Course Description
Spanish w Embedded Health Syllabus
Languages are best learned in context, and languages are inherently about community. For those reasons, we take a unique approach to learning Spanish at Aim Academy. Rather than focusing on Spanish itself in our intermediate class, we use Spanish as a vehicle to study other academic subjects. This approach is known as Content-Based Instruction (or CBI) in the United States and as Content and Language Integrated Learning (or CLIL) in Europe.
We encourage students to spend 3-4 years in our intermediate class. For this reason, we rotate topics each year (health one year, followed by economics, then geography, then current events). During their time in this class, students are exposed to a wide range of real-world topics while they work to improve their Spanish communication skills. Since we embed different subject areas into our intermediate Spanish course each year, students can earn not only a Spanish credit, but also a credit for the other subject area that we study.
In our Spanish with Embedded Health course, we will use materials from many different countries to study different aspects of personal and community health, from human growth and development to nutrition to stopping the spread of infectious diseases. Throughout the year, we will look at posters, documents, and videos that teach about these different topics, and students will create projects each week that share (in Spanish) what they have learned. In this way, students will get contextualized practice with reading, listening, speaking, and writing Spanish. Students in this class will have varied backgrounds and ability levels, but each student will be able to tailor the work to his or her own needs.
Course Structure
We begin the school year with a pretest and end with a post-test. Otherwise, each week of class follows a uniform format, which is as follows: Each week has a topic related to the study of health (for instance, a week’s topic might be dietary guidelines, disease prevention, or the importance of exercise). Students are presented with a list of materials in Spanish about that week’s topic (videos, infographics, blogs, websites, etc., as can be seen in this sample). Students spend time throughout the week reviewing those materials, and they create and share a project in Spanish about the week’s topic. Students are encouraged to be creative and have fun with their projects (projects from previous years can be seen here).
Students are expected to spend time doing things in Spanish at least five days each week, and they report their efforts on a weekly timesheet. The weekly timesheets and the weekly projects make up the bulk of their grade for the class.
Who should apply?
This class is geared toward 9th-12th graders (generally speaking, younger students will probably do better in our Middle School Spanish class). We recommend that students have some prior experience with Spanish before enrolling in this class; otherwise, we generally recommend Spanish 1. Parents are welcome to reach out to Sr. Nance by email to ask questions about placement.
Technology Requirements:
- High speed, broadband Internet
- headset and microphone (for live sessions)
- Streaming video capabilities to watch recorded lectures
Evaluation and Feedback
It is our belief that students learn best when they are comfortable and engaged in the work that they are doing. We also believe that languages are learned through large amounts of exposure to engaging, comprehensible input. Therefore, our focus is not on small details, but rather on the big picture. Students who complete their work in a timely manner and make a habit of participating in our weekly Live Class sessions can expect to do well in the class. Feedback on specific assignments tends to be supportive feedback rather than corrective feedback, but we do comment on common or easily avoidable mistakes. Students who are looking for more corrective feedback (particularly concerning the mechanics of the language) should consider supplementing this course with our self-paced Spanish Grammar course.
Communication
Barring unusual circumstances, we grade assignments within 48 hours and reply to student messages within 24 hours.
Instructor email: dnance@aimacademy.online
Dillon B. (Student in Spanish Current Events) –
I loved this class! I really liked the teachers, they were always responsive and engaged during and after class times. They will always answer your questions quickly and will be supportive and willing to help you catch up in case you get behind during class. I would recommend this class to anyone who wants to learn Spanish in a comfortable environment, and I would even recommend this class to the seasoned Spanish speaker who is just looking to keep their Spanish skills up.
Safiyah A. (Student in Spanish Current Events) –
This course has helped me learn Spanish quickly, and it was very fun! While I was learning I interacted with people all over America, had great discussions, and viewed interesting news articles. I say thank you to everyone who has helped with this course, and to my classmates.
Hilary Stanton (Parent in Spanish Current Events) –
My son enjoyed this class because the Spanish learning was applied to current events rather than being learned as a subject in isolation. The combination of consistent practice via duolingo and immersion with listening to and watching Spanish podcasts and shows was both engaging and reinforced learning in multiple ways. His Spanish improved significantly over the course of the year and he plans to continue next year with Spanish and Health.
Simon (Student in Spanish Current Events) –
Both the Nances are effective and engaging teachers. They integrate culture and spanish speaking into live class conversation. They focus on immersion in the language, which is very effective, but they don’t hesitate to explain Spanish grammar when questions about it come up. The balance between Duolingo, projects, and weekly timesheets is perfect for lots of immersion in the language plus gaining grammar knowledge at the same time. It is an all around great class which I highly recommend.
Elijah (Student in Spanish Current Events) –
This Spanish class has very friendly and fun live classes. Before my first live class, I was a little nervous, but by the end of my first class, I felt completely comfortable and was no longer nervous at all. Although the concept of immersion isn’t what works best for me personally, it was still an enjoyable class for me.