Spanish I

This course is an introduction to the Spanish language and cultures. Students will learn to read, write, speak and understand basic Spanish.They will also become acquainted with the life styles and cultures of Spanish speaking people.
Textbook: Paso a Paso 1, Second Edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2000.

COMPETENCY GOAL 1: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION - The learner will engage in conversation and exchange information and opinions orally and in writing in the target language. Objectives:

  • Interact with teachers and others using standard greetings, farewells, and expressions of courtesy orally and in writing.
  • Use basic words and short learned phrases during interactions orally and in writing.
  • Ask and answer questions about feelings using learned material orally and in writing.
  • Share likes and dislikes, feelings and emotions with each other orally and in writing.
  • Engage in oral and written conversation (e.g., face-to-face, e-mails, letters) to exchange essential and personal information about everyday topics.
  • Use culturally acceptable vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and gestures.

COMPETENCY GOAL 2: INTERPRETIVE COMMUNICATION - The learner will understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics in the target language. Objectives:

  • Demonstrate understanding of words, phrases, and sentences from simple oral and written texts dealing with basic personal and social needs.
  • Demonstrate understanding of oral and written questions about familiar topics.
  • Follow oral and written directions, commands, and requests.
  • Identify key words or main idea(s) from oral or written passages.
  • Make inferences from simple oral and/or written passages (e.g., conversations, dialogs, narratives, advertisements, songs, rhymes, chants, and literature) about familiar topics.
  • Interpret phrases presented with accompanying gestures, intonation, and other visual or auditory cues.

COMPETENCY GOAL 3: PRESENTATIONAL COMMUNICATION -The learner will present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics in the target language. Objectives:

  • Give short oral or written presentations about people, places, things, and events using everyday words and phrases.
  • Dramatize songs, simple skits, or poetry dealing with familiar topics.
  • Tell or retell a story orally or in writing.

COMPETENCY GOAL 4: CULTURES - The learner will gain knowledge and demonstrate understanding of the relationship among practices, products, and perspectives of cultures other than his/her own. Objectives:

  • Recognize and use gestures, manners, behaviors, greetings, and idiomatic expressions of the target cultures.
  • Learn and discuss patterns of behavior or interaction among the target cultures.
  • Participate in activities and celebrations and discuss their impact on the culture.
  • Demonstrate an awareness of the different target countries and their capitals by locating them on a map or globe and identifying their major geographical features.
  • Identify important individuals from the past and present and their contributions to the target cultures.
  • Explore practices and perspectives of contemporary life in the target cultures through print, non-print, electronic materials, and cultural artifacts.
  • Identify cultural products, practices, and perspectives that lead to generalizations or stereotyping.

COMPETENCY GOAL 5: COMPARISONS - The learner will develop insight into the nature of language and culture by comparing his/her own language(s) and culture(s) to others. Objectives:

  • Identify the sound patterns of the target language and compare them to his/her own language(s).
  • Identify similarities and differences in the structural patterns in the target language and his/her own language(s).
  • Recognize similarities and differences in the ways languages are written (e.g., alphabet/characters, punctuation, capitalization) in the target language and his/her own language(s).
  • Recognize that there are words, phrases, idioms, and concepts that do not transfer directly from one language to another.
  • Identify connections among languages by recognizing cognates and loan words.
  • Develop an appreciation for cultural differences by comparing simple patterns of behavior or interaction in various cultural settings including his/her own.
  • Identify similarities and differences of tangible and intangible products (e.g., food, dwellings, music, sports, clothing) between the target cultures and his/her own culture(s).
  • Examine the cultural traditions and celebrations that exist in the target cultures and other cultures and recognize the viewpoints behind them.
  • Recognize viewpoints and attitudes of people in both his/her own culture(s) and the target cultures relating to family, home, school, work, and play.
  • Identify the mutual contributions of the target cultures and his/her own culture(s).

COMPETENCY GOAL 6: CONNECTIONS - The learner will acquire, reinforce, and further his/her knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language. Objectives:

  • Demonstrate understanding and apply information and skills that are common to the foreign language class and other disciplines.
  • Transfer information acquired in the foreign language class for use in other disciplines.
  • Recognize and apply learning strategies and processes from other disciplines.
  • Develop learning strategies in the target language which can be used in other disciplines.

COMPETENCY GOAL 7: COMMUNITIES - The learner will use language and/or demonstrate cultural knowledge and understanding within and beyond the school setting for personal, educational, and professional growth and enrichment. Objectives:

  • Share knowledge of the target language and cultures with others.
  • Interact with people of other cultures in the target language about familiar topics.
  • Visit places in person or via technology which provide opportunities to use the target language and/or experience the target cultures.
  • Identify occupations within the community and beyond that require proficiency in the target language.
  • View, listen to, and read various forms of media that utilize the target language and reflect the target cultures.

Technology Learning Outcomes
The student can

  • Utilize different storage media.
  • Identify the path of the URL (Universal Resource Locator) (Web address).