¡Bienvenidos a la página de nuestra clase de español!

Visit this page for class procedures, assignments, grades, and announcements.  Later in the year you will even find links to student pages listed on here.

Weekly Schedule

This class meets fourth period (12:25-1:35) Tuesday-Friday in Room 2 of the Modular building.

 

Class Expectations

In order to help class run smoothly and aid in your learning these expectations must be followed:

    1) Show, at all times, respect for other students, the teacher, and yourself.

    2) Be on time.  That means in the room and at your seat before class starts.

    3) Come to class prepared.

 

Grading Policy

All work is due at the beginning of class on the day required, unless otherwise instructed.  Because it is extremely important to learn good work habits, any work turned in after the assigned time will be deducted 10% (one full letter grade) for each day it is late.

 

Absences

If you are absent, you are the one responsible for finding out about any missing work and turning it in.  For each day you are late, you are granted two days as a grace period to make up work before it is counted as late.  For example, if you were absent on Tuesday, any work due on Tuesday would be due on Thursday.  If you were absent on Tuesday and Wednesday, you would have four days to make up missing work.  If you were absent for more than three days in a row, we will work together on a special make-up plan.  If you have a planned absence and would like to request work before you leave, please do so a minimum of two days before you will be out.

 

Class Materials

All handouts and graded work are to be saved in your notebook unless you are told otherwise.    These will be good resources for helping you study for all quizzes, tests, and exams.  In addition to your Spanish textbook, you will be given a Grammar and Vocabulary Workbook and a Practice and Activity Workbook.  You will also need to purchase a Spanish/English dictionary; please see me if you are having trouble finding one.  You will also need 3x5 index cards for making up vocabulary flash cards.  You must bring your binder, textbook, two workbooks, dictionary, index cards, and pens/pencils to class with you each day unless otherwise instructed.

 

Tips for Doing Well in Spanish Class

1)      Do all your homework!  I know this sounds simple, but the first few years of learning a foreign language involve a lot of repetition and memorization.  Your homework will go quickly, and will be an important part in helping you to master Spanish instead of just picking up a word here and there.

2)      Make flash cards.  This year you will be learning basic sentence structure, but before you can even build a sentence you will have to have words to use.  Flash cards help immensely in learning new words.

3)      Listen to the language.  Occasionally we all discover a radio or television show in Spanish.  Whenever possible, pause the dial right there to listen for a while.  Even if it’s only a few minutes at a time, this brief exposure will help you catch on to the rhythm of the language and how certain things are pronounced.  It is also fun to go through and find people actually using your vocabulary words.

4)      Set a goal.  Pick a Spanish-speaking place or country that you want to visit, and make it your goal to go there someday and be able to converse with the locals about the best local hang-outs: restaurants, hikes, beaches, historical sites, etc.  You will learn a lot more from the locals than from any guidebook, and you will learn even more from those locals if they know you are making a genuine effort to speak to them in their own language.  If you’re curious about some good Spanish-speaking places to visit, we can talk about this in more depth.

5)      Study/Work abroad.  In my opinion, absolutely the best way to learn a foreign language is to study or work abroad.  Nothing develops your Spanish-speaking skill level, your confidence, your appreciation for the beauty of the world, and your understanding of other cultures quite like studying or working abroad.

                

Thinkwave

I have a computer grade book program that allows me to quickly figure out your grade, see how many days you’ve missed, and many other nice features.  One thing it does is let me publish your grades on the internet, allowing you to access them any time you are near a computer with an internet connection.  Sometime in the next few days I will give you your own login name and password.  Once you have those, you may begin checking your grades.  You will also be able to change your login name & password to something that is easy for you to remember.  I will also issue separate login names & passwords to your parents or guardians, so they will be able to check your grades online as well.  To visit Thinkwave go to http://www.thinkwave.com.

Parents and students: check grades at http://www.thinkwave.com/!

Email me at cgostlin@colosys.net.

Visit my class web pages at http://www.oocities.org/cgostlin.