Our Spanish Second Language program for junior high and high school students

The new AIM Spanish series ¡Jóvenes en acción! is, in many respects, the best that we have so far. All that we have learned throughout the production of our extensive FSL series has culminated in the release of a series of new kits for Junior High Spanish students. We are very excited about the quality of every aspect of these kits: from the performances on the video and audio material to the content, scope and sequence of the whole-class and partner/group activities. Teachers who have already used these materials are thrilled with the results that they have witnessed with their students within a very short time. They say that they have never before seen such high levels of fluency, and this within only the first twenty-five hours of instruction!

In the first kit, the story, entitled Marco el Mago, is an original play full of humour, containing characters with emotionally-charged lines that will easily bring the language to life to the students. Marco is a powerful wizard, proud of his abilities. He chooses to help only those who can do favours for him in return. He learns an important lesson one day, however when an elf removes his powers and he comes to understand that his gift should be shared, most of all, with those in need.

Each kit (one 50-hour instructional unit) in the ¡Jóvenes en acción! series contains:

Teaching guide Program guide Colour overheads and PowerPoint™ presentations of the play Blackline masters of student activity sheets Audio CD, containing songs, raps, and sound effects Posters of rap and song lyrics Flash cards DVD, containing gestures, plays, and dances Student DVD Stories for additional reading Activities for individual, partner or group tasks Creative activities for the narration of the stories Game cards

El gran libro Wendy Maxwell, M.A.

Examples of some of the grammar language conventions and vocabulary covered:

• Class instructions and activities: Hay que escuchar y hablar solamente en español.
• Ask for help: ¿Puedes ayudarme, por favor?
• Paraphrasing (activities linked to the narration of a story)
• Identifying: Este es un... Esta es una... ¿Qué es esto?
• Aptitude: ¡Yo sé! No lo sé. 
• Questions: ¿Quién? ¿Qué? ¿Cuándo? ¿Por qué? ¿Dónde?
• Agreement, disagreement: ¡De acuerdo! Espero que no…
• Expressing needs: Necesito ayuda, por favor… ¿Necesitas algo? ¿Puedo ayudarte?
• Sentiments, interests: Estoy contento(a), triste, preocupado(a).
• Courtesy: ¡Buenos días! Por favor. De nada.
• Replying: ¿Qué piensas? ¡Por supuesto!
• Team work: ¡Eso es fantástico! La clase trabaja muy bien.