All primary and elementary school students are exposed to Spanish as their foreign language. Our focus of instruction at this level is vocabulary and cultural enrichment. This goal is consistent with the amount of time provided for instruction. Students in all grades engage in a variety of language activities with varying degrees of complexity depending on the skill level. They gain appreciation of cultures other than their own through vocabulary development, readings, direct instruction, and inter-active lessons, songs, and role play.
Students gain an understanding of how language and culture are dependent upon one another. Vocabularies related to family life, school activities, and free time activities are used in pair work, group work, and student-teacher interaction providing opportunities for the creative use of language. The target language is used most of the time and students are expected to respond whenever possible. The four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking are introduced as students have experience with the 5C’s of communication, culture, connections, comparisons, and communities. Teachers utilize computer software and audio and video lessons to improve students’ understanding and use of the language. When students reach middle school, they have the choice of focusing on a single foreign language.