Pacing Guides At-A-Glance For Spanish for Fluent Speakers 1, 2, And 3
The following Pacing Guides are for Spanish for Fluent Speakers (SFS) levels one through three.
Spanish for Fluent Speakers 1
By the end of each marking period, students can perform the following functions:
Marking Period 1
Unit 1: Identity Through Culture - Our Heritage and Personal Identity
(Sub-topics: place of origin and cultural pride, regionalisms and colloquialisms, and geography of the Spanish-speaking world)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Identify and share places of origin and cultural highlights
- Recognize differences and similarities among Spanish words and phrases
- Identify and locate where Spanish is spoken in the world; countries and capitals
Marking Period 2
Unit 2: Human Thought Through Literature - Our Heritage and Points of View
(Sub-topics: Celebrations and traditions, Culture through music, literature, and film, Myths and legends)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Describe the major celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries
- Differentiate Hispanic culture through music and films
- Recognize the specific characteristics of myths and legends
- Analyze various myths and legends
Marking Period 3
Unit 3: Physical and Emotional Health - Responsible Relationships and Physical Well-Being
(Sub-topics: Adolescent culture, Daily routines, Pastimes and hobbies, Food and nutrition, Hygiene)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Identify physical and emotional changes during adolescence
- Discuss daily routine and its impact on well-being
- Investigate the impact of healthy and unhealthy hobbies and pastimes
- Compare American and Latin American food
- Discuss various aspects of personal hygiene and the impact on health and illness
Marking Period 4
Unit 4: Community - Public Identity and the Community
(Sub-topics: Hispanic influence and contributions in the community, Family life, School systems in the U.S. and Spanish-speaking countries)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Recognize the accomplishments and contributions of well-known Spanish-speaking icons
- Compare and contrast family life in the U.S. and Spanish-speaking countries
- Analyze the school systems in the U.S. and Spanish-speaking count
Spanish for Fluent Speakers 2
By the end of each marking period, students can perform the following functions:
Marking Period 1
Unit 1: Culture And Immigration - Understanding Our Roots
(Sub-topics: Pre-Columbian Civilizations, Colonization, Current condition of indigenous people)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Identify the contributions of pre-Columbian civilizations in today's society
- Identify how the Colonial expansion significantly impacted pre-Columbian civilizations
- Understand that in Latin America many indigenous people currently maintain their culture in spite of colonization
Marking Period 2
Unit 2: Social Revolution-Consequences of Social Revolutions
(Sub-topics: Human rights, Latin American social conflicts:[Cuban Revolution, Salvadorian Civil War], Current immigration status and issues)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Analyze how the violation of Human Rights will cause people to revolt
- Differentiate between revolution and civil war
- Discuss historic evolution that sparked the need for the development of human rights
- Identify causes and consequences (positive and negative) of migration to the United States
Marking Period 3
Unit 3: Physical And Emotional Health - The Emotional Development
(Sub-topics: Emotional intelligence, Self-knowledge, Personal feelings, Coping with emotions)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Understand how learning to manage emotions can lead to successful human interactions
- Analyze how developing self-esteem will help improve social relationships
- Understand that communicating feelings will strengthen bonds with those one cares about
- Identify coping strategies that will improve my emotional health
Marking Period 4
Unit 4: The Environment - Human Impact On The Environment
(Sub-topics: Eco-commerce and eco-tourism, Reuse, reduce, and recycle, Challenges and individual choices)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Understand that the growth of e-commerce and eco-tourism in Spanish-speaking countries have positive and negative effects
- Recognize the importance of the 3 Rs and their impact in society
- Understand how personal choices and life style may affect the environment
Spanish for Fluent Speakers 3
By the end of each marking period, students can perform the following functions:
Marking Period 1
Unit 1: War And Peace - Social And Historical Conflicts
(Sub-topics: Role of women and men in war, War in literature and drama, Struggles through the lens of gender and socioeconomic, Heroes and villains)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Compare the roles of women and men in war
- Analyze how war is reflected in literature and drama
- Examine the gender and socioeconomic conflicts in times of war
- Debate heroes and villains in times of war
Marking Period 2
Unit 2: Human Rights - Social Divide
(Sub-topics: Civil Rights, Economic and social freedom, Poverty and hunger, Discrimination: Racism, social, and gender inequality)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
Compare civil rights granted in Spanish-speaking countries
- Analyze how social justice affects economic growth in Spanish-speaking countries
- Examine how poverty and hunger influence social and economic growth
- Recognize the different types of discrimination that exist in the world as well as in the Spanish-speaking countries
Marking Period 3
Unit 3: The Environment - Global Challenges (Science And Technology)
(Sub-topics: Impact of technology in our environment, Renewable and non-renewable resources, Go green)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Understand the pros and cons of technology in our environment
- Critique the exploitation of natural resources and its negative impact in Spanish-speaking countries
- Investigate renewable and non-renewable energy resources in Spanish-speaking countries to find out other sources of energy
Understand the applications and benefits of going green
Marking Period 4
Unit 4: Entertainment - Contemporary Literature And Film
(Sub-topics: Contemporary Hispanic writers, Movie analysis, Media analysis)
Functions/Objectives: I can…
- Identify the different social issues that influenced contemporary Latin American writers
- Evaluate how social issues influenced the art movements in the 20th century and beyond in Spanish-speaking countries
- Create a media product that reflects the immediateness of global communication
Course Titles Nationwide
Courses may be called Spanish for Native/Heritage/Fluent Speakers nationwide and in the second language acquisition research field as described by the Center for Applied Linguistics.
