Foreign Languages

Vision

A new language, a new culture, a new experience, is always a new perspective for any student.

Una nueva lengua, una nueva cultura, una nueva experiencia es siempre una perspectiva para todo estudiante.

Goals

Introduction to grammatical structures of the targeted language

Introduction of linguistic skills including but not limited to reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension of the targeted language at the appropriate level

Developed understanding and appreciation for the people and the cultures being studied

Graduation Requirement

All Students who graduate from Garces Memorial High School must successfully complete 2 years of a Foreign Language.
Two years (four semesters) in the same language; three years strongly recommended.

Foreign Languages Course Catalog

Spanish I

Spanish I provides an introduction to basic Spanish with emphasis given to present, preterit, and future tenses. A series of six units of study, each divided into reading comprehension, grammatical structure, speaking practice, and cultural study, are designed to provide the student with an introduction to the study of Spanish and develop the oral comprehension and speaking ability of the student. Each unit consists of a central dialogue from which the grammar is drawn for mastery in structured skills. Reading and writing of audio-lingual materials are introduced with the main emphasis in development of audio-lingual skills.

Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirement. e- Foreign Language

Spanish II (CP)

Spanish-II (CP) is a continuation of Spanish-I (CP) which includes a review and reinforcement of vocabulary skills learned in Spanish-I. A greater emphasis is placed on grammatical structure, writing, speaking the target language, and on developing an appreciation of the culture of Spain and Spanish America. The remainder of the tenses (future, preterit, imperfect, compounds) are covered. Adverbial, noun, and contrary-to-fact conditional clauses are presented, as well as all usage of the subjunctive mood with its accompanying verb tenses in adjective, adverbial, and noun clauses.

Prerequisite: Students must have a “C –” or better in the level I course and/or the recommendation of the level I instructor.

Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirement. e- Foreign Language

Spanish II (H)

Spanish-II (Honors) is a continuation of Spanish-I (CP) which includes a review and reinforcement of vocabulary skills learned in Spanish-I. A greater emphasis is placed on grammatical structure, writing, speaking the target language, and on developing an appreciation of the culture of Spain and Spanish America. The remainder of the tenses (future, preterit, imperfect, compounds) are covered. Adverbial, noun, and contrary-to-fact conditional clauses are presented, as well as all usages of the subjunctive mood with its accompanying verb tenses in adjective, adverbial, and noun clauses.

Prerequisite: Students must have a “B+” or better in the level I course and/or the recommendation of the level I instructor.

 Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirement. e- Foreign Language

Spanish III (CP)

Spanish III (CP) is designed for those students who wish to continue preparation in the target language and for those students who want to fulfill California State University and UC recommendations. Emphasis is placed on reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. The content covers the grammatical points emphasized in Spanish I (CP) and Spanish II (CP) and develops the language in its more complicated form. Audio-lingual activities are integrated with reading, which becomes more intensive and extensive. The cultural aspects of the language are stressed through oral and written expression. The class is taught primarily in Spanish.

Prerequisite: Students must have a “B+” or better in the level II course and/or the recommendation of the level II instructor.

Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirement. e- Foreign Language

Spanish III (H)

Spanish III (H) is designed for those students who wish to continue preparation in the target language and for those students who want to begin preparation for the Spanish Advanced Placement (AP) Examination. This course will focus on the development of the student’s verbal, listening comprehension, and written skills in the target language. The course begins with a review of the tenses and grammatical rules studied in Spanish II. Emphasis will be given to the acquisition and internalization of the patterns of structure in Spanish to produce a degree of fluency and comfort with the language. To foster this goal, much of this class will be conducted in the target language. In addition to the required textbook and workbook, the course will also be structured around reading several short stories in Spanish, which will be analyzed for content, vocabulary, and style. Written and oral reports, bi-weekly tests, and periodic exams as well as use of video and audio language tapes will help to reinforce the disciplines of the course, which are: listening, comprehension, verbal fluency, vocabulary building, grammatical concepts, and written expression.

Prerequisite: Students must have a “B+” or better in the level II course and/or the recommendation of the level II instructor.

Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirement. e- Foreign Language

Spanish IV (CP)

French-IV (CP) is a 90% immersion course. The principal goal is to achieve maximum proficiency in writing, speaking, listening, and reading comprehension of the Spanish language. Coursework will be composed of daily dialogues, group oral presentations, and application of the grammatical structures learned in Spanish-III. In addition, students will read excerpts from periodicals, complete works of literature, as well as applications in oral discourse. Students will be expected to use and apply grammar and vocabulary structures in a contemporary setting.

Prerequisite: Students must have a “C-” or better in the level III course and/or the recommendation of the level III instructor.

Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirement. e- Foreign Language

Spanish (AP)

For advanced placement course in a foreign language, it is a ‘TOTAL’ immersion course whose objective is proficiency in Spanish and French in writing, speaking, and reading comprehension. The Spanish IV AP Language and Culture course provides students with opportunities to develop language proficiency across the three modes of communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational. Students learn about culture through the use of authentic materials that are representatives of the Spanish-speaking world. The course focuses on the integration of authentic resources that include a variety of different media, e.g., journalistic and literary works, internet sources, interviews, audiovisual resources, charts, and graphs. Students will use these resources in order to understand and synthesize sources. AP Spanish Language and Culture is a language acquisition course designed to provide students with the necessary skills and intercultural understanding to enable them to communicate successfully in an environment where Spanish is spoken and as such, is an immersion experience requiring exclusive use of Spanish, a requirement which class participation grades reflect.

The course is divided into six thematic units which are further based on recommended contexts and guided by essential questions. Corresponding cultural elements are integrated into the study of the units, and activities are directed with those cultural connections in mind. It is assumed that students have previously been exposed to advanced language structures in the courses leading up to the AP Spanish Language and Culture course; however, review of the mechanics is done within the contextual framework of each unit as needed.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of 90% or higher in a prep class or 83% or higher in an honors class is required to qualify for honors or AP the following year. Must have strong speaking, listening, and reading comprehension skills.
Requirements: Maintain a B (83%) average or higher throughout the academic year. Registration for the AP examination in May.

Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirement. e- Foreign Language