Departments

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language Department consists of Spanish I, which is offered for high school credit in 8th grade. In Spanish class students will find an opportunity for challenge, cooperation, and enjoyment. They will learn to express themselves on a variety of topics in active conversation. They will learn grammatical concepts of their new language contrasted with English, learn about the cultures of the countries where the foreign language is spoken, and develop skills in reading, writing, speaking and understanding the foreign language.

Susan Lukas is the Spanish Teacher. Below are a few tips for the successful study of a foreign language:

Listen

Listening is particularly important in the beginning because you have to get used to a new set of sounds. You will have to listen carefully to what is being said so that you can answer in Spanish. Listen to the teacher and to your fellow students.

Practice

Learning a foreign language is like learning to play a musical instrument in that you have to practice a little every day. Since learning a language is a gradual, continual process, you will need to use steady consistent study habits. Even though steady, day-by-day work is the best way to learn any subject, it is true that in many courses you can get yourself out of a jam by some high-pressure, last minute cramming. NOT so with foreign language. Get used to spending some time every day with your textbook or notes. Do your homework every night, practicing each word or sentence out loud several times while you picture what it means. Set aside 15 minutes a day, apart from written homework, to practice new and review old vocabulary. Try to spend extra time studying on the weekends.

There is a great deal of memorizing in foreign language learning. Figure out ways to study/memorize that work best for you. Examples:

Write the Spanish list of words down the left side of a sheet of paper. Try to write the English in the column to the right. Check to see if you were right, and fill in any you couldn't remember. Now fold the paper so you see only the English and to the right try to write the foreign word. Follow this procedure until you know the list of words.
Write each word and its definition several times until you know it.
Make a picture dictionary. Instead of writing a definition, draw a picture
Try to find a clue or "hook" to help you remember. For example, in Spanish, vender = to sell. Think of a vending machine that sells you things.

Organize

Look for ways to organize the material you are learning. For example:

Make flashcards: using index cards, write the Spanish word on one side and the English equivalent on the other.
Categorize: As you learn new words, group them into categories (such as nouns, verbs - or places, foods, etc.)
Color: On your flashcards, use one color for one category and a different color for another category.

Enjoy

Don't be afraid to make mistakes in Spanish. Concentrate on getting your message across and have fun doing it.