Course Syllabus

SPANISH IV

Prerequisite: Spanish III

This is an advanced, full year course in the Spanish language designed to increase fluency in all four language skills. The course stresses the refinement of conversational skills on practical topics that include: relationships, the community, transportation, nutrition, health, shopping, leisure activities, nature and climate.  Students are often called upon to work in pairs or small groups so as to simulate a natural conversational setting, and are expected to interact entirely in Spanish, as the class is taught primarily in the target language.  The Roundtable learning strategy is employed to foster participation, cooperation and critical analysis via discussions.

Grammar practice includes a more comprehensive use of the verbal system. At least five tenses are studied: the present (simple and progressive), the past (preterite and imperfect), the future (immediate and distant), the conditional and the present perfect; the pronoun system (personal, object, reflexive and demonstrative); the verbal moods (indicative, imperative and the subjunctive).  Writing is taught through a variety of complex activities including personal essays about the topics studied, available in the primary textbook (Exprésate 2) and additional resources.

Each unit furthers cultural awareness of the Spanish speaking world by analyzing short stories, biographies and articles available in the main textbook and supplemental texts. A comprehensive literary component includes the analysis of poems by Pablo Neruda, Antonio Portela, Mario Benedetti among other authors; vignette stories from the novel La Casa en Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros that reflect the experiences of immigrants of Spanish-speaking countries to the United States, and the novel Antes de ser libres by Julia Alvarez that provides a panorama of a critical period in the history of the Dominican Republic. These texts serve to encourage the expression of thoughts and opinions, and the development of critical thinking skills.  Written reports and oral presentations of global events further the goal of training for competence in the target language. Spanish songs and films supplement the program. 

Drawing, spelling and learning games are played frequently to reinforce vocabulary and grammar acquisition.  Role-playing is used as a tool to incorporate the vocabulary and grammar presented within a specific context, and to encourage creativity to connect emotionally with the target language.  

Assessment

Classroom conversations are used to build confidence and to assess the progress of students in the target language.

Research projects with a writing component and an oral presentation that encompass the units studied, further the goal of training for competence in Spanish, and foster public speaking skills.

Rubrics are used to assess the performance of students for their participation. Students are invited to assess themselves. A writing and oral presentation rubric is used to assess research projects.   

Students of advanced Spanish will:

-Converse and write more broadly in the target language about practical and abstract topics. 

-Demonstrate critical analysis of complex readings and complimentary material in Spanish.

-Have a deeper understanding of the Spanish syntax* system.

-Develop advanced literacy of Spanish grammar and use its concepts in context. 

-Build awareness of the Spanish-speaking world by researching topics related to the course.

*Syntax: the part of grammar that studies linguistic elements concatenated to form correct phrases or clauses.