Speak Easy! Spanish for grades 1-6
at Front Range Christian School
Parent Handbook
Mission Statement
The K-12 Spanish department at FRCS, including the Speak Easy! program exists to equip students with God's gift of language, to
develop an understanding and love for those of diverse cultures, and to foster the desire to participate with God in redeeming our multilingual world.
While communicating as much as possible in Spanish, the teacher will use gestures, tone of voice, songs, games and grade-level
curriculum to impart the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in Spanish. Occasionally, the teacher will communicate with the
children in English to reassure them that they are cared for, respected, and understood. During the first few class sessions especially,
English will be used intermittently in order for students to acclimate to the classroom routine and expectations.
Language Continuums
When children begin to learn a second language, in this case, Spanish, they begin by learning receptively, just like they learned their first
language. They need to process and respond to the language before they begin to speak the language. (Please refer to the Spanish
Language Acquisition Stages document where you will see some of the things to expect from your child as he or she understands and
learns more Spanish). Please remember that the process of language acquisition will take place at a different pace for each child,
even within the stages of language learning that are described.
If children are to become bilingual and be able to speak like an educated native speaker, they need to be in an environment surrounded by
the target language (Spanish) in a natural and meaningful way. In 1991, a study by Johnson and Newport (Second Language Acquisition,
Gass/Selinker) showed that there is a critical period for acquisition and that learners’ capabilities for acquiring syntax (grammatical
structure) and phonology (the way a language sounds) decline with age. “…the earlier instruction begins in the foreign language, the
higher the level of proficiency the child will likely attain in that language” (Krashen, Long, and Scarcella, 1979). This research is the
basis of our rationale for beginning foreign language instruction at a young age.
Program Goals
Language expectations: With two hours per week of focused exposure, students will not become bi-lingual by the end of the school
year. Our goal is for students who participate in the program consistently from Kindergarten through grade six to fall somewhere between
Speech Emergence and Intermediate Fluency on the Language Acquisition Stages rubric. (See Spanish Language Acquisition Stages
document).
This program provides important and excellent exposure and students will be acquiring essential language foundations that will enable
them to continue to learn throughout their lifetimes. Be patient with your child’s learning by refraining from forcing him or her to
“perform” Spanish skills for others. Allow them to produce Spanish of their own initiative and in their own developmental time frame.
Personality Traits: Some children are more outspoken and try to speak or respond almost without hesitation. Other children may be a bit
reserved about demonstrating their understanding or production of Spanish. However, both sets of children are undergoing the language
acquisition process in their minds and hearts. Parents who know their child’s personality can create realistic expectations about
their own child’s progress in acquiring the language, and it may give them insights about the kinds of opportunities they can provide
for language exposure.
Learning Styles: Some children learn by doing, others by seeing, others by listening, while others use all three ways and more. Parents
can present opportunities to expose their children to Spanish in a way that fits their child’s learning style.
Attitudes Toward Spanish: Because children do not live in isolation, it is important to remember that the attitudes (positive, negative, or
indifferent) of family, friends, and the larger community towards Spanish will have a definite influence on children’s Spanish language
learning. You can help by promoting a positive attitude about the language and culture early on.
Language Resources: Parents are able to promote Spanish language acquisition at home through a variety of activities: taking the child to
places where Spanish is spoken, encouraging Spanish speaking through playgroups, watching movies with Spanish audio, listening to
Spanish books on tape, etc. Public libraries are increasingly offering more resources in Spanish for both children and adults.
Motivation for Language Learning: The interest that a child shows for Spanish learning, the motivation of parents for placing the child in
the language program, parental support and how they communicate it to their child will all have an influence in the process of learning
Spanish.
Resistance to Spanish: You may experience, particularly at the beginning of the school year, some resistance from your child regarding
his or her participation in the program. This is a normal occurrence especially until children begin to feel as though they do in fact
understand what is happening in the classroom. Please be patient with your child during this time. Please contact the teacher if you are
concerned about this.
Spanish Letter Sounds
The Spanish letter sound document included at the end of this handbook is for parents to use as a reference for how to sound out Spanish
words. This will help you when the teachers sends home phrases in Spanish to practice at home or when your child brings home books or
pages in Spanish.
