Espagnol

Would you like to be able to communicate in three languages by the time you graduate? It’s possible at CJS. Your years of French language experience will help you learn Spanish more quickly than you think.

Throughout all four years of Spanish at CJS, speaking and listening are more important than reading and writing. Some students are already conversing fluently by the end of their second year. All students who continue with Spanish through Grade 12 are able to converse with native speakers by the end of their fourth year.

Espagnol 10F

This course is your introduction to one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It does not require prior experience at the grade 8 level. As early as possible, classes are conducted exclusively in Spanish. Various media and interactive websites are used in order to help develop listening and speaking. 

Students are encouraged to speak the language as much as possible, and they will participate in short oral presentations in class. Learning useful vocabulary is more important than grammar at this level. Since this is a first-year course, an effort is made to use vocabulary which is common to both Spain and Hispanic America. Students may create cultural art projects with teachers and Spanish-speaking guests.  

Espagnol 20F

Prerequisite: Espagnol 10F

There is a strong cultural component to the second-year course. Students will be given the opportunity to learn about the food, music, festivals, films, and dance of Hispanic America. Spanish-speaking guests may present information about their traditions, travels, Día de los muertos and Cinco de mayo. They will develop their speaking skills through group presentations, both in class and through video productions related to possible themes such as trip planning, parts of the house and preparing a recipe in a cooking show. As always, there is more emphasis on listening and speaking than on reading and writing. There is some new grammar (especially verb tenses), but this grammar is taught in order to facilitate communication and never just for its own sake. 

Espagnol 30S

Prerequisite: Espagnol 20F

Students in the 30S course continue to develop their speaking fluency through a wide variety of small-group conversations, role-playing, presentations, and games. Students may create children’s books, to be shared with Spanish elementary students in Winnipeg. Working in groups, students prepare and present at least one major video project. There is more use of news sources which are intended for native speakers, so students are challenged to learn about current events while at the same time developing their listening skills. We also view the feature film “Diarios de motocicleta” (The Motorcycle Diaries). Towards the end of the course, students get their first taste of Hispanic literature. As always, grammar is taught in order to facilitate communication and never just for its own sake.

Espagnol 40S 

Prerequisite: Espagnol 30S

The fourth-year course has lots of cultural content and is light on grammar since most of what the students need to know has been taught in previous years. Students continue to develop their speaking fluency through a wide variety of small-group conversations, role-playing, and games, and, as in Grade Eleven, they prepare and present at least one major video project. Students also determine course content through presentations about Spanish-speaking Influencers, traditions, current events, or social issues. 

There is more extensive use of literature, as through short stories, songs, and poetry. At least two feature films are presented.