With our After School Spanish Club, the child learns, discovers and experiences the language/culture through play, ludic activities interactions with his/her peers and the support of a native speaker as a facilitator. Within a positive context with positive rewards, the child experiences a warm welcome to the new adventure. Our informal educational service is a progressive programme based on playful activities where the child builds up the acquisition of a language in his/her own time within its context. Our informal educational programme runs throughout Primary School, broken down by three levels in order to equip the child with this powerful tool (language and culture) from their arrival in Primary School from Junior/Senior infants until the end of Primary School at 6th class.
Our Spanish Club at GVETN
Basic level is composed of pupils from Junior to Senior Infants. The child has a warm introduction to the language, where the aim of these two years is to create a positive experience for the child by offering basic tasks and games. The child is exposed to the language with the native speaker through enjoyable activities. The child develops curiosity for the language, for the new culture and for new phonetic sounds, and learns to pick up and say words, and to recognise colours, numbers, objects etc. The child will be able to introduce themselves with a few words, learn the alphabet, use some simple greetings and sing short songs, and to develop listening skills in the new language. This level of introduction is an assimilation phase.
Intermediate level is composed of pupils from 1st, 2nd and 3rd class. The child has the opportunity to experience the language deeply, where the aim of the three years is to consolidate their learning and build up vocabulary and grammar by being in direct contact with the new language. The child is exposed to the language with the support of the native speaker through more complex games and activities with ludic exercises, and some informal didactic activities. The child develops self-confidence in the language, is able to read new words, feels confident in expressing themselves in the new language, using not only his/her own instincts but also logical thinking. He/she is engaged with the language and with his/her peers, and becomes more independent of the facilitator. His/her comprehension is increased and he/she is able to construct longer sentences, use greetings more easily and with more variety. This level is a mix between assimilation and consolidation of what the child is learning
Advanced Level is composed of students from 4th, 5th and 6th class. The child has the opportunity to reinforce their language learning and to gain the confidence to speak straight way what he/she knows. The aim of the last three years is to enable the child to use their knowledge and be able to communicate independently with other people outside of the context where he/she has learned. At this stage, the learner has been exposed to 8 years of the target language. This level is a mix of assimilation, consolidation and restoration.