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Spanish
All courses emphasize oral language acquisition. The primary
goals are to have students speak and understand the spoken
language. The
conversational courses are usually taught in the evenings and
differ from the academic courses primarily in breadth. In
other words, evening courses are less extensive in material
covered. Also, these courses
usually do not have a lab requirement and usually meet just once
a week. At times, conversation courses are adapted for
specialized needs (i.e., Spanish for law enforcement officers,
Spanish for medical personnel, etc.). Emphasis is placed on
achievements and contributions to American
society as well as on roles within the complex dynamics of
racial and ethnic relations. The regular academic courses meet
on a daily basis. They have a lab requirement and are more
extensive. The academic courses are more demanding and require
more testing of acquired skills. A person serious about
learning a language well might profit most by taking the
academic courses simply because of the greater exposure to the
language. Better yet, it might be advisable for someone to take
both the academic courses and the conversational courses. Due
to the sequential nature of the program, those without previous
language background in Spanish are encouraged to begin course
work fall quarter.
As part of cultural enrichment, a traditional travel/study
program to Spanish speaking countries is occasionally sponsored during the
summer. This program is open to students 17 years of age or
older and to the general public. Participants not only have the
opportunity of traveling to fascinating places, but also may
receive college credit for this experience. Credits are granted
in the areas of Spanish and Ethnic Studies. For additional
information, contact Mr. Chama. |
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The courses will develop the language skills necessary for
functional proficiency and creative use of the selected
language. Using a communicative, task oriented, and interactive
approach the student will explore the language, people, and
culture of the country. The courses emphasize communication and
understanding of the spoken word, and meet on a daily basis.
Modern technology provides the student the materials necessary to support the classroom interaction and, in
a sense, create his/her own ‘language lab’, necessary for the
acquisition of a foreign language. During the academic year
students will be exposed to a variety of cultural materials,
i.e. films, videos, music, poetry; and they will have the
opportunity to explore topics of personal interest, using their
newly acquired language skills. The coursework is demanding and
regular assessment of the student’s performance will provide
valuable insight into the student’s progress. One of the goals
of the course is to equip students with the skills necessary to
travel and to participate comfortably in interactions with
native speakers. Another is to provide the student with the
skills needed to continue the study of the language. French is
especially useful for careers in education, medicine, science,
international studies and the arts. German is especially useful
of careers in education, business, science, and international
law. |