Curriculum
The core curriculum taught in the Speak Easy! Spanish classes borrows from the curriculum taught in our FRCS English speaking
classes. In other words, each class period will contain a portion of mathematics, language arts (about the Spanish language), and
occasionally either Social Studies or Science, all of which will be taught in Spanish. We also aim to enrich the curriculum by encouraging
connections to the Hispanic culture. At all times, activities will be developmentally appropriate for the children.
Recommended Reading
We encourage all parents of Speak Easy! students to read the following resources:
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The Bilingual Edge by Kendall King Ph. D. and Alison Mackey, Ph.D.
The Gift of the Stranger by David I. Smith and Barbara Carvill
Raising a Bilingual Child: A step-by-step guide for parents by Barbara Zurer Pearson, Ph.D
http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/index.html
THE SPANISH ALPHABET
Spanish once had 30 letters in its alphabet. In addition to the 26 letters of the English alphabet, Spanish also had the "CH", "LL", "RR" and the "Ñ". But, several
years ago three of those letters were eliminated as separate letters and only the "Ñ" remains, making a total of 27 letters. Many Spanish-English dictionaries still have
the old letters in their listings. Therefore, to look up words like chico or llegar one would have to go to the "CH" or "LL" sections in the dictionary.
A Name: pronounced as a shortened ah as the "A" in father or the "O" in mop
Sound: It is always pronounced the same as its name above!
Examples: Paco, padre, nada, Panamá
B Name: pronounced as a softened beh as the "BA" in baby
Sound: At the beginning of a word or after the letters "L" and "N" it sounds like the English "B" in baseball. All other times has a softer sound than the English "B".
This is produced by using only your lower lip.
Examples: boca, bonita, barco, bolso
C Name: pronounced as a shortened seh as the "SA" in sane or safe
Sound: The "C" can have both a hard sound ( like the English "K" ) and soft sound (like the English "S" ) when used in words.
Examples: cero, cinco, casa, carro
D Name: pronounced as a shortened deh as the "DA" in day
Sound: Place your tongue slightly on the back of your upper teeth. When a word ends in "D" it is only slightly sounded, giving a slight "TH" sound as in the English
word the.
Examples: domingo, de, dinero, diablo
E Name: pronounced as a shortened eh as the "A" in day with just a bit of the "E" sound in bet
Sound: Turn your lips up slightly at the corners of your mouth.
Examples: elefante, enero, ese, español
F Name: pronounced as a shortened eh-feh as in the "A" in day + the "FA" in favorite
Sound: It sounds like the English "F" when used in a word.
Examples: fecha, fin, frío, febrero
G Name: pronounced as a shortened hay as in "hey"
Sound: The "g" can have both a hard sound ( like the English "G" in gun ) and soft sound ( like the English "H" in happy ) when used in words.
Examples: gato, grande, gente, gemelo
H Name: the name of "H" is aah-cheh , as in the "O" in mop + the "CHA" in change
Sound: Remember, the letter "H" is the silent letter! It is never pronounced in a word except when used in combination with "C" as in "CH" the old Spanish letter.
Then it sounds like the "CH" in the English word change.
Examples: hola, hoy, hermano, hombre, chico, chicano
I Name: pronounced as a shortened ee as the "EE" in feet or the "ea" in seat
Sound: It is always pronounced the same as its name above!
Examples: inglés, iglesia, Inca, isla
J Name: pronounced as a shortened hoh-tah as the "HO" in hotel + the "TO" in top
Sound: It is pronounced like the English letter "H" with a slight whisper of aircoming from the back of your throat.
Examples: José, junio, jugo, joven
K Name: pronounced as a shortened kah as the "CO" in cod or copper
Sound: It sounds like the English letter "K". There are very few Spanish words using this letter and they are all borrowed from other languages.
Examples: kilómetro
L Name: pronounced as a shortened eh-leh as the "A" in table + the "LA" in label
Sound: It sounds like the English letter "L" with the corners of your mouth turnedslightly up.
Examples: leche, lago, la, Latino
M Name: pronounced as a shortened eh-meh as the "A" in table + the "MA" in maybe.
Sound: It sounds like the English letter "M" with the corners of your mouth turned slightly up.
