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COURSE DESCRIPTION
Advanced Spanish is a course designed to develop student fluency in communication with increased linguistic accuracy. Students will develop greater proficiency in the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) while deepening insight into Spanish-speaking culture. Conducted fully in Spanish, this course develops students' listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills and expands knowledge of the culture and civilization of Spanish-speaking countries. The course includes reading and discussion of modern texts, conversation, composition, grammar review, and cultural activities. Spanish – Advanced is designed for students seeking an advanced alternative to AP® Spanish courses or a post-AP elective.AP® Spanish Language and Culture and Advanced Spanish students will be able to interpret and discuss historical, cultural, and current event topics pertaining to the various communities that exist in the Spanish-speaking world. Six themes are explored throughout the course: Personal and Public Identities, Families and Communities, Global Challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary Life, and Beauty and Aesthetics. Students use information from a wide range of sources to engage in learning, discussion, and analysis activities as they deepen their understanding and confidence of the grammatical structures of the language. Throughout the year, students engage in reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities and assessments. Students may select the AP® or Advanced Spanish track. AP® students are expected to delve deeper into the topics, take AP®-style assessments and prepare for the AP® exam. Advanced Spanish is recommended for students who have completed three or four years of Spanish, but do not want to prepare for the AP® exam. Advanced Spanish may also be appropriate for 9th or 10th grade heritage speakers.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
“I really like the freedom and independence of being able to choose which skills I want to develop. I am so grateful for my teacher for always getting back to me in a timely manner and for helping me, especially since I am in a completely different country. Thank you, and I am excited to keep learning!”WHAT STUDENTS DO
Learning is an active process at One Schoolhouse. Students design, create and apply. And, they engage with classmates and connect with their teachers through discussions, video conferences, and projects. Specifically, in this class students will:
MEET A TEACHER FOR THIS COURSE
SIGNATURE ACTIVITIES
Examples of signature activities and projects for this course are:
OUR RESEARCH-BASED APPROACH TO TEACHING LANGUAGES ONLINE
One Schoolhouse designs competency-based courses with the student-teacher relationship as the cornerstone of our personalized pedagogy. While students excel in our language AP courses, for many years we did not offer full sequence language courses because there was little research to support the efficacy of online language learning at the early levels. The research shows that fewer than 1% of Americans are proficient in the language they studied in traditional classrooms. Not wanting this outcome for One Schoolhouse students, our goal is to inspire deep learning so we strive to ensure that the online learning experience increases the effectiveness of second language acquisition. In recent years, we have honed our approaches to delivering the four language competencies – reading, writing, listening, and speaking – in the online space, and have therefore endeavored to build out our Chinese, French, and Latin sequences. The limitations of other online language programs are mitigated by the centrality of the student-teacher relationship, including interactive sessions where students speak, listen, and translate with their peers and teacher, at One Schoolhouse. J.C. Narcy-Combes’s research on second language learning online shows that, “meaningful interaction will trigger learning processes,” which we know to be true anecdotally, and that, with intentional design, students can be taught to learn language effectively online. Carrier et. al. have more recently shown that educational technologies and online learning are rapidly transforming second language acquisition, and that intentional practice can create a highly effective digital experience. Because One Schoolhouse students have pathway options where they can practice in the target language at their own pace, get feedback from their teacher, interact with peers from around the country, and demonstrate their mastery through both traditional assessments and creative projects, students have the full complement of research-based learning activities in their online courses that you would expect to find in any independent school language program. Additionally, our language teachers have advanced degrees from American universities, are trained in both their language and the best pedagogical practices for delivering language online, teach in independent schools around the US, and are AP readers. COURSE APPROVAL
This course is approved by the NCAA. One Schoolhouse is fully accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges through December 1, 2025; we are an approved online publisher for the University of California. |
Melissa Fairchild
she/her/hers Language Teacher BA Muhlenburg College MA Middlebury College |