The Virginia Department of Education calls the courses Spanish for Fluent Speakers. PWCS changed the course name listed in the High School Course Catalog in 2019.
Different Terms for Students in These Courses
- Heritage Spanish Speaker: a student whose first/home/family language is Spanish but who was not formally educated in a primarily Spanish-language setting.
- Native/Fluent Spanish Speaker: a student whose first/home/family language is Spanish and who was formally educated in Spanish (even if interrupted or years of Spanish-language schooling limited) and/or has some literacy skills in addition to being fluent in speaking.
Student Identification for Course and Level Placement
All heritage or native/fluent speaker students entering the SFS course sequence for the first time should be identified according to the PWCS procedures and assessments created by the World Languages program and available to teachers on the World Languages Canvas Course page to ensure appropriate course/level placement.
Spanish-speaking students who might benefit from enrollment in an SFS course should be identified using information from the Home Language Survey conducted during PWCS registration. This information is available in the HUB for all students under the “Program/Services” tab. There also may be some students whose home language is not Spanish but who have native-like proficiency due to prior education in a bilingual or immersion program (U.S. or International) and may also enroll if they meet the criteria of native-like proficiency level. Following this, they should be assessed by a Spanish for Fluent Speakers teacher for appropriate placement.
Students may not be forced or mandated to take the fluent speaker sequence since all World Languages courses are electives. They should; however, be informed of the advantages and benefits of the program (e.g., success in advanced-level language courses provides opportunities to earn college credits, the opportunity to earn the Advanced Studies diploma and/or the Virginia Seal of Biliteracy, college and career readiness pathways, etc). It is in the best interest of students who meet the criteria for enrollment in Spanish for Fluent Speakers to be advised against enrolling in traditional Spanish courses as it will not effectively meet their needs.
Myth: native speakers will get an “easy A” in the traditional Spanish classes. Evidence shows that this is not often the case for reasons such as: over estimation of their formal language skills, the misconception that they don’t need to study, limited knowledge of correct grammar and spelling conventions, and oral fluency coupled with limited academic vocabulary and literacy skills.
Curriculum Differentiation from Traditional Spanish Courses
Spanish for Fluent Speakers courses and traditional Spanish courses are significantly different. The curriculum is not the same, nor are the course assignments and work. There are totally different curriculum units for the SFS courses, which presume a student has native-like oral fluency in Spanish at minimum, even if they have limited to no literacy skills. The SFS curriculum is an accelerated one which allows fluent/native or heritage speakers to advance their skills more rapidly. These courses make a perfect segue into advanced courses.
Advantages of Taking the SFS Courses for Native Speakers
SFS courses offer the fastest sequence to ensure fluent speakers may earn Advanced Placement credits through the AP language and AP literature courses and a skill level to earn a Seal of Biliteracy, assurances for college and career readiness successful pathways.
Recommended Course Sequence
Each SFS course is one foreign language Carnegie/high school credit. Two years of SFS meets the sequential elective requirement or the three-year SFS sequence meets the Advanced Studies Diploma requirement.
Mixing the two sequences: traditional Spanish and SFS is not recommended. Exceptions may be necessary on a case-by-case basis if/when the appropriately leveled SFS courses are not available to a student. Fluent/heritage speakers beginning in traditional Spanish I and/or II should be placed in SFS I the following year unless assessment of the student’s language proficiency demonstrates the need for a higher initial SFS placement. Likewise, once a student starts the SFS sequence, they should progress through the recommended sequence unless a teacher recommendation (based student’s assessed language proficiency) indicates misplacement.
The recommended sequence is:
- SFS I
- SFS II
- SFS III
Then, depending on program and courses available at a student's school:
- AICE Spanish IV* / Advanced Spanish IV** / IB Spanish IV (HL)
- AICE Spanish V (A) Literature / AP Spanish Language / IB Spanish V (HL)
- AP Spanish Literature
World Language Carnegie Unit Credits and Sequential Sequence
Each SFS course is one world language Carnegie/high school credit.
The SFS three-year sequence meets the Advanced Studies Diploma and sequential elective requirement.
The sequential sequence should include courses that advance in the skill development of a student from a lower level to a higher level.
Middle School Courses and Sequence
Middle schools may offer a Spanish for Fluent Speakers 1A (usually in grade 7) and 1B (usually in grade 8), over two years. A student must have both parts to earn one high school credit. They may not take only half the course (1A or 1B) and earn a credit.