Examples: madre, mano, México, moto
N Name: pronounced as a shortened eh-neh as the "A" in table + the "NA" in nail
Sound: It sounds like the English "N" with your tongue slightly on the back of your upper teeth.
Examples: nada, no, nunca, Navidad
Ñ Name: pronounced as a shortened ehn-yay as the "A" in table + the "NY" sound in canyon + the "A" in may
Sound: It sounds like the "NIO" in onion or the "NY" sound in canyon.
Examples: niño, piña, otoño, castaño
O Name: pronounced as a shortened oh as the "O" in hotel or the "OA" in coat.
Sound: It is always pronounced the same as its name above!
Examples: octubre, ojo, oficina, oveja
P Name: pronounced as a shortened peh as the "PA" in pay or pave
Sound: It sounds like the English letter "P" with the corners of your mouth turned slightly up.
Examples: Paco, padre, poco, Panamá
Q Name: pronounced as a shortened cooh as the "COO" in cool
Sound: It sounds like the English letter "K" when used in a word. The “u” following the “q”, unlike English, is usualy silent.
Examples: que, queso, quince, quetzal
R Name: pronounced as a shortened eh-reh as the "A" in table + the "RA" in rain with a slight "D" sound beginning the "RA" portion.
Sound: It sounds like a combination of the English "R" and "D" when used in the middle of a word, somewhat like the "TT" in butter. When it begins or ends a word
it has a trill as you lightly roll your tongue.
Examples: octubre, primo, rico, comer
S Name: pronounced as a shortened eh-seh as the "A" in table + the "SA" in sane.
Sound: It sounds like the English letter "S" with the corners of your mouth turned up slightly.
Examples: siesta, sol, sopa, santo
T Name: pronounced as a shortened teh as the "TA" in table.
Sound: It sounds like the English "T" with your tongue slightly on the back of your upper teeth and the corners of your mouth turned slightly up.
Examples: taco, todo, toro, tomate
U Name: pronounced as a shortened ooh as the "U" in rude or the "OO" in food.
Sound: It is always pronounced the same as its name above!
Examples: uvas, uno, usted, unidos
V Name: pronounced as a softened beh as the "BA" in baby.
Sound: At the beginning of a word it sounds like the English "B" as in baby. In the middle of a word it sounds like the English letter "V" except you do not blow air
across your lip.
Examples: vaca, vaso, ventana, vista, lava
W Name: pronounced as a shortened do-ble veh as the "DO" in dome + "BLAY" + "VA" as in the English word vase
Sound: It sounds like the English letter "W" when used in a word. The letter "W" is used only in words of foreign origin.
Examples: Washington
X Name: pronounced as a shortened eh-kees as the "a" in table + keys
Sound: It sounds like you are hissing the letter "S" when used before a consonant. Between vowels it sounds like a hissed "GS".
Examples: extraña, explorar, éxito, examen, exacto
Y Name: pronounced as ee-gree-ay-gah as the "EE" in feet + "GREE" in Greek + the "A" in table + the "GA" in garden. (i griega) It means the "Greek I"
Sound: By itself It is pronounced like a long English "E" or the Spanish letter "I". When used in a word it is pronounced like the "Y" in you. Many Spanish speakers
often add a slight "J" sound.
Examples: y, yo, mayo, ya
Z Name: pronounced as a shortened say-tah as the "SA" in sane + the "TU" in tumble.
Sound: It is pronounced like the English letter "S".
Examples: zapato, raza, zona, zorro
CH
Although this is no longer considered a separate Spanish letter, its sound still exists. It sounds like the "CH" in the English word change.
Examples: chico, chicano, chile, chocolate
LL
Although this is no longer considered a separate Spanish letter, its sound still exists. It is pronounced like the English letter "Y". Many Spanish speakers add a very
slight "J" sound to it.
Examples: llamada, ¿Cómo se llama?, calle, silla
RR
Although this is no longer considered a separate Spanish letter, its sound still exists. When it exists in the middle of a word it is pronounced like the Spanish "R" with
a trill, produced by slightly rolling your tongue. This sound is also produced when a Spanish word begins with "R" or ends with "R".
Examples: perro, pizarra, ¡Arre!, rico, rojo, Ricardo, comer
Adapted from http://www.spanishclassonline.com/grammar/spanishalphabet.html