Why Take a Spanish Course?
¿Hablas español? In a society that is becoming more and more connected, learning to speak another language can be invaluable. Spanish, the fourth most spoken language in the world, should be high on any list of languages to learn.
The number of occupations that require knowledge of Spanish is growing! Knowledge of Spanish is now essential for some jobs in the auto industry, sales industry, airlines, tourism, reception services, social work, law enforcement, and much more.*
First-Year Spanish, Part 1 is a course with a little reading and a lot of practicing—with lots of interactive activities, quizzes, memory-matching activities, read-alongs with native speakers, classmate discussions through recorded videos, and more. The text of this course is engaging, enthusiastic, and personable, with animated videos that follow the story of Ariana’s adventures and misadventures, learning Spanish all along the way.
Foundational Spanish Skills
During this course, students’ understanding of Spanish will increase along with confidence to use it in simple conversations. During this course students learn about several aspects of Spanish language culture, including the following:
- Learn about the Spanish-speaking countries and cultures.
- Introduce yourself and greet others; discuss time, weather, and different classroom activities; use numbers and learn the Spanish alphabet.
- Learn basic grammar to ask questions and use pronouns, verb tenses, and articles.
- Practice conversing in Spanish in online speaking appointments.
Spanish instructor Alicia Coca says that she is “so excited for students to learn with the highly interactive lessons” and that she “can’t say enough positive things” about the course design. This course is all about the students’ progression through the language as they learn more about new cultures and how to enhance their Spanish communication skills.
Students who start learning Spanish in ninth grade can be fairly fluent by the time they graduate! Up to eight semesters of high school Spanish are available (culminating with AP Spanish). Contact an academic advisor for more information: highschool@byu.edu.
“ACTFL Proficiency Levels in the Work World.” Network of Business Language Educators. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2012. Web. 5 May 2015. http://nble.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ACTFLWorkplaceProficiencyAssess.pdf .
