Martha Allison – Foreign Language

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Your child has started a new, second year course in Spanish. Foreign language study provides many benefits for students in addition to the ability to communicate in another language.We will be requiring that student be able to listen, speak, read and write in Spanish without ” props” or dictionaries. Some studies have shown a correlation between foreign language study and improved SAT and ACT college entrance tests. Many students improve their first language skills ( English). Encourage your child to appreciate more cultural diversity.

In Capítulo Uno ( Chapter One) , the students will learn how to:

• use expressions related to train travel
• purchase a train ticket and request information about arrival , departure, etc.
• talk about more past events or activities.
• tell what people say (or said)
• discuss an interesting train trip in Spain an in Perú

You can help your child to be successful in his or her study of Spanish even if you are not familiar with the language.

Here are a few suggestion to help your child practice the material in this chapter:

• Look at the painting of the train on page R 58 ( R = review, Repaso ) and the photograph of the train on page 7 . Have your child ask questions about each image like: Where is each going? How are the trains alike? different? How much would the tickets cost? When does teh train depart? Try to ask the questions in Spanish and then answer them in Spanish in different ways.  
• Research information about train travel in the United States, then try Europe and finally Latin America. Ask your child to write a letter to a pretend friend explaining train travel in the United States and then compare it with the other places.
• On page 14 in a photgraph of the famous Mercado Chichicastenango. Use the library or the internet to find out why it is so culturally significant.
• Watch television shows or movies about train travel. Do they eat on the train? Sleep on the train? Why do they take the train? What do they see from the train? Travel documentaries are good for this.
• Research the RENFE in Spain. Have your child plan an imaginary trip to 3 cities. Include packing the suitcase and what to wear for what activities. Where would you put the luggage? What about carryon luggage? Where would you need a passport? What season would you visit?Why?  What are the tourist attractions for those places? Ask and answer these questions in Spanish.
• Look up other vocabulary for other means of transportation.What are the advantages (ventajas) and disadvantages ( desventajas) of each?

Sincerely,

M. L. Allison,

Profesora de español