Course Introduction

In this course you will be learning advanced grammatical concepts which build upon the knowledge you have previously gained in your Spanish 1, 2, and 3 courses. Therefore, you should have a solid base of basic and intermediate Spanish skills in order to find success in this class.  

Course Description

Spanish 4 is an advanced course designed to enhance students’ oral and written communication as well as expose them to the cultural similarities and differences as these relate to Spanish-speaking countries. Students will acquire a working knowledge of thematic vocabulary and advanced grammatical structures to enhance their ability to communicate. 

This is a yearlong course consisting of 8 units.  Upon successful completion students will receive 1 credit towards high school graduation.

Purpose of the Course

This course is designed to prepare you for AP Spanish courses as well as college level Spanish.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of Spanish 1-3.

Course Overview

Semester 1

• Las relaciones personales
• Las diversions
• La vida diaria
• La salud y el bienestar

Semester 2

• Los viajes
• La naturaleza
• La tecnología y la ciencia
• La economía y el trabajo

Methods of Instruction

Students will prepare for each chapter’s activities by reading vocabulary and grammar explanations, viewing short videos, participating in synchronous sessions, engaging with one another on Canvas, and completing homework assignments and readings on the VHL Supersite. Students’ performance will be assessed through the following ways:

• Homework assignments
• Discussion activities
• Cultural readings
• Readings of a variety of authors and literary genres.
• Personal commentaries
• Unit quizzes
• Unit tests
• Semester end final
• Synchronous Sessions 

Methods of Evaluation

Performance assessments provide meaningful contexts in which to measure authentic communication. In order to ensure that students meet the aforementioned learning objectives, they will be required to demonstrate proficiency through a variety of methods. 

• Homework assignments (listening activities, multiple choice, true and false, short answer, and essay)
• Discussion activities (short answer or essays that will be posted on Canvas for each student to respond to another student’s response)
• Cultural readings (based on a difference Spanish speaking country)
• Literature readings (written by a variety of authors including various literary genres) 
• Personal commentaries (opportunity to synthesize information in the unit in order to share your personal views)
• Unit quizzes (matching, short answer, and essay questions
• Unit tests (matching, short answer, and essay questions
• Semester end final (listening, matching, multiple choice, true and false, short answer, and essay)

Students will demonstrate mastery through the following formative and summative assessments:

• 40%       Assignments
• 10%           Participation 
• 10%           Quizzes
• 25%           Final Exam
• 15%           Unit Tests