Course Syllabus

This course is designed for students who want to continue to develop their language proficiency and cultural understanding . Students are expected to be confident in their ability to communicate exclusively in Spanish. We work throughout the year progress in the three modes of communication (interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal) . The course is divided into three units: Identities, Migration, and Human Rights in Latin America. We examine each theme in depth through reading, research, class conversations, presentations, films, and writing. Classroom instruction is delivered exclusively in Spanish and students are expected to communicate entirely in the language. 

Performance Target: Intermediate-High on the ACTFL Proficiency Scale.

This course is offered at the combined ACP/Honors level. Students will be placed in the Honors section for scheduling purposes only. Students will be able to designate which level they would like to be assessed at in the fall once they learn about course expectations. 

Essential Skills:

(From the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for World Languages)

• Interpretive Communication - Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.

• Interpersonal Communication - Interact and negotiate meaning in spontaneous spoken, signed, or written conversations to share information, reactions, ideas, feelings, opinions, and perspectives 

• Presentational Communication - Present information, concepts, ideas, feelings, opinions, and perspectives to inform, explain, persuade and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media, and adapting to various audiences of listeners, readers, or viewers. 

• Intercultural Communication - Interact appropriately with others in and from another culture. 

• Cultures - Gain cultural competence and understanding. 

• Comparisons - Develop insight into the nature of language and culture to interact with cultural competence. 

Success Criteria:

ACP:

I can independently create a spoken or written message or participate in a conversation using intermediate-mid language.

• I can be easily understood by someone used to a language learner, and possibly by a native speaker who doesn’t know I’m a language learner.

• I can use a variety of words, expressions and personalized vocabulary and begin to use expanded vocabulary. I can give details. 

• I use strings of sentences to describe or explain. I combine simple sentences using connector words to create original sentences. I pose questions to direct or advance a presentation or written work.

• I convey my knowledge of differences in familiar (learned or experienced) cultural products and practices. I use culturally appropriate vocabulary and expressions.

• My errors with targeted structures and/or word order do not interfere with communication.

Honors:

I can independently create a spoken or written message or participate in a conversation using intermediate-mid language.

• I can be easily understood by someone used to a language learner, and possibly by a native speaker who doesn’t know I’m a language learner.

• I can use a variety of words, expressions and personalized vocabulary and begin to use expanded vocabulary. I rarely repeat vocabulary words.  I can give details. I consistently use vocabulary from in-class resources and/or previous units.

• I use strings of sentences to describe or explain. I combine simple sentences using a variety of sophisticated transition and connecting words to explain, describe or elaborate. I pose questions to direct or advance a presentation or written work. 

• I convey my knowledge of differences in familiar (learned or experienced) cultural products and practices. I use culturally appropriate vocabulary and expressions.

• My errors with targeted structures and/or word order do not interfere with communication. I show ample evidence of strong control of previously learned structures.