TAMALPAIS UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Larkspur, California

Course of Study

HONORS SPANISH 7/8

I.  INTRODUCTION

Honors Spanish 7-8 is a one-year course that is designed to offer more intensive work in oral proficiency for the student who is adequately prepared and who desires to achieve a higher level of competency in the language that would not be possible in the regular Spanish 7-8 course.  A more extensive development of skills is emphasized and an expanded variety of materials, resources, and instructional strategies are utilized.

II.  STUDENT OUTCOMES

In addition to the proficiencies described in the section for Spanish 7-8, the Honors course will emphasize the following:

1.  LISTENING Skill LevelB The assessed proficiency of the student understanding the Spanish language.  (Advanced High of the ACFTL Scale, or 2+ of the Interagency Language Roundtable).

Able to understand the essentials of all speech in a standard dialect including technical discussions within a special field.  Has effective understanding of face-to-face speech, delivered with normal clarity and speed in a standard dialect, on general topics and areas of special interest: understands hypothesizing and supported opinions.  Has broad enough vocabulary that rarely has to ask for paraphrasing or explanation.  Can follow accurately the essentials of conversations between educated native speakers, reasonably clear telephone calls, radio and television broadcasts, news stories similar to wire service reports, oral reports, some oral technical reports and public addresses on non-technical subjects; can understand without difficulty all forms of standard speech concerning a special professional field.  Does not understand native speakers if they speak very quickly or use some slang or dialect.  Can often detect emotional overtones.  Can understand implications.

2.  READING skill levelB The assessed proficiency of the student in understanding the Spanish written language (Advanced High of the ACTFL Scale, or 2+ of the Interagency Language Roundtable).

Able to read within a normal range of speed and with almost complete comprehension a variety of authentic prose material on unfamiliar subjects.  Reading ability is not dependent on subject matter knowledge, although it is not expected that the student can comprehend thoroughly subject matter which is highly dependent on cultural knowledge or which is outside his/her general experience and not accompanied by explanation.  Text types include news stories similar to wire service reports or international news items in major periodicals, routine correspondence, general reports= all of these may include hypothesis, argumentation, and supported opinions.  Misreading rare.  Almost always able to interpret material correctly, relate ideas and Aread between the lines,@ (that is, understand the writers= implicit intents in texts of the above types).  Can get the gist of more sophisticated texts, but may be unable to detect or understand subtlety and nuance.  Rarely has to pause over or reread general vocabulary.  However, may experience some difficulty with unusually complex structure and low frequency idioms.

3.  SPEAKING Skill LevelB The assessed proficiency of the individual in speaking the Spanish language (Advanced High of the ACTFL Scale, or 2+ of the Interagency Language Roundtable).

Able to speak Spanish with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social and professional topics.  Nevertheless, the student=s limitations generally restrict the professional contexts of language use to matters of shared knowledge and/or international convention.  Discourse is cohesive.
The student uses the language acceptably, but with some noticeable imperfections; yet, errors virtually never interfere with understanding and rarely disturb the native speaker.  The individual can effectively combine structure and vocabulary to convey his/her meaning accurately.  The individual speaks readily and fill pauses suitably.  In face-to-face conversation with natives speaking the standard dialect at a normal rate of speech, comprehension is quite complete.  Although cultural references, proverbs, and the implications of nuances and idiom may not be fully understood, the individual can easily repair the conversation. Pronunciation may be obviously foreign.  Individual sounds, are accurate; but stress, intonation, and pitch control may be faulty.

Examples: Can typically discuss particular interests and special fields of competence with reasonable ease.  Can use the language as part of the normal professional duties such as answering objections, clarifying points, justifying decisions, understanding the essence of challenges, stating and defending policy, conducting meetings, delivering briefings, or other extended and elaborate informative monologues.  Can reliably elicit information and informed opinion from native speakers.  Structural inaccuracy is rarely the major cause of misunderstanding.  Use of structural devices is flexible and elaborate.  Without searching for words or phrases, the student uses the language clearly and relatively naturally to elaborate concepts freely and make ideas easily understandable to native speakers.  Errors occur in low-frequency and highly complex structures.

4.  WRITING Skill LevelB The assessed proficiency of the student in writing the Spanish language.  (Advanced High of the ACTFL Scale, or 2+ of the Interagency Roundtable).

