Spanish Curriculum for high school - Which one ?

[Tami in CA]

I would like to hear what you are using for Spanish at the high school level.

Thanks!

[Karri]

Ds (9th grade) is using Switched on Schoolhouse High School Spanish. He really likes it and has learned quite a bit from it. I like it because it is mostly self-teaching and self-grading. There are only about one to four questions per lesson or test that I have to grade.

 

Hope this helps,

Karri

[Tami in CA]

Rosetta Stone for my daughter who is taking French. I just don't think she is really learning much. I have heard people mention SOS for Spanish. I assume they are talking about Switched on Schoolhouse.

 

Can you tell me a little more about SOS for Spanish? Do you have to buy Spanish I and then Spanish II? Is there a writing component or is it all one the computer?

 

Thanks again for any help.

Tami

[Michelle in GA]

We are using BJU Spanish 1, with the DVD teacher, Mr. Cancino. It is a standard highschool course, and with Mr. Cancino teaching, pretty easy for me to implement. In fact, it is the ONLY way I could do Spanish at home without a tutor.

[mcconnellboys]

My older son also used BJU Spanish I, but with just the audio CD's. I think having the video teacher would be even better. But he did not have any problems with it as it was,

 

Regena

[Samuel]

I would think that once a week for an hour or so wouldn't be too expensive--there a lot of Spanish speakers around. Most home schoolers I know who just learned Spanish at home without chances to speak and listen to normal conversations can't speak it at all. Textbook work is good for grammar, but not for learning how to speak.

 

Also, a language at CC might be a possibility to look into-college languages tend to be more rigorous. But speaking is the main thing I see little utility in studying a language for four years without being able to speak it.

[mcconnellboys]

I agree. We have an educational organization here who provide courses through our area YMCA's. My son also did a class with them so that he had some exposure to actually speaking with others. I know others who have met with a tutor at the library once per week in order to have speaking time.

 

Regena

[Karri]

Spanish I and Spanish II are purchased separately. Each is a one year program. There is a little bit of writing, as in typing in the answers to questions - usually just a sentence. The computer program will grade these answers.

 

The student also answers questions verbally via a microphone (purchased separately) that is hooked up to the computer. You have to grade the spoken answers yourself. This is easy because as you are grading you can listen to the native speaker say the the answer, then compare it to your student's answer.

[Ruth in NC]

My 15yo daughter is doing Spanish I through OSU. It is textbook based but the workbook assignments and tests are graded by OSU staff. She has a weekly conversation with staff, not all of whom are native Spanish speakers. During that time she practices speaking but can ask to go over anything she is having trouble with. We have found OSU to be very accommodating if we had a question or problem. So we will likely do Spanish 2 next year.