Mexican Independence Day, September 15, 1810: BIENVENIDOS!

¡Hola! ¡Bienvenidos a la clase de español! Hello! Welcome to Spanish Class

Dear Student and Parent or Guardian,

I would like to welcome you to Spanish class. My name is Señora Malisa and I have joined Señora Saunders this year as Spanish teacher. This year I will be teaching 7^th and 8^th grade, and I am really looking forward to interesting students in Spanish language and culture.

My Personal Background

I was born and raised in California but spent two years of my life living in Mexico. One of those years was when I was 16. Not much older than you students! I lived with a Mexican family as an exchange student with American Field Service. This experience changed my life and left me with indelible memories. I would encourage all of you to consider taking advantage of the many opportunities available to students for intercultural exchange. After high school, I went on to get a degree in Global Studies with an emphasis on Latin American Studies, and another degree in Spanish. Studying language and culture is a passion for me, and I have just returned from two years in the Peace Corps, where I served in Tanzania, East Africa and met my husband. We currently live in Sebastopol with our baby, Elias.

Expectations for the Classroom Environment

I encourage students to take Spanish class seriously. I guarantee you that with a little bit of interest and effort, you will absorb so much more than an ability to order Mexican food! Depending on grade level, we will continue to increase students’ linguistic base and broaden their cultural awareness. Classes are designed to be anxiety free, supportive and fun. But they are also challenging and time consuming! Luckily in Spanish, you learn more when you have fun, so expect to enjoy the class. At the same time, it takes time and preparation. Just like a musician learns an instrument, a language learner must put in a lot of time before the real fun begins.

Academic Expectations

Come to each class prepared. We will always have homework assignments, although they won’t always be difficult. We will have weekly quizzes and respectful classroom participation is required. Chapter tests and final exams will be given, but as one cannot learn a language by cramming for a test, they do not comprise the largest part of your grade.

Family Expectations

I expect that students will be informing and educating their families on what they are learning in Spanish class. In turn, I expect that the families will support their students learning process. Language is a social tool and cannot be learned without frequent practice with others. Practice at home. Act goofy. Learn Spanish.

First Assignment

The first assignment is to tag 20 items in the household with the Spanish name for the object. Make a list of the objects and have it signed by an adult family member to bring to the next class along with a three ring binder especially for Spanish class. This will be your own personal dictionary and compilation of all the work you will do throughout the year. Your portfolio will be graded at the end of the year as a final project.

Have fun… ¡ y Muchas gracias!

Señora Malisa,

Spanish Teacher

TOP TEN TIPS FOR LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

Don't expect to be perfect!

Can you remember when learned to ride a bicycle? Did you ride perfectly from the first time you sat on the seat? When learning a new language, expect that you will make mistakes, and don't be embarrassed by them!

Work on developing an "ear" for Spanish.

Remember that language is first and foremost oral communication. A written alphabet is merely a collection of symbols used to represent the sounds of the language, and cannot be expected to capture every nuance of sound and intonation. Try to develop a "good ear" for Spanish. An easy and fun way to do this is by listening to Spanish music, watching Spanish movies, or watching Spanish cable TV.

Practice SPEAKING!

The only way to learn to speak a language, is by actually SPEAKING. You can study for years, and master all of the grammar rules, but unless you actually practice speaking, you will never speak well. When you are practicing speaking, remember to do it out loud, at normal conversational volume.

Be consistent.

To really learn a language takes time and committment. Consistency is by far the most important factor. If you can devote a solid twenty minutes a day, nearly every day, you will be far more successful than if you "cram" for an hour or two, but only sporadically.

Talk to yourself.

When learning a foreign language, it is common for listening skills to develop more rapidly than speaking skills, leaving the learner in the unfortunate situation of being able to understand, but unable to respond. A good way to surmount this problem is to talk to yourself as much as possible. Because there is no one else around, you won't be weighed down by the inhibition that so frequently burdens the beginning language student.

Use flashcards.

One of the best tips we can give you is to make and use flashcards. Make cards that are small enough to easily carry with you, and write the English on one side and Spanish on the other. Be sure to ALWAYS have some cards with you. This way, you can capture "wasted" time (standing in line, riding the bus, waiting for class to start, etc.) and turn it into productive study time. Even if you only have a couple of minutes, you can use it to study a few flashcards.

Label your surroundings.

Make labels for things all over your house. For example: la pared (wall), la puerta (door), el escritorio (desk) etc. Remove the labels only after you have mastered the vocabulary.

Be patient.

Progress in language learning does not follow a straight-line graph. You cannot expect to make the same amount of progress, day after day, week after week. You may find yourself struggling at times, seeming to make no progress. Don't let this discourage you. It is normal to reach plateaus in your learning progress. If you find yourself "stuck" try spending time going back and reviewing things that you already know well. Often this will help prepare you to break through to the next level.

Find a partner.

Try to find a native speaker who can be your conversation partner. This can be your greatest asset and perhaps you can also provide assistance to your partner in your native language.

Read out loud.

Try reading out loud. You will get all of the benefits of reading, plus you'll get really good pronunciation practice. In fact, as a beginner, you should read aloud as much as possible.

Mexican Independence Day, September 15, 1810

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Amigos for learning SPANISH

BIENVENIDOS!

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TOP TEN TIPS FOR LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE