World Language

Knowing a second language is not only beneficial but necessary for success in life. The continual globalization of the world’s economy brings diverse cultures and communities into more frequent contact with one other. Spanish is a powerful skill for our Speyer children to have in the 21st century. Within the Speyer’s Spanish program, the overarching goal is to promote visual and language literacy and to provide children with the language skills to use Spanish in their own lives. As we all know, the gifted child has a deep sense of and passion for social justice, often seeking opportunities to address issues of inequity and unfairness. We foster empathy through a social justice lens as a tool for language learning to engage our students as global citizens.

Speyer has invested in a comprehensive set of materials aimed at supporting the needs of our gifted learners. The materials are thorough and research-proven, using music, games, books, poetry, and real-life material from all over the Spanish-speaking world that includes cutting-edge print and digital materials currently being used across the globe. The publishing company EDINUMEN is supported by a team of over 400 authors and consultants devoted solely to promoting the teaching and learning of the Spanish language. They base their approach on expertise developed by linguists at the Universidad de Salamanca, Real Academia Española, and Instituto Cervantes.

The Spanish curricular experience is one which spirals, as students will revisit concepts and skills from one year to the next but will do so in a way which allows for deeper understanding and more complex skill development. In addition, our Spanish program provides our gifted students the opportunity for cross-cultural learning, critical thinking, reading, and writing while also exploring the real-world application of the language.

In Kindergarten, students being to recognize and pronounce the sounds, intonations, and rhythms of the Spanish language. The role of songs in Lower School Spanish, and more specifically in Kindergarten, is key. The consistent repetition inherent in chanting and singing at an early age leads to the students’ acquisition of good pronunciation and exposes them to frequently-used structures. Through their study of simple vocabulary (themes of colors, greetings, the calendar, the seasons, and feelings) as well as basic questions and commands, they develop a taste for the language. 

Spanish in First Grade reviews the foundational skills and vocabulary learned in Kindergarten and quickly moves on to building the students' listening and comprehension skills as they star to engage in short conversations. The students increase their vocabulary (themes of weather, clothes, school supplies, and celebrations) as well as begin the construction of basic sentences and the exploration of Spanish-speaking countries. 

Moving into Second Grade, the Spanish curriculum highlight include constructing more complex sentences and using the vocabulary and structures learned in the past years as well as the introduction of new themes (family and activities). The students learn vowel and other Spanish alphabet sounds and practice their conversation and comprehension skills by acting out simple plays and dialogues. Throughout the year, our second graders explore Spanish-speaking countries’ geography and culture. 

In Third Grade, the content and skills within the Spanish curriculum intensify, expanding the students' vocabulary and introducing verbs (such as trabajar, abrir, cerrar, salir, usar, comer, desayunar, ir (se), escribir, ordenar, cantar, bailar, contar, pasar, saltar, estudiar, dibujar, jugar) and the concepts of first and second person singular, verb endings for singular persons in present indicative, and affirmative and negative forms of the imperative. A central part of the curriculum is learning about Spanish-speaking countries, which culminates with an in-depth project about a country of their choice, including research on its capital, population, the typical food and music, and so on. 

Working from a strong foundation from their prior years of Spanish, the Fourth Grade curriculum challenges the students with a large unit called “Todo sobre mí” (All about me). They learn how to talk about themselves, such as their name, age, birthday, and country of origin, the city where they live, favorite things, and activities they like and do not like to do. In addition to building and expanding their vocabulary and comprehension and conversational skills, students begin to extract information from a text related to the topic being discussed and go further with writing exercises and concepts. Our fourth graders also delve deeper into their exploration of Hispanic culture, including a cross-divisional study with Speyer eighth graders about the Mexican celebration of “El día de los muertos” (Day of the Dead). 

The Middle School Spanish curriculum at Speyer emphasizes the proficiency of vocabulary and grammar, as well as an understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures, experiences, values, and traditions of the Spanish-speaking world. Students are separated into two levels of proficiency and once a week, students take "Lab" classes. Lessons are differentiated so that students are challenged and supported based on their learning needs. Heritage Spanish-speaking children are given additional opportunities and guidance to meet their needs. The importance of developing collaboration skills for our population of students is a main focus in Middle School and this seeps into the Spanish classroom as well — students engage in classroom discussions, activities, and long-term projects, all of which require students to collaborate in meaningful ways

In Fifth and Sixth Grade, the curriculum advances recursively by solidifying and building upon skills developed and structures learned in Lower School while also providing necessary support to new Spanish language learners. The focus is on five different abilities, which are practiced in class: listening comprehension; reading comprehension; oral expression; oral interaction; and written expression. Students are expected to be able to understand and use everyday vocabulary related to hobbies, the family, and daily routines; to be able to read and understand short texts; to be able to communicate in everyday situations such as school, restaurants, and the doctor’s office; and to write notes, messages, and personal letters.

Fifth and Sixth Grade Spanish also introduces students to Latin American and Latinx art and history while also reinforcing critical skills practced in other subjects. Students learn to recognize and critique national and racial stereotypes in Good Neighbor Policy-era Disney films; consider the relationship between political protest and art in the history of the Taller Boricua; and explore Latinx social, cultural, and environmental history in the United States. Due to our emphasis on differentiation, our students gain additional practice in listening comprehension in real-life situations such as airport announcements and TV commercials, and reading comprehension drawn from the Argentinean comic strip "Mafalda."

In Seventh Grade Spanish courses, the year begins with a comprehensive review of vocabulary, commands, and grammar structures learned the previous year. Common cultural unit themes serve as the framework for instruction and include the difference between being Hispano and Latino, learning about different Latin American traditions around the celebration of the Day of the Dead, and studying the art, life, and legacy of Antonio Gaudí. Each month, seventh graders also learn “la canción del mes” aimed at practicing fluency, pronunciation, and auditory comprehension at grade level.

Eighth Grade Spanish aims to systematize language structures useful for expressing personal opinions about issues related to social justice and the environment. Students also study prominent Latin American artists and writers, such as Salvador Dalí and Jorge Luis Borges. By the end of the year, students increase their practice in reading and writing as they explore the different forms of travel and cross-cultural exchanges while learning the various uses of the past tenses.