During this term the Spanish students from Year 1 to 3 are going to review all the vocabulary and topics learned in the first three terms together with some new topics:
Numbers, colours, class objects, family members, animals, parts of the house, city buildings, days of the weeks and months of the year, just to name a few.
To gain as much vocabulary as they can during the first two years, is key for the future use of the language. It is very important during this last term and in the holidays that the students go through their Spanish books as often as they can, to refresh the vocabulary related with each topic, together with the games on Rockalingua. Please feel free to take the Spanish books home as often as you can.
In Year 3 we are learning how to use nouns together with some adjectives – such as colours, to describe animals and objects and to translate simple phrases. We will also focus on the students to introduce themselves in Spanish (name, age, nationality and where they live).
The Year 4 students are learning a little more complex ways to describe objects (such as their house) following four easy steps that will help them to structure their thoughts:
Name all the rooms in your house (My house has a living room, two bedrooms…).
Describe the house (My house is: colour (white), aspects (big, modern).
Location of the house using the prepositions of place: (My house is near to the beach, in front of the commercial centre, behind a petrol station).
Add extra fixtures using there is, there are. (At my house there is a swimming pool, a garage).
They are also requested to know how to introduce themselves and their family members in 5 easy steps:
This is my mother (relation).
Her name is Maria (name).
She is forty years old (age).
She is from South Africa (nationality).
She Lives in Cape Town (place of living).
It is also fun to practice with them at home and take any opportunity to show them how proud you are for them to be able to introduce you in Spanish.
The students made brilliant progress students in Year 5 and Year 6, delivering some outstanding oral presentations: talking for 2 minutes, all in Spanish and without any notes! They have been able to introduce themselves; describe what they look like and their personalities; communicate their likes and dislikes and describe their own houses and home cities and even talking about their daily routines (Year 6); or the weather in Cape Town (Year 5).
More important, they show understanding, not only of the vocabulary, but also the rules of the Spanish grammar. (Verb to be, to have, to like, reflexive verbs, use of adjectives, frequency adverbs, the time, present tenses, interrogative questions, regular and irregular verbs..)
Special mention of the following Year 5 and Year 6 students: Faith Chivaka Maia Davies Mbali Lumkwana Amanda Kkomo Tshegofatso Phalane Shamiso Samasuwo Iviwe Matakata Zoe Onochie Akhula Qwemesha Aiden Brandt Ian Scrooby Siena Arpesella Riley Hanning Mario Da Silva Montero
Best oral presentations: Ayesha Hassen Gia Isaacson Saumya Maharaj Darian Iyer
