Welcome to Ms. Herrera's Spanish website. Spanish is a two year sequence at Prepatory Academy for Writers beginning in 10th/11th grade and culminating with the New York State Spanish Proficiency Exam in June for 12th graders (FLACS Exam Checkpoint A).
This course is a requirement to graduate. As you will receive 2 credits on your transcript.
Class Overview:
Our Spanish classes are taught using an immersion approach. From the first day of class, at least two thirds of instructional time is completely in Spanish. Class is taught with images, prompts, dialogues, props, music and movement to allow students to follow class and make meaning on their own. English is limited to the last few minutes of class when students are able to take notes, ask questions and check their understanding.
Tips for students and families:
1. You will receive an outline for every unit to help you study. Use it! You know you are ready for a test when you can do everything included on the outline. These outlines will also be included on this website under Español I and Español III tabs.
2. It is important to remember that you learn more when your mind does the work and you figure the new material on your own. Be patient and stay focused even when you don't catch on to something right away. You probably will by the end of class, and you can always ask questions in English at the end of class. Remember- you aren't helping classmates by telling them what something means in English during class!
3. All class activities are designed so that you can participate without speaking any English. Don't speak English during "Spanish only" time. You learn by practicing. You can't be doing your work and speaking English in this class. Your classwork is to participate without speaking English.
4. The point of homework and projects is to put what you've learned in class to use. Don't ask other people to tell you how to say things we haven't learned in class and never use an online translator to translate phrases or sentences. You are allowed to look up a few extra words you might want to include when completing a project, but never copy a sentence from someone else or from a computer program.
5. In the classroom there are posters and signs to help you, but you must do your part to MEMORIZE vocabulary and verb conjugations. You don't really know new material until you can use it without looking at charts and notes.
This course is a requirement to graduate. As you will receive 2 credits on your transcript.
Class Overview:
Our Spanish classes are taught using an immersion approach. From the first day of class, at least two thirds of instructional time is completely in Spanish. Class is taught with images, prompts, dialogues, props, music and movement to allow students to follow class and make meaning on their own. English is limited to the last few minutes of class when students are able to take notes, ask questions and check their understanding.
Tips for students and families:
1. You will receive an outline for every unit to help you study. Use it! You know you are ready for a test when you can do everything included on the outline. These outlines will also be included on this website under Español I and Español III tabs.
2. It is important to remember that you learn more when your mind does the work and you figure the new material on your own. Be patient and stay focused even when you don't catch on to something right away. You probably will by the end of class, and you can always ask questions in English at the end of class. Remember- you aren't helping classmates by telling them what something means in English during class!
3. All class activities are designed so that you can participate without speaking any English. Don't speak English during "Spanish only" time. You learn by practicing. You can't be doing your work and speaking English in this class. Your classwork is to participate without speaking English.
4. The point of homework and projects is to put what you've learned in class to use. Don't ask other people to tell you how to say things we haven't learned in class and never use an online translator to translate phrases or sentences. You are allowed to look up a few extra words you might want to include when completing a project, but never copy a sentence from someone else or from a computer program.
5. In the classroom there are posters and signs to help you, but you must do your part to MEMORIZE vocabulary and verb conjugations. You don't really know new material until you can use it without looking at charts and notes.