Orange High School

Escuela Secundaria Orange 

Academic Year 2024-2025

Teacher's Name: Mrs. Milagros Anto

Office Location: ROOM 170

Phone: (973) 677-4050/ Ext#41170

E-mail: antomila@mail.orange.k12.nj.us

I.              COURSE INTRODUCTION: 

¡Bienvenidos a la clase de español 1!!   Welcome to Spanish class!!  Learning Spanish is an exciting endeavor.  Spanish is spoken in over 21 countries in the world and is considered the second most widely spoken language in the United States.  In today’s global economy, knowing a second language is important and a very marketable skill. Therefore, to be successful in this great endeavor, it is important for each student to be in class every day, ready to learn, well-prepared, and “lleno de pasion” (full of passion) to learn such a beautiful language.

II.             COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Students begin their Spanish learning journey by concentrating on four essential areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This course uniquely combines effective language pedagogy with online learning.

III.          OVERALL COURSE OBJECTIVES

The High School Spanish I course assists students in:

• Mastering common vocabulary terms and phrases, including personal contexts such as greetings, family, school, hobbies, and outings.
• Understanding a broad range of grammar patterns, including the conjugation of regular verbs in the present tense, using reflexive verbs, forming questions, and making comparisons.
• Analyzing and comparing the cultural practices, products, and perspectives of Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Puerto Rico.
• Engaging in simple conversations and responding appropriately to basic conversational prompts.
• Creating language that incorporates basic vocabulary and grammar patterns.
• Reading, writing, speaking, and listening for meaning in basic Spanish.
• Consistently evaluating progress in proficiency through quizzes, tests, and spoken/written submissions.

IV. COURSE GOALS:

·         Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions and exchange opinions

·         Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on various topics.

·         Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on various topics.

B)  Culture

·         Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and the perspectives of the cultures studied.

·         Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the cultures studied.

C)  Connections

·         Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language

·         Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures.

D)  Comparisons

·         Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own.

·         Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.

E)  Community

·        Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting.

 V.           Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to…

VI .  COURSE UNITS: 

Preliminares

Acerca de Mí 

Mis Clases

Mi familia

Mis pasatiempos 

   VII .     MATERIALS

The following materials should be brought to class each day:

• Composition notebook
• One of two pocket folders with three prongs for a writing portfolio.
• Pencils and/or pens (blue or black ink only, please!)

*I also recommend that you buy an English-Spanish/Spanish-English dictionary for your use throughout this course and throughout your life as a speaker of Spanish! This is not required.

VIII.     GRADING POLICY

Assignments: All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date specified. If turned in after due date, the assignment will not receive full credit. All the work is to be done neatly.
 
 Homework: We check homework in class. It is a reinforcement activity of what you have previously learned. Expect homework each night. Assignments may not always be written. Students should complete all homework assignments and have them ready to turn in at the beginning of class on the due date. If you are absent on the day that a homework assignment is due (an assignment made on a day that you were present), the assignment is due on the day that you return to class.

Quizzes: To assess how you are progressing, quizzes will be given frequently on material that has been covered in class. Remember, proper preparation prevents a poor performance.

Tests: A test will be given at the end of each unit. Tests will have various formats, including any combination of written, listening, and oral assessment. Oral presentations, written compositions, and/or research projects may also be assigned for a quiz or test grade.

Class Participation: Speaking is an integral part of learning a foreign language. Although we are at the beginning levels of instruction, students will be expected to use Spanish in class as much as possible. You will not be penalized for incorrect answers, so don’t be shy! A positive attitude, a willingness to learn, and being prepared are also important parts of your class participation grade. Not doing homework, working on materials for other classes during Spanish class, and/or being disrespectful will negatively affect your grade. Student success is a direct correlation between good attendance and good grades. Students are expected to be present and participate each day. If a student misses a class or part of a class for any reason, then he/she will be provided an opportunity to make up class participation points through various assignments provided by the teacher.

Make-up Work: A student is expected to make up all the work he missed, regardless of the reason for the absence. The student is responsible for finding out from the teacher what work was missing. All assignments missed due to an excused absence must be turned in within three days of returning to school. You must see the teacher on the day you return to make arrangements for missed tests and quizzes.

IX.   CLASS RULES:  The Expected Behaviors

1. Be prepared - ready to start, with all the materials in class.

      2. Bring a positive attitude with you to class.

3. Respect others - Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself. Use appropriate

    language.

      4. Each student should be in his/her seat when the bell rings.

      5. Follow directions - no side conversations.

      6. Leave personal grooming and eating outside the classroom.

7. Keep the classroom clean.

      8. Academic honesty is essential! (*see below) 

*Each student is responsible for his/her own learning. All work should be completed independently unless otherwise notified. Cheating will result in the grade of a zero.

** CLASSROOM COURTESY

Turn off all pagers and cell phones while in class.  Also, please remember to be kind to your classmates, since everyone is required to participate during class.  Do not be afraid to make mistakes- it is part of the learning process.

**CLASS PROCEDURE

The primary focus of Spanish II is to develop your ability to understand native and written Spanish and to increase your skill at expressing yourself in basic situations.  Listening comprehension and reading are the basis for the sound acquisition of a foreign language.  Remember that when you were learning your first language as a child, you had a lot more time to listen before you attempted to speak.  Do not be impatient with yourself when you find that you can understand far more than you can produce- that is NATURAL.  Your speaking and writing abilities will always lag slightly behind your ability to understand.

**ACADEMIC HONESTY

Cheating is not tolerated in either exams or homework.  Anyone caught copying from others or allowing others to copy their work is subject to receiving an "F".

**GROUP WORK

Working with other students in study groups is an extremely effective means of studying.  Not everyone in the study group needs to be at the same proficiency level.  Teaching others is a powerful way to learn materials for yourself.  Make sure, however, that you do not simply copy another's homework and turn it in as your own.  When working in groups, all participants must vary their work so that each assignment reflects individual work.

X.   STUDENT RESOURCES

* Internet Sites for Independent Practice.

1.  Quia.com (Vocabulary flashcards and practice tests)

2.  http://www.studyspanish.com/tutorial.htm

3.  http://spanish.about.com/library/beginning/bl-beg-index.htm

4. http://conjuguemos.com  (conjugation practice)