Spanish 4 too difficult/able to switch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are having this problem too. What I would love to know is for anyone whose child dropped down and re-took Spanish 3 in 9th, did this actually help prepare them better for Spanish 4 in 10th or is Spanish 4 just really a big step up and next year we are going to be in this same challenging situation?

It really depends on the teacher. I have found over the years that the FL department is the least predictable, and least organized department in our HS. Spanish 4 in our school was native speaker, could ask on Tuesday what was happening on Thursday and she would not know, and harsh grader. Spanish 5 was a US-taught teacher, less harsh grader. AP Spanish was the best, Spanish was her 3rd or 4th language and she was a really well-organized, great instructor.

[Anonymous]

DD was in this same situation and initially wanted to switch. Counselor at first said no, that it was past the deadline to change elective classes. We pushed and with approval from the assistant principal they said she could switch. Of course, after doing ok on the first quiz, DD decided to stick it out (personally, I thought it might be better to start a new language).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are having this problem too. What I would love to know is for anyone whose child dropped down and re-took Spanish 3 in 9th, did this actually help prepare them better for Spanish 4 in 10th or is Spanish 4 just really a big step up and next year we are going to be in this same challenging situation?

My son repeated Spanish 3 in 9th grade. Spanish 4 was still hard and he had a tutor from the beginning of the school year because he Spanish 4 has a reputation for being a GPA killer. He ended up getting Bs both semesters, which we were happy with, but I know some people around here consider a B a GPA killer!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son did Spanish 3 in middle school and found it easy but the leap to Spanish 4 seems very difficult. Is it too late to switch to Spanish 3 in high school and does that look bad on his transcript to repeat?

This is why 6th graders shouldn’t be taking WL for HS credit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son did Spanish 3 in middle school and found it easy but the leap to Spanish 4 seems very difficult. Is it too late to switch to Spanish 3 in high school and does that look bad on his transcript to repeat?

This is why 6th graders shouldn’t be taking WL for HS credit.

My kid had no choice. His middle school was an IB Middle Years school and they’re required to take a language all three years unless they need to take a remedial reading class.

[Anonymous]

I'll be the lone witness that Spanish 4 turned out completely fine for my 9th grader at BCC. It was taught by a native speaker who spoke to them in Spanish, but then again, her Spanish 3 class at Westland had been taught by a wonderful teacher from Spain, who had spoken to them in Spanish too, so DD was used to that.

The Spanish 4 teacher warned them, however, that Spanish 5 was lumped in with IB Spanish and that it was a very easy class, which would make their AP Spanish class the year after all the more difficult. This year DD is in Spanish 5 (not taking IB) and she can confirm it's really easy. She's now worried for AP Spanish next year.

Maybe this is just for BCC and Westland, I don't know.

[Anonymous]

It’s not only the jump, but also, let’s face it… learning a language needs dedication outside the classroom as well. You can’t pretend to get language skills if the only interaction with the language happens in the classroom. Spanish 4 is the first time the kid really experienced any language proficiency skill as up to then it has mainly been just grammar and vocabulary. If the kid doesn’t practice listening, reading, speaking and writing at home… spanish 4 will be extremely difficult. Also, something to consider is that the semester is basically starting, if the student hasn’t practice any of these skills… they will not be performing but that’s NOT to say that it won’t get better as the year goes by and they start acquiring those skills. My recommendation is to always supplement those skills at home, practice them all!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll be the lone witness that Spanish 4 turned out completely fine for my 9th grader at BCC. It was taught by a native speaker who spoke to them in Spanish, but then again, her Spanish 3 class at Westland had been taught by a wonderful teacher from Spain, who had spoken to them in Spanish too, so DD was used to that.

The Spanish 4 teacher warned them, however, that Spanish 5 was lumped in with IB Spanish and that it was a very easy class, which would make their AP Spanish class the year after all the more difficult. This year DD is in Spanish 5 (not taking IB) and she can confirm it's really easy. She's now worried for AP Spanish next year.

Maybe this is just for BCC and Westland, I don't know.

My kid at WJ isn’t finding Spanish 4 difficult. But NBMS had changed their approach so my 10th grader did 1A and B over 6th and 7th, 2 in 8th, which led to 3 being taken in high school. The high school language classes have been stronger in HS so I think the preparation was better than if they took 3 in middle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll be the lone witness that Spanish 4 turned out completely fine for my 9th grader at BCC. It was taught by a native speaker who spoke to them in Spanish, but then again, her Spanish 3 class at Westland had been taught by a wonderful teacher from Spain, who had spoken to them in Spanish too, so DD was used to that.

The Spanish 4 teacher warned them, however, that Spanish 5 was lumped in with IB Spanish and that it was a very easy class, which would make their AP Spanish class the year after all the more difficult. This year DD is in Spanish 5 (not taking IB) and she can confirm it's really easy. She's now worried for AP Spanish next year.

Maybe this is just for BCC and Westland, I don't know.

If Spanish 5 is so easy, is there a benefit to taking it? Why not go straight to AP?

And are you saying that In Spanish is easier than AP
spanish?

[Anonymous]

Talk to the school counselor

[Anonymous]

It is interesting to learn there is variation in Spanish classes by school.

OP’s sounds like the typical big jump in difficulty in 3 and 4. I hope more schools adjust 1 and 2 so students are better prepared.

[Anonymous]

DS had two friends in his Spanish 4 class that are native Spanish speakers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son did Spanish 3 in middle school and found it easy but the leap to Spanish 4 seems very difficult. Is it too late to switch to Spanish 3 in high school and does that look bad on his transcript to repeat?

This is why 6th graders shouldn’t be taking WL for HS credit.

My kid had no choice. His middle school was an IB Middle Years school and they’re required to take a language all three years unless they need to take a remedial reading class.

But that doesn’t mean the MS FL needs to be for HS credit. And if it’s going to be, it should come with the appropriate vocabulary, reading, and vocal fluency and rigor for students to be able to continue on successfully in HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is interesting to learn there is variation in Spanish classes by school.

OP’s sounds like the typical big jump in difficulty in 3 and 4. I hope more schools adjust 1 and 2 so students are better prepared.

Why? There’s variation in every class by school. Which wouldn’t be a problem if the level of rigor, expectation, and standards were the same.