Listening Comprehension

Image credit: WoodleyWonderworks

One of the exciting additions to our curriculum this year is the Audio Program that corresponds to the ¡Avancemos! textbook.   Among the course objectives was that students would be able to understand native Spanish speakers when speaking at a normal rate of speed.  We have been working on the listening comprehension activities using the CDs for the textbook.  This allows the students to become accustomed to accents from different Spanish-speaking countries, different voices and different rates of speed.

It is also hard!  Have you ever tried to carry on a phone conversation with someone who had a strong accent?  Our minds have to work much harder when we cannot rely on facial expressions, gestures or body language to help interpret what someone is saying.  This is a skill that requires a great deal of practice, but it is worth the effort.

One of our students asked for extra opportunities to practice.  There are several things you can do: talk to native Spanish speakers in your parish or neighborhood, listen to Spanish radio, watch a movie that you have already seen with the Spanish audio track, Youtube videos, and more.  There are also some links at the ¡Avancemos! textbook site.

We will actively work to develop listening comprehension skills this year, both in classroom exercises and exams.  Our goal is that students at All Saints will be able to understand and use Spanish in the classroom and beyond.

La tarea ~ Homework

Now that we have gotten through the first part of school review time, the Spanish classes are delving much more deeply into new grammar and vocabulary.  We are starting to have more frequent quizzes and tests as they show mastery in new areas.

Spanish builds just like mathematics.  We are constantly recycling words and grammar concepts learned before, and students will need to continue to stay fresh with the vocabulary from previous chapters.  Each new chapter adds dozens of new vocabulary words, as well as verbs, pronouns and other grammar points that will continue to be used in subsequent chapters.  It is a considerable amount of information to keep track of!

Homework can be a very helpful tool to reinforce the material that our students are learning in class.  However, as a student, I hated busywork.  As a teacher now, I still hate it--it is not fun to grade!  I will be working with the students to balance the homework assignments so that they receive the practice and reinforcement that they need, without a lot of extra work.

One strategy that helps some students is to use commercial chunks.  Pretend that your favorite TV show is not on the DVR, and instead of fast-forwarding through the commercials, use that time to review flashcards or vocabulary lists.  Sometimes, just knowing that you only have to focus for three or four minutes keeps it from being overwhelming, and it is surprising how much material you will retain.

Another tip, especially for more visual learners, is to color-code vocabulary.  Nouns in Spanish are either masculine or feminine.  When students write out their vocabulary for each new chapter, it can help to use blue for the masculine nouns and pink for the feminine nouns to remember whether the words are masculine or feminine.

Excellent work from one of my 5th graders!

Make it fun.  I have been amazed at some students who create beautiful and detailed pictures with all of the vocabulary words.  It may seem like a somewhat inefficient use of time, but when you are going to be looking at the words over and over for the next few weeks, it is a lot more fun if it is interesting to look at.

Organize it.  When I was a student, my notes would make sense to me as I was writing them down, but if I went too long before reviewing them I would forget details.  (And as my mother pointed out, my handwriting wasn't always legible--sometimes even I had a hard time deciphering it!)  It helped me tremendously to go back within the next day or two and rewrite them, taking my time to add details or clarification of important points, relevant examples, and make them easy to read.  The bonus was that by the time we were ready for a test, I had my own study guide ready to go!  I am encouraging my students to do this, too.

I know that nobody really likes homework, but I hope that these tips will make it less of an ordeal and a more helpful use of your time.  As you look back on all that you have learned, your homework helps provide a clear record of the things that you have mastered, and a valuable tool to remember them.

8th Grade Spanish

¡Hola!  I am very excited about the work the 8th graders are doing in Spanish!  We are already making plans for the National Spanish Exam in the spring, and will soon begin the ¡Avancemos! 2 textbook.   For any who may not have received the handouts I gave during back-to-school night, here is an overview of our course:

8^th grade Spanish continues instruction in reading, writing, understanding and speaking Spanish.  Approximately 50% of the course is conducted in Spanish.  Our goals for this course are that students should be able to exit this course with measurable oral proficiency, which is understandable to a native speaker of the target language; that students will be able to understand the target language within the vocabulary/structure limitations of the appropriate level when spoken by a native speaker at a normal rate of speed; and that students will learn to write in Spanish without the aid of other devices. Students will also have opportunities to acquire an awareness and an appreciation of the people who speak Spanish.

Textbook: ¡Avancemos! 2, Holt McDougal

Website: http://avancemos.conjuguemos.com/

Vocabulary themes: travel, sports and health, daily routines, clothes and shopping, food, family and relationships, the environment and conservation.

Grammar structures:  direct and indirect object pronouns, the preterite, the imperfect, reflexive verbs, the preterite of irregular and stem-changing verbs, formal and informal commands, the present subjunctive, comparisons and superlatives, the future tense.

Grading: 

Oral and written exams will count 50-200 points each.

Quizzes will count 20-50 points each.

Homework will be scored depending on the number of questions and level of complexity.  Most assignments will be worth 10 points.  Writing assignments will generally be worth 20-30 points.

Homework assignments are due at the beginning of class.  Late homework will receive a 50% deduction.  Make-up homework (illness, absence) will follow the handbook guidelines.

Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of Spanish through class participation, homework assignments, oral and written quizzes, oral and written exams, listening comprehension exercises, and projects.

Students who successfully pass this course should be able to take a proficiency exam to gain credit for one to two years of high school Spanish at Bishop Kelley or other high schools.

A Catholic Spanish Class

The All Saints mission statement says that we provide students with "a total educational experience emphasizing academic excellence and personal responsibility within a Catholic faith community."  How do our Spanish classes reflect our Catholic faith?  In many ways!

Our students learn several prayers in Spanish, including the Glory Be, Our Father and Hail Mary.  Later in the year we will participate in a multi-language prayer of the Rosary with all of the languages represented at All Saints.  

Today my fifth graders chose Spanish-speaking countries and gave brief presentations that included introducing themselves in Spanish, telling which country they chose, and the name of the patron saint of that country as well as some details about the lives of the saints.  Each chapter has a cultural segment that gives us many opportunities to discuss Catholic social teachings, particularly our call to family, community and participation, and solidarity.

Awesome 5th Graders

Sometimes, to our surprise, the structure of the language itself shows us little ways to be mindful of truth.  In my middle school classes, we have been reviewing saber, conocer and the personal a.  The personal a is a concept that doesn't exist in English.  However, in Spanish, whenever a person is the direct object of a sentence, we insert the personal a in front of any words that refer to that person as a reminder that there is something special about all human beings.  The a is not used for places or things, only for people.  In our Catholic social teachings we talk about the importance of life and dignity of the human person.  Each of us is created in the image of God, and Spanish gives us a tiny reminder of that with the personal a.  

I am so grateful to be a part of a school that integrates faith and academics in thought-provoking and practical ways!