Nuevos Amigos 1st grade Lesson 05

Nuevos Amigos is a distance learning program designed to bring Spanish language instruction to English-speaking students in the elementary schools through a fun and interactive manner.

What is Nuevos Amigos? [top]

Nuevos Amigos is a distance learning program designed to bring Spanish language
instruction to students in the elementary grades through a fun and interactive manner.

Who is the audience? [top]

The program targets English-speaking students who will learn Spanish as a second language. It also benefits Spanish-speaking students who want to maintain or improve their native language.

How is the program designed? [top]

The program provides instruction for students in prekindergarten through third grades. Students learn basic Spanish vocabulary including greetings, family names, and simple dialogues. Students will meet various puppets and members of the community as well as learn about different Spanish-speaking countries, cultures and customs.

What does the curriculum include? [top]

The curriculum includes a teacher’s guide with follow-up activities, vocabulary and Spanish songs and games. A review of the video lessons and an assessment are also provided.

What is the evaluation process? [top]

The students take a pre-test and post-test to measure their level of proficiency.

What are the goals of the program? [top]

Expected Outcomes:
• Students will develop listening and speaking skills to reach a novice level of proficiency in a second language.
• Student interaction with the Spanish teacher, facilitators, puppets and classmates will increase basic vocabulary skills.
• Students will become aware of cultural diversity through the study of different Spanish-speaking countries.
• Nuevos Amigos will foster student interest and cultivate skills by using an alternative instructional approach with distance learning.
• Teachers will gain an interest in learning a second language
How long does it take to obtain effective conversation skills? [top]

It takes students two to four years of language instruction in order to develop a novice-high level of proficiency.