Is Spanish an elective in high school?

High school is a stage when you are preparing for life beyond campus too. It becomes easier when you have acquired additional skills apart from doing the core subjects. The function of the core curriculum is to build the necessary skills required in the field of interest. And with additional skills, they can have an edge over their competitors. Spanish is one such skill that can fetch better chances at grabbing new and better opportunities. Is it available as an elective? Yes, it is!

Various fun and interesting electives have been explored in one of our previous posts. In this post, we share information on how Spanish as an elective is to be learned. Opting for this language comes as an alternative to students who pick a foreign language as their elective. Let’s move to other facts too.

What will you learn in the Spanish course as an elective?

Spanish is a full-year course, to begin with. This course in various schools is spread over various modules, such as Spanish I, II, III, etc. Here is how the course proceeds.

  1. Spanish I: Spanish I introduces students to the vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, and other basics of this language. The course is like a refresher on the concepts built at the vocabulary stage. Some schools also offer knowledge on how to explain Who am I? School and Family, Leisure Time, etc. as units of study.
  2. Spanish 2: In Spanish 2, the focus is on how to use Spanish in real-life situations. The units, accordingly, include the Role of Food in a country’s culture, Balanced & Healthy Lifestyle, Travel and Celebrations, Shopping, Clothing & Money. The students can converse in the Spanish language at the end of the course using present and past tense.
  3. Spanish 3 Honors: In this course, the focus is on building reading, writing, and speaking skills in Spanish. The students are required to explore and analyze the cultures and traditions of Spanish-speaking countries. Units include Daily Life and the Community, Free Time & Childhood, Restaurant and Food, and Professions, Health, and Recreation. 
  4. Spanish 4 Honors: The course is designed to make students college-ready. In this course, the emphasis is on fine-tuning the communication skills in Spanish. The units of this course are Daily Life, Family and Community, The Media and Aspirations, The Past and the Environment, and Relationships and Art. 

How Spanish as an elective proves to be a wise choice

The Spanish language is of great utility in various fields. It is the second most popular language in the world and is a medium of communication in various countries across the globe. A major part of the US also has Spanish speakers. Taking Spanish as a foreign language elective benefits the following ways:

  • Be able to absorb and appreciate rich Spanish culture: The Spanish theater, arts, and music are of supreme quality. You can enjoy the marvelous works done in this field in the Spanish language and expand your repertoire of recreation.
  • Qualify for studies abroad: The knowledge of Spanish can add a lot of weight to your educational resume. Institutes abroad look at proficiency in Spanish as it means that the candidate will be able to adjust easily to the foreign land. Also, the instructions given in Spanish become easier to understand. It will improve social life during the time spent while studying abroad.
  • Join the club of Spanish-speaking people who are all over the world: If you dream of being a global citizen, your knowledge of the Spanish language can help you have effortless living everywhere.
  • Possibility of getting admission to Ivy League and other reputed schools: Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University, UCLA, etc. require 2 to 4 years of studying a foreign language. Hence, studying Spanish as a foreign language elective can help you have admission to these prestigious institutes.

The students may find a lot of resources both offline and online to get their Spanish skills honed to perfection. Also, the AP classes in Spanish are available, too. The AP Score in Spanish is a criterion for course credit and can help in college admissions. 

Summing up,

If you have not thought of taking Spanish as an elective yet, the right time is Now! Yes, this language can help you develop a good profile deemed fit for admission to colleges. Choosing this language as an elective prepares you for a globalized education space. It may help get admission to top universities or Ivy schools too.

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