Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 14:17     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have a HS junior who took Spanish 1AB in 6th. That was during the pandemic and even though he is an excellent student, it was really really tough. He had an easier time in Spanish 2 & 3 in MS, until hitting Spanish 4 as a freshman, which was tough all over again. Now he's in AP Spanish, it's hard work again. He has near-fluency in spoken Spanish thanks mostly to his friend group and some ECs that are primarily in Spanish, the AP course still takes work. He'll do AP Spanish literature next year as a senior to keep the door open to some of the most competitive schools that expect 4 years of language in HS especially from a kid who's not STEM inclined.

All told, I might have advocated for a slightly slower path if we'd thought it through.


If kids make it to the 1st AP level they're fine at even the most competitive colleges.


Does it go through Spanish 4 and then AP Spanish is next, or Spanish 5 and then AP Spanish? Or are they both options?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:56     Subject: Re:How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
1AB is not difficult for a smart 6th grader. But the problem is that Spanish 4 is a very hard class at the high school level, and most freshman are not ready for it. I don't know if the middle school teachers who teach Spanish 3 aren't as tough or if the study skills you need for Spanish 4 are more intense or what -- but Spanish 4 is a struggle.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 12:37     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The 2 year option is the better choice, more time to grasp the basics. 1AB combined goes too fast through all the information and there is never enough time to catch up afterwards.


For an 8th grader is 1AB recommended or go with 1A


8th graders should definitely not take 1A, as they can't take 1B in HS.


If a middle schooler has never taken Spanish in MS, what is the path in high school?

The path for a high school student who is new to Spanish would be 1AB one year, then 2AB the next year, etc. You can’t stretch 1A out over an entire year in hs. 1A is first semester and 1B is second semester.

Even if a student has taken a world language in ms, they can repeat it in hs. You only get credit for it once, though.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 12:33     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
same
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 11:43     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Which is easier - Spanish or French?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 11:40     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The 2 year option is the better choice, more time to grasp the basics. 1AB combined goes too fast through all the information and there is never enough time to catch up afterwards.


For an 8th grader is 1AB recommended or go with 1A


8th graders should definitely not take 1A, as they can't take 1B in HS.


If a middle schooler has never taken Spanish in MS, what is the path in high school?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 09:14     Subject: Re:How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
I had no clue how my kids would take to foreign language so I put them in 1A in MS. That was a mistake. It was way too easy for DC#1. They eventually went to RMIB, took IB Spanish, and got the seal of biliteracy and a 7 on the IB exam (highest score possible). Their IB spanish teacher said DC spoke almost like a native (we are not native speakers of that language).

DC#2 struggled with the foreign language all throughout (didn't help that they took it during covid virtual learning).

So, it really depends on the student.

BTW, DC#1 is trying to learn my mother's language, self taught, and doing a fairly good job. Clearly this DC has an aptitude for FL.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 08:45     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Anonymous wrote:I have a HS junior who took Spanish 1AB in 6th. That was during the pandemic and even though he is an excellent student, it was really really tough. He had an easier time in Spanish 2 & 3 in MS, until hitting Spanish 4 as a freshman, which was tough all over again. Now he's in AP Spanish, it's hard work again. He has near-fluency in spoken Spanish thanks mostly to his friend group and some ECs that are primarily in Spanish, the AP course still takes work. He'll do AP Spanish literature next year as a senior to keep the door open to some of the most competitive schools that expect 4 years of language in HS especially from a kid who's not STEM inclined.

All told, I might have advocated for a slightly slower path if we'd thought it through.


If kids make it to the 1st AP level they're fine at even the most competitive colleges.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 07:15     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Hoover requires World Language 1AB in 6th grade. No option to do only 1A except for a handful of students.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2026 23:33     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Anyone have a kid who's into Duolingo and the like beforehand? Did that make Spanish 1AB any easier, or not really?
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2026 21:32     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
I have a HS junior who took Spanish 1AB in 6th. That was during the pandemic and even though he is an excellent student, it was really really tough. He had an easier time in Spanish 2 & 3 in MS, until hitting Spanish 4 as a freshman, which was tough all over again. Now he's in AP Spanish, it's hard work again. He has near-fluency in spoken Spanish thanks mostly to his friend group and some ECs that are primarily in Spanish, the AP course still takes work. He'll do AP Spanish literature next year as a senior to keep the door open to some of the most competitive schools that expect 4 years of language in HS especially from a kid who's not STEM inclined.

All told, I might have advocated for a slightly slower path if we'd thought it through.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2026 21:08     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The 2 year option is the better choice, more time to grasp the basics. 1AB combined goes too fast through all the information and there is never enough time to catch up afterwards.


For an 8th grader is 1AB recommended or go with 1A


8th graders should definitely not take 1A, as they can't take 1B in HS.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2026 19:45     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Anonymous wrote:Is this just Spanish 1???

Because that was a very easy class for my DD, in 6th grade.


Hey this is me again. My kid is currently a 9th grader in Spanish 4. She plans on doing Ib Diploma so no time for AP Spanish!

Spanish 1 was really easy for her. She was 98th percentile at map r.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2026 19:36     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is this just Spanish 1???

Because that was a very easy class for my DD, in 6th grade.


Does she plan on taking AP Spanish Lit in 12th or dropping language early?


This is really the issue. Colleges want kids to take 4 years in HS and that puts the kid in pretty advanced classes in 11 and 12. If you slow them down in MS, there's no judgment (by colleges) and you're not stuck in AP spanish lit senior year. This is where my kid is at. 11th grader trying to decide if she really wants to take AP spanish lit next year because she was in spanish 4 in 9th grade and that's the path (my older kid did this class and they were reading medieval poetry and don quixote... in spanish. she really struggled.)


I am definitely not making my junior take AP Spanish lit. I think the vast majority of colleges will be fine with 3 years in MS, 3 years in HS ending in AP.


No one really knows because schools have different preferences and keep quiet. But there's tons of speculation on this board-- look for one of the threads if you're interested. The most convincing arguments I've heard is that top schools want 4 years FL in high school but are ok with stopping if you get 4 or 5 on the AP exam.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2026 19:21     Subject: How hard is Spanish 1AB really? Is the two-year class a better choice?
It 100% depends on the teacher. One kid, after 5 years, 3 in MS, 2 in HS, is fluent. As in speaks Spanish with Spanish natives in Spanish speaking countries. Their sibling, 2 years behind, is not, because they had a different group of teachers for Spainsh 1, 2 and 3 in MS. Not even conversationally fluent.