First-year

This course serves as an introduction to the Spanish language and to Spanish-speaking cultures. We begin with real-life situations such as greetings, introductions, and simple questions, building confidence in using and listening to the new sounds that Spanish introduces to students. As we move through the book, Avancemos, we learn about different Latin American countries and their cultures. Students are introduced to the present tense of common regular verbs, as well as the present tense of "ser," "estar," "ir," and "tener," (which are irregular). They also learn how to express things that will happen in the near future. In the writing exercises, correct spelling of the vocabulary is emphasized. Spanish is by no means limited to textbook-based work, but employs activities including conversations, crafts, skits, games, food, music and writing to add context to the lessons.

Second-year

This course is a review and continuation of first-year Spanish. Listening and speaking skills are further enhanced and writing is presented as a component of most activities. Present-tense forms of verbs are reviewed and built on and stem-changing verbs are introduced. Vocabulary building remains a priority throughout the year, allowing students to expand on simple sentences to create complex and unique expressions. Our students practice by way of reading a wide array of materials (children's books, music lyrics, posters, as well as the text). Exercises, just as in first-year Spanish, include game-playing, asking and answering spontaneous questions, and performing skits. We also celebrate holidays in a culturally significant way and, in Spring, delve deeper into the cultural aspects of language learning.

Third-year

The focus of this course is writing, listening, and speaking with as much grammatical fluency as possible. Class is run almost completely in Spanish, and students are encouraged to use Spanish at all times. More verbs and tenses are introduced such as commands, the preterite tense, and additional irregular forms. Text work remains interspersed with hands-on activities.