World Language

World language education focuses on the five C's: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons and communities.

Communication: The communication standard stresses the use of language for communication in "real life" situations. Students are asked to read, write, listen and speak in the target language.

Cultures: Experiencing other cultures develops a better understanding and appreciation of the relationship between languages and other cultures, as well as the student's own culture. Students become better able to understand other people's points of view, ways of life, and contributions to the world.

Connections: World languages instruction must be connected. Content from other areas is integrated with world language instruction through lessons that are developed around common themes.

Comparisons: Students are encouraged to compare and contrast languages and cultures. They discover patterns, make predictions, and analyze similarities and differences across languages and cultures. Students often come to understand their native language and culture better through such comparisons.

Communities: Extending learning experiences from the world language classroom to the home and multilingual and multicultural community emphasizes living in a global society.

Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling at SLP

Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, Spring Lake Park Schools’ Spanish world language teachers implemented a modern teaching method called Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS). This new approach does not solely use the typical classroom textbook and instead uses commonly-used words and phrases in stories, conversations and classroom activities so students are able to acquire and comprehend the language faster and in a way that is meaningful to them.

Learn more about how SLP is using TPRS in our classrooms

Westwood Spanish students doing an interactive lesson

Grade-Level World Language Learning