In PYP Year 3, CGS students have the opportunity to start learning Spanish. Having already started English as the principal foreign language from the Kindergarten, the introduction to Spanish is done in a smooth manner, as students have already acquired knowledge about the basic mechanics of a foreign language.
The teaching method chosen for the children’s first contact with Spanish is based on oral communication along with written discourse. Accent and the stressing of words, through contact with the culture and everyday life of Spanish-speaking countries, are elements that are given particular weight in the classroom and participation in IB PYP’s units of enquiry.
In PYP Years 4 & 5 students develop their communicative skills in Spanish enriching their vocabulary and understanding the mechanics of the language. (Grammar, Syntax).
Depending on the students’ progress and how they respond to the requirements of the curriculum, different sets are created at the beginning of the PYP Year 5 to cover the learning needs and individual learning styles of each student.
In PYP Year 6, our students have acquired the knowledge corresponding to MYP Phase 1, which is in line with the level of language at A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Students who desire so have the option at the end of the academic year to sit the A1 exam which is organized by the Instituto Cervantes de Atenas.
In the IB MYP, students continue attending courses in Spanish through the MYP programmes while retaining the option of acquiring additional language certificates. A prerequisite for this is their participation in the optional exam preparation courses in the framework of the Foreign Languages Club.
Specifically, MYP Year 2, students who take part in the exam preparation sections have the opportunity to take the A2 Diploma Exam.
In MYP Year 3, students have the opportunity to sit the B1 examination and in MYP Year 4 the B2 examination. Our goal is for our students to complete their secondary education in Spanish and have obtained their B2 diploma, which allows them to enter most Spanish-language universities without language examinations.
According to the Instituto Cervantes de Atenas, success in A2 and B1 examinations is determined by the students’ language skills level, regardless of whether they are attending MYP Years 2 or 3.
In MYP Year 5 our students can keep in touch with Spanish making use of the two hours of teaching provided in their morning programme.
The language level attained by CGS students at the end of MYP Year 5 allows those who will follow the IB Diploma Programme to choose Spanish B either at Level Medio or at Level Superior (high level).
Irrespective of the Spanish language qualification level or diploma, IB DP students can also choose Spanish as a course (Español Ab Initio).
