes are conducted almost entirely in Spanish. In an honors caliber class of this level, students develop linguistic skills at an accelerated pace. They are expected to interact in the language-- expressing opinions, negotiating, persuading and advising. In addition, this course includes a practicum, an opportunity to put into practice what already has been learned, and to combine linguistic skills with other talents.
Spanish 4 H Z 11-12
Linguistic skills and grammatical concepts are strengthened, while cultural concepts are expanded to enable students to understand cultural differences. The goal is for students to communicate with increasing proficiency by discussing the world of work, travel in Spain, the Spanish-speaking world, and the Spanish cuisine. Many opportunities for oral and written communications are expanded through the use and application of technology. Upon completion of the DEVELOPING STAGE, students are able to handle effectively basic task-oriented and social situations. They can ask and answer questions, initiate and respond to simple statements and maintain a conversation in restricted manner. Their vocabulary is adequate to express elementary needs and a sympathetic audience can generally understand the speaker. Classes are conducted almost entirely in Spanish. In an honors caliber class of this level, students develop linguistic skills at an accelerated pace. They are expected to interact in the language-- expressing opinions, negotiating, persuading and advising. In addition, this course includes a practicum, an opportunity to put into practice what already has been learned, and to combine linguistic skills with other talents.
Spanish 5 & 6 AP H 12
A comprehensive and in-depth study is presented at this advanced level. In addition, the students increase their understanding of Spanish in a contemporary, literature, historical, and cultural contexts. Many opportunities for oral and written communication are expanded through the use of technology. Upon completion of this EXPANDING STAGE, students are able to speak the language with enough accuracy to participate effectively in formal and informal conversation on a variety of topic. They may make sporadic errors when using highly complicated structures, but the errors will not interfere in communicating with a native speaker. These classes are conducted entirely in Spanish. In an honors caliber class of this level, students develop linguistic skills at an accelerated pace. They are expected to interact in the language-- expressing opinions, negotiating, persuading and advising. In addition, this course includes a practicum, an opportunity to put into practice what already has been learned, and to combine linguistic skills with other talents. Students who take this class as an AP aim to achieve a high level of proficiency in the four linguistic skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as prescribed by the College Board.
James River is one of the schools in this area that offer students the option to take Advanced Spanish. This course allows the student to further apply his or her Spanish knowledge. Students improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills while they study the culture and history of the Spanish-speaking world in more detail.