Se Habla Espanol!
Many parents have asked about improvements in our Modern Languages Department. I can happily provide an update for the Spanish department, where approximately 70% of our students enroll to receive their third language training.
This year, we will see various curriculum initiatives. In May 2016, our 7th and 8th grade students, and many of our 10th and 11th graders, will sit for the prestigious DELE exam, administered by the Cervantes Institute. Last year, 85% of our students, who sat for the exam, passed the very challenging DELE that attests to the quality of our Spanish acquisition.
Some 9th and 10th grade students will also sit for the exam this year, though our goal is that eventually all students will take the DELE.
Through contacts established by our teacher, Juan Riquelme, one of our two new native-speaking teachers, we have established a relationship with the Colegio de Educacion Secundaria Mediterránea in Valencia, Spain. Through Skype, Facebook and other social media, students will have opportunities to communicate with Spanish peers by utilizing their language skills.
Various other initiatives will make learning Spanish more dynamic this year, ranging from projects involving the visual arts, film, music and sports. Most of these new projects are enhanced by the use of the iPad. Our objective is for students to discover and learn the practical uses of a third language and to understand “language as culture.” But don’t rely solely on my information. Click on this link to see for yourself the impressive work our Spanish department is developing for 2015-16!
David Cardenas
Hisar Spanish Blog: http://hisar2015.blogspot.com.tr/