SPANISH AB INITIO Introduction

OBJECTIVE

The four primary language skills to be developed in our classroom are: 

Listening, 

Speaking, 

Reading, 

Writing.

The IB seeks the development of ACCURACY and FLUENCY in these areas in each student. Both of these qualities are necessary to achieve proper communication.

For example, if a student’s spelling, grammar or pronunciation is poor, his/her ability to communicate a message in writing or in speech might be compromised as a Spanish speaker might not understand what the student means.

Similarly if students have not learnt the vocabulary that may be useful for all or a given topic, they will be unable to express what they want to convey. Thus the importance of lending focus to each of the skills required to develop communication in the foreign language. However, if they are inventive with a given set of vocabulary or while trying to understand a difficult text in Spanish, the IB (and the teacher) values the student's fluency. 

A balance of all these skills plus one more, cultural awareness, are key to succeeding in the Spanish Ab Initio course.

INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

A large component that will permeate all Spanish Ab Initio topics is cultural awareness regarding Spanish speaking areas of the world (Spain, Latin American countries, Canary Islands).

Not only is this a topic that is interesting and fun to learn about but it is also an aspect that the IB will definitely assess, as it relates directly to the international dimension of the IB Diploma Programme.

SPANISH AB INITIO TOPICS

This Ab Initio language course will familiarize students with the 3rd most spoken language in the world: Spanish (Español).

The topics we will be exploring inside and outside of the classroom are:

• Individual and Society 
Daily routines, Education, Food and Drink, Personal details, Physical Health, Relationships, Shopping

• Leisure and Work 
Employment, Entertainment, Holidays, Media, Sport, Technology, Transport

• Urban and Rural Environment 
Environmental concerns, Global issues, Neighborhood, Town and Services, Weather

SPANISH AB INITIO ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES

There are 5 assessment objectives for the Spanish Ab Initio course. Students will be assessed on their ability to:

1. demonstrate an awareness of the intercultural elements related to the prescribed topics
2. communicate clearly and effectively in a range of situations
3. understand and use accurately the basic structures of the language
4. understand and use an appropriate range of vocabulary
5. use a register and a format that are appropriate to the situation

For more information regarding IB assessment in Spanish Ab Initio, please visit this page.

Source: IB DP Programme Ab Initio Language Guide