Trimester grades are based on the two marking period grades and a trimester exam given at the end of each trimester. During the first two years of Spanish the students study the fundamentals of Spanish grammar and begin developing skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Spanish 3 is a course which continues the work of the first two years, building on strengths while correcting weak areas. Although Spanish is normally the language of the classroom, the teachers are not inflexible about its use. New grammar and ideas which are particularly complex may be presented in English.
Students answer questions in class dealing with the written homework or assigned reading passages.
Students also give oral speeches and write resumes of reading asssignments as well as short essays on a variety of topics. Videotapes and slides are used occasionally to reinforce cultural and oral understanding. A normal night s homework includes about twenty minutes of grammar review and a short reading assignment. Most students require from thirty to forty-five minutes to prepare thoroughly for class. To learn to speak with a basic oral fluency.