Holy Family School is committed to early second language instruction beginning in Kinder to Grade 8. There is research to show that children learn languages easily and can develop native accents if they learn before age 12 or 13. Students will have the opportunity to aquire a solid foundation for communicating in Spanish and hopefully, a passion to learn more in the future. The most effective way to learn a second language is to live in the country where that language is spoken and be immersed in that culture. With our current schedule for Spanish sessions, the main goal of the program is to provide students with meaningful, context-rich opportunities to hear and use Spanish while developing language skills throughout their years of study. Another important goal is for learners to gain an appreciation of Spanish speaking world cultures and views.
Students enter HFS with various levels of Spanish knowledge and experience. Using an "eclectic" approach, (oral, structual, natural and communicative), the program is adapted to meet the needs of all learners. Techniques include hands on projects, storytelling, role-playing, songs, art, games, music, rhythm and rhymes. Current methodologies and "teaching tools", the Natural Approach and Total Physical Response, lead the students to learn and use their second language in a positive way..
The goal of grades K to 5 is to teach students basic language skills using theme-related units and cultural activities. Students begin as oral learners in an informal setting to become acquainted with Spanish vocabulary, sounds and expressions. From first grade, students begin developing their writing skills, focusing on the phonetic sounds of the Spanish alphabet. By fourth and fifth grade, comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills are encouraged, practiced and reinforced. Students complete group and individual projects that require the application and celebration of their Spanish skills.
In the Middle School years, study is intensified with the introduction of new vocabulary and grammar. Students continue to learn thematic vocabulary and concepts based on prior years of comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills. Maintaining the techniques and methods used in earlier years, there is a shift in focus, which includes more explicit verb and sentence structure study. Students are encouraged to use their skills often, both in and out of the classroom and to dedicate themselves to studying and practicing their second language as they do for all other subject areas, every day! |
