Expectations:

Students will be required to “raise the bar” to challenge themselves to use a higher register of Spanish. They will be expected to study the language regularly and keep up with grammar and structure homework. Students will also write essays, compositions, or informal texts that will be evaluated and assigned a preliminary rubric grade. Once the students correct their errors and return them to me with the original, I will then grade them for credit with a new rubric score for an actual grade. Students will also practice speaking in a variety of contexts, sometimes digitally recording their voices for teacher review and feedback. I listen to their recordings, and offer substantive comments for improvement of oral communication skills. In addition, each student’s daily speaking in class will be very important since students are expected to communicate in Spanish routinely. They should take risks with the language as they do so, trying to use new structures, verb forms, and vocabulary to build their communication skills. Everything required of the students is to help them to reach the learning goals. The work is challenging, but manageable and rewarding, as students recognize the progress that they are making in Spanish communication and feel pride in their accomplishments.