Spanish

The Spanish program at Welsh Hills School is taught at every level to our students beginning with Children's House and continuing through High School. The program focuses on making students familiar with the foreign language, so that it feels like a natural acquisition of Spanish as they progress. The overarching goal is to provide students with experiences that spark their curiosity to explore other languages and cultures, while enhancing their innate ability to learn different ways to communicate.

 

For toddlers, Spanish is informally integrated into the everyday experiences of the classroom, as the teacher speaks in Spanish about the snacks or color of their clothing and introduces songs and books.

In Children’s House, students have daily exposure to the Spanish language through more formal lessons that engage them in simple dialogue with an emphasis on producing words and sentences in Spanish with appropriate pronunciation. At this level, children also begin to learn about cultural traditions and festivities in the Spanish-speaking world. This exploration of global culture continues and expands throughout the program.

In Lower Elementary, students continue daily lessons that include dialogue and vocabulary relating to current classroom topics and the introduction of writing in Spanish.

 

For the Upper Elementary students, the program expands to include a greater exposure to reading and writing in Spanish, while becoming familiar with grammar rules and basic vocabulary. Older students continue daily Spanish lessons focusing on the study of the language structure and grammar, while promoting cultural awareness through the introduction of the aspects of common life in other countries, exploring the influence of political and economic issues in society.