Students continue their study of Spanish by further expanding their knowledge of key vocabulary topics and grammar concepts. Students not only begin to comprehend listening and reading passages more fully but also start to express themselves more meaningfully in both speaking and writing. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme and grammar concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural presentations, and interactive activities and practices which reinforce vocabulary and grammar. There is a strong emphasis on providing context and conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit. Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own language learning, understand intermediate vocabulary terms and phrases, use a wide range of grammar patterns in their speaking and writing, participate in conversations and respond appropriately to conversational prompts, analyze and compare cultural practices and perspectives of various Spanish-speaking countries, and take assessments where their language progression can be monitored. The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Students explore professions, clothing, the home, the body, reflexive verbs, cognates and numbers, vacations, the telephone, directions, transportation, medical words, sports, the outdoors, travel words, and vocabulary associated with computers.