Able to use Spanish effectively in most formal and informal written exchanges on practical, social and professional topics.  Can write reports, summaries, short library research papers on current event, on particular areas of interest with reasonable ease.  Control of structure, spelling and general vocabulary is adequate to convey his/her message accurately but style may be obviously foreign.  Errors virtually never interfere with comprehension and rarely disturb the native reader.  Punctuation generally controlled.  Employs a full range of structures.  Control of grammar good with only sporadic errors in basic structures, occasional errors in the most complex frequent structures and somewhat more frequent errors in low frequency complex structures.  Consistent control of compound and complex sentences.  Relationship of ideas is consistently clear.

5.  CULTURE

Exposure to a greater variety of cultural realism will be made to the students through various media presentations.  In-depth study will be completed regarding the geographical features, people and customs of Spanish speaking countries.

6.  GRAMMAR CONCEPTS

In addition to those listed for Spanish 7-8, grammatical concepts for the Honors class will include:

a.  Verbs
Indicative:
Preterit vs Imperfect (good control 70% of the time).
Future of probability (present).
All compound tenses.
Conditional:
Simple, Compound.
Subjunctive:
Present 80% Present Perfect Imperfect 50%
Pluperfect
Subjunctive used with impersonal & adjectival phrases.
Compulsory usage with verbs and conjunctions.
Contrary to fact (simple tenses).
Ser & Estar:
(good control 90% of the time).

b.  Nouns/Adj. And Idioms
Adv.: 
ya, todavia, aun (correct usage).
Pronouns: 
Reflexive with lo to express involuntary or unexpected action. 
Reciprocal reflexives:
Nos escribimos frecuentemente.
Some knowledge of : 
se.  Se instead of the Atrue@ passive.

c.  Word Order 

Very correct word order with accurate placement of the pronouns (simple & double). 

d.  Other

Some complex descriptions and narration.  Able to express and defend an opinion on a controversial subject with persons who do not agree.  Occasional hesitation in speaking.  Able to rephrase.

III. ASSESSMENT

Students should expect to meet the demands of this Honors level course including more rapid coverage of content, higher levels of proficiency and increased participation.  Evaluation will be based upon class participation, oral exhibitions, written assignments, oral and written examinations including a final semester exam.  

IV.  METHODS AND MATERIALS

A. Materials
1.  Taped TV and radio news and cultural programs recorded directly from local Spanish language stations.

2.  Spanish language weekly newspaper AEl Mensajero@.

3.  Audio tapes from the ACircling the Globe@ series.

4.  Handouts on fine grammar points.

5.  Commercial VHS-TV tapes in Spanish related to cultural materials.

6.  Textbooks: Basic Spanish Grammar, Jarvis, Labredo, Mena.
Toronto:D.C. Heath and Company, 1980.

Conversacion y Controversiam, Topicos de hoy y de Siempre, Diaz/Nino Iorillo.  Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1991.

7.  Amsco supplementary workbook.

8.  Diccionario de modismos ingleses y norteamericanos.  A Torrents Del Prats.  Editorial Juventud, S.A. Provenza, Barcelona.

9.  Trabajo y Vida.  Garfinkel-Latorre.  Rowley: Newbury House Publishers, Inc. 1983.

10.  AUna vez mas@ supplementary workbook.

V.  GENERAL INFORMATION

Honors Spanish 7-8 is a two semester sequence course which carries 5 credits per semester and is open to students who meet the prerequisites. .  This course may be approved for Honors credit by the University of California. If so, it will carry a weighted grade (check current year’s UC “a-g” list).. 

A.  Prerequisites
Students who have earned a grade of B or better in Spanish 6, have their Spanish 6 teacher=s recommendation, and have successfully completed the Honors Spanish entrance exam will be eligible for this course.  Students must pass an Oral Proficiency Interview with the teacher assigned to conduct the class.  The assessed proficiency of the candidate in speaking the Spanish language must be at the Advanced level of the ACTFL Scale, or 2 of the Interagency Language Round-table.  Students must be responsible for requesting the required reading material to be completed prior to the first day of class.  The reading material must be obtained during the last week of Spanish 6.  The candidate will have the summer to read and to prepare for Spanish Honors 7-8.

Students must maintain a C average in the first semester in order to enroll for the 2nd semester.

B.  Requirements Met
This course is accepted towards the Ae & g@ requirement for UC admissions.  It is also accepted for CSU Foreign Language requirement

Approved: 2/22/94
Revised: 7/26/01	

Hon Span 7-8.wpd