Heritage Language Programs - Spanish
Spanish for Native Speakers / Anne M. Dorner / Ossining Union Free School District
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Address: 100 Van Cortlandt
Ossining, NY 10562
Languages/Dialects taught: Spanish
Grades: 6/7-8
Contact: Vilma M. Lesmo, Teacher
Email: vlesmo@ossining.k12.ny.us
Purposes and goals of the program
To increase the knowledge of Spanish speakers of the Spanish language.
Type of program
- Immersion
- Content-based
Parents' expectations for the program
Their children will continue to learn and increase their knowledge of their native tongue
Staff's expectations for the program
Same as the parents
Students
- First generation immigrants
- Second-generation immigrants
- Children of interethnic marriages
Countries of origin: Most South American countries are represented as well as Central America, Latin America and Mexico. (Some Portuguese children that speak Spanish are included.)
Total student enrollment: Approximately 100
The program identifies who is a heritage speaker by:
- Parent self selection (The parents choose the class for their children).
- Recent Spanish - speaking immigrants
- Results of a home language survey
Percentage of students who complete the program: 100%
Percentage of students who continue to study the heritage language after completing the program: 100%
Possible reasons for not completing the program: Choosing to study another language at the high school level or going on to Advance Placement Spanish.
Instructors
Number of staff in program: 3
Languages in which staff members are proficient: Spanish
Level of proficiency for staff members: Complete fluency
Credentials
Teacher certification: Spanish credential from New York state
MA in Spanish Literature
Professional development opportunities that teachers have: very little at this point.
Professional development opportunities that teachers need: We need workshops on teaching heritage Spanish speakers. It seems that most workshops and courses are in the southwest and on the west coast.
Instruction
Hours per week that students receive instruction: 4 hours a week
Students are grouped by grade:
- 1st year (6 th – 7 th grade)
- 2nd year (8 th grade)
Heritage Skills
- Listening
- Speaking
- Reading
- Writing
Skills and levels of language proficiency that students reach by the end of the program:
They are able to
- Read original literature.
- Recognize basic grammar.
- Write essays and recognize different genres of literature.
Culture taught
- Geography
- History
- Festivals
- Customs
- Traditions/beliefs
- Religion
- Folktales
- Social and cultural norms
- Cultural appropriateness
- Literature
Materials
Textbook series used:
- Tu Mundo- McGraw Hill (Glencoe)
Other materials used for instruction:
- Spanish literature
- Latin American literature
Technology used in the program:
- Students make presentations using Power Point in the 2nd level.
- Research papers are done in the computer lab.
Kind of assessments
- Weekly quizzes
- Chapter tests
- Mid-term tests
- Final exams
- Teacher's observations
- Performance-based tasks or assessment
Challenges
- The curriculum is not fully developed.
- The students are often at various proficiency levels in one class.
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