In today’s global economy, fluency in more than one language is a great advantage. At Sandy High School students can choose to enroll in Spanish or American Sign Language (ASL) course. Spanish and is available from the first through fourth year levels. Students who take Spanish levels three and four have the opportunity to earn transferable college credits through a cooperative program with Mt. Hood Community College – this is an opportunity to save money and get ahead in academic and career goals.

Most four year colleges and universities require at least two years of high school instruction in a world language, with a C- or better, for admission. World Language courses count toward the three credits required in either world languages, fine arts, or career and technical education to graduate from Sandy High School.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE 2

Entry Level: 10

Prerequisite: ASL 1 or teacher approval

Length: Year

American Sign Language 2 (ASL) is the continuation of ASL 1. The content includes the basic receptive and expressive sign skills and sign vocabulary required to be able to communicate at a beginner's level in American Sign Language. Included in the class content are beginning linguistic and grammatical principles, appropriate facial markers and body movement, the manual alphabet and signed numbers, information on the effect of deafness on the individual, needed terms, and information about the deaf culture and community.

SPANISH 1

Entry Level: 9

Length: Year

Spanish 1 is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Spanish. Students will learn basic grammar in an oral/aural context in each class. Students of Spanish 1 will expect to develop the four facets of language in the areas of speaking, listening, basic reading and writing as well as an appreciation of target-language cultures.

SPANISH 2

Entry Level: 10

Length: Year

Prerequisite: Spanish 1

Designed to build upon students’ language abilities developed in Spanish 1. Students will explore more advanced grammar, idiomatic expressions, speak/read/write in the past and present in Spanish as well as develop academic and survival language that will prepare them for the future in the job market as well as travel.

SPANISH 3

Entry level: 11

Length: Year

Prerequisite: Spanish 2

Spanish 3 is a course in which students will move beyond the initial survival language into talking about more complex, abstract topics. At the end of this course, students will be able to express themselves in the past, present, future, and hypothetical situations using complex grammar structures and specialized vocabulary. This class is designed for students who wish to achieve fluency by means of grammar-based activities, structured communication practice, open-ended expression, listening activities, role plays, and memorization of vocabulary related to various thematic units. Focus will be on communication in all of its forms; reading, writing, listening, with the main emphasis being on speaking. *This course can be applied to the Honors Diploma.

SPANISH 4

Entry level: 12

Length: Year

Prerequisite: Spanish 3

Spanish 4 is designed for students who wish to achieve fluency and improve their vocabulary beyond everyday survival language through the study of current events and present day issues. Students will continue to use the advanced grammar concepts learned in Spanish 3, gaining a better understanding and use of these concepts through both guided and open-ended practice.

*Students in this course may be eligible to register for college credit.

*This course can be applied to the Honors Diploma.

SPANISH FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS

Entry Level: 9-12

Length: Year

Prerequisite: The student must be a heritage speaker or have teacher approval.

*This course is for elective credit and can be repeated for elective credit

In this class, students will be introduced to the study of grammar to reinforce their Spanish speaking and writing skills. The student is expected to participate orally through daily conversations in Spanish. The differences between formal and informal language, both oral and written, will be stressed throughout the year. Students will be given the opportunity to earn up to 4 World Language credits through proficiency assessment credit of Spanish 1, 2, 3, and/or 4. This proficiency credit includes the necessary credits to meet the 4 year college admission requirements.