Foundations of Spanish

In this course, students will continue to develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Vocabulary is practiced in a thematic and communicative way. The grammatical topics discussed include: the present progressive tense, direct and indirect object pronouns, estar + adjectives, reflexive verbs, verbs like gustar, comparatives and superlatives, the imperfect tense and the preterite tense. Students will study the culture of the Spanish-speaking world in the form of language use, customs, celebrations, art, historical figures, and current contributors to Latin American and Spanish society. 

Prerequisites: Spanish 1 or equivalent and Departmental Recommendation Required. 

Cuisine & Culture: Students will learn vocabulary related to groceries, ingredients and the kitchen. They will learn different expressions as well as units of measurement used in Spanish-speaking countries. They will also learn about the typical gastronomy of different countries.

Home Life: In this course, students read a novel called Bianca Nieves y sus siete toritos, which is about the life of a girl growing up in Spain whose father is a torero. They learn to understand Bianca’s complicated home life. In addition, students learn about different cultural aspects of Spain, including, but not limited to family life, and the controversy around bullfighting.

Human Rights: Focusing on some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, students will develop their oral and written skills in Spanish. From access to food to the right to education, students will be exposed to new vocabulary and grammatical structures. While the course will have an overall global view of these issues, particular attention will be given to issues concerning the Spanish-speaking world.

The Spanish-Speaking World: In this course, students will be exposed to the many identities, traditions, and cultures of the Spanish-Speaking World. Through a multicultural lens, discussions and resources will cover topics such as: race, religion, dialects, geography, and cultural practices.

• Interests: Health, Literature, Social Justice
• Grades: 10th, 11th, 12th, 9th
• Subjects: Modern Languages