Spanish at Wakefield

Spanish Faculty

Wakefield’s Spanish programs are carefully crafted, conscientiously delivered and frequently highlighted. Wakefield serves as the home for Arlington Public Schools’ high school level of the Spanish dual-language partial immersion program. The immersion program at Wakefield is designed to continue and expand on the study of Spanish language and culture begun in elementary and middle school in Arlington Public Schools.

The Spanish for Fluent Speakers classes are designed to further the reading, writing, and oral language of Spanish heritage speakers, while deepening their knowledge of the diversity and richness of the Hispanic culture. Usually, Spanish heritage speakers are English Language Learners, and may struggle with English in the academic context. The Spanish for Fluent Speakers program makes cross-curricular connections, and teachers help students recognize patterns in the two languages and provide literacy skills in Spanish which can then be applied to the acquisition of English.

Wakefield’s Advanced Placement classes, AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature, are designed for students typically in their third or fourth year of high-school level Spanish, and may integrate immersion, SFS and regular Spanish students into the same classroom. The AP classes are rigorous college-level classes that provide an opportunity to gain skills that will enhance a student’s college application.

Senior Project, a graduation requirement at Wakefield, is offered to students who want to complete it partially or entirely in Spanish. It truly embodies the culmination of many years of dual-language education and it encompasses the linguistic and cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries. Recent examples of projects done either partially or completely in Spanish include: La Guardia Civil de España; Murales de la Revolución Mexicana; En los pasos de mi padre: un estudio sobre la inmigración en los Estados Unidos.

The faculty is without question the most dedicated teachers you will find. Our teachers seek out opportunities for professional development that enhance their practice, and have been selected in recent years as recipients of scholarships from the Education Office of the Embassy to attend summer sessions in Spain.

Current offerings include:

• Spanish Immersion 9
• Spanish Immersion I0
• Spanish Immersion Intensified Biology
• Spanish for Fluent Speakers I
• Spanish for Fluent Speakers II
• Spanish for Fluent Speakers III
• Spanish I
• Spanish II
• Spanish III
• Spanish IV
• Spanish V
• AP Spanish Language and Culture
• AP Spanish Literature
•       AP Capstone: Seminar and Research
•       Senior Project