Primary Goals

All Spanish classes will focus on several educational goals. Primary focus will be given to the five goals of language learning as are prescribed by the Nebraska Department of Education.

The five goals of language learning are:

1. Communication-communicate in languages other than English
2. Cultures-Gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures
3. Connections-connect with other disciplines and acquire information
4. Comparisons-develop insight into the nature of language and culture
5. Communities-participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world

With these goals in mind, specific objectives in each class will include:

1. Building a solid foundation of grammar and vocabulary using the communicative approach
2. Making cultural learning as contextual as possible (native speakers, traditional foods, music, trips, movies)
3. Increasing knowledge of the Spanish and English language structures and the universal ideas about language (the 9 parts of speech, linguistic features, phonetic concepts)
4. Using technology in the classroom (CD Rom, video, Internet resources) to expand and enhance traditional learning styles
5. Increasing literacy in reading, writing, and speaking in the English language while creating that literacy in the target language (storybook approach, scaffolding, modeling, use of authentic materials, total physical response)
6. Improving listening skills (goals of listening, consistent use of target language in a variety of forms)
7. Having assessment tools (formal and informal) which reflect true progress of student skills, comprehension, and retention.

It should also be noted that many aspects of the curriculum outline have been patterned after the general outline of goals for functions, grammar, vocabulary, and culture in the Spanish Ven Conmigo! series. This particular series continues to be the top selling foreign language series for students of Spanish and it is used in several other school districts in Nebraska and throughout the United States. This series is unique in that it leads its competition in its ability to adhere to the Nebraska K-12 Foreign Language Frameworks set forth by the Nebraska Department of Education.