Welcome to HS Spanish class and the 2011-2012 school year. I am looking forward to working with all of you this year. We will be engaging in many different activities during the year, and I hope to maintain open lines of communication between all of us.
The Spanish language is a living, breathing language. It is the 2nd most spoken first language in the world. Hopefully, in your lifetime, you will either meet someone you can speak Spanish with or you will travel to a Spanish speaking country. My goal in this class is to get each student to the point of feeling comfortable in Spanish when this opportunity arises. This means that we will spend most of our time in class using the language.
When you enter the classroom, you will need to leave your egos behind. You will need to be able to laugh at yourself and make many mistakes. When you walk through the door ONLY Spanish is spoken. I don’t believe in talking about Spanish. You won’t learn to speak it unless you use it.
The following is an explanation of my expectations for this course.
Course Syllabus: High School Intermediate Spanish
Teacher: Kristina Solheim
Course Description/Overview: This intermediate Spanish course will be taught using a wide range of mediums and styles. Based around the textbook series “Dime” we will also be doing cultural activities involving paired conversations, acting out scenarios, and discovering the culture of the Latin world! To develop competency students will be given many opportunities to interact in Spanish. To help accomplish this I will only be speaking in Spanish. Although the students will not be expected to understand everything I say, through expressions, hand gestures, acting and so on, they will understand the main idea of the day’s topic. In other words, the focus will be on the message being communicated as well as the manipulation of grammatical structures. This encourages fluency from the beginning that eventually leads to correct sentence structure, written as well as spoken and comprehended. The rule of thumb will be to complete one unit every two months in the “Dime!” textbook along with various cultural activities. Some units may take longer. This Spanish course will also be examining literature from Latin America and Spain.
Goals/objectives: To be able to read, write, think, speak, and comprehend Spanish at a beginning/intermediate level, and to have a general cultural awareness of the Spanish Speaking world.
Resources: “Dime” text and workbooks, audio-visual technology, handouts, Latin American and Spanish literature, and myself.
Grading: Grades will be affected by class participation and attitude. This is a fun class and all students will be expected to converse in Spanish with other students and myself. All homework must be completed on time, and attendance is essential. Although you may get 100% on tests and homework your grade could be affected by your effort/attitude in class. Just join in with the class and you shouldn’t have any worries.
Assessment: Participation and attitude 40%, Written quizzes and tests 30%, Homework 10%, Written Diary 5%, Oral presentations 15% =100% Semester Exam is 20%
Student Requirements/Expectations: As I explained already above, participation, attitude (behavior), and attendance are essential in this class. Furthermore, it is the student’s responsibility to stay up to date with any new vocabulary as presented. My advice is to practice out-loud all current vocabulary (and verb drills) EVERY NIGHT for at least five minutes (including Saturday and Sunday).
Communication with parents: I will communicate with parents through progress reports, report cards, and teacher/parent conferences. I am also available for private conferences by contacting the school office or sending me an e-mail: ksolheim@ise.ac.th.
My blog address is: iseksolheim.wordpress.com. Students will be expected to check my blog for all assignments. When you are absent for any reason, I will expect you to keep up with the class and return to class with the homework done for that day and any days missed.
Thank you, Ms. Kristina Solheim
