The study of any foreign language is not easy. Regardless of the difficulty of the language studied, it takes daily involvement and study in order to learn. The student quickly finds out that it is impossible to bluff his/her way through the language class. Students must learn a new phonetic system. Quite often, in order to teach the foreign language grammar, we find it is necessary to first teach the English grammar. Because of this, an added benefit to second language learners is that they become even more proficient in their own language. Progress in a language is based on accumulative knowledge.There must be constant review of past material. It takes some individuals more study time to grasp rules and concepts, to spell new vocabulary and learn proper accentuation than it does others.

You, as a parent, know your child better than we do. Please help him/her to set good study habits that reinforce what is presented in the classroom. Please consider the following suggestions:

• Encourage your child to read the text. Vocabulary and explanations are generally presented in both languages.
• Assist in the learning of vocabulary through oral and written drills. (Students are constantly accumulating new words that must be remembered throughout the course of their language study.)
• Encourage him/her to study a minimum of 15 minutes daily on review material, in addition to the usual assignment.
• Flash cards can be easily made from corrected worksheets, verb drills, and exercises, and often prove very helpful.
• Although written work may not be assigned, encourage your child to review all that was covered in class. Ask him/her what was learned that day.
• Please remind your child to a) come in to see their teacher for extra help when needed and b) make up any work missed due to an absence.

Learning a second language does not just consist of grammatical concepts. It is an excellent means of broadening the students' perspective of the world in which we live. The benefits are countless. The teaching as well as the learning of a second language can be rewarding and fun for both teacher and student. Thank you for letting us share this experience with your child. Your cooperation and interest are greatly appreciated. We welcome your questions and comments.

We strongly recommend that any student who completes the Spanish 1 (1st year) course with less than a "C" retake the course. We have found that students who do not do well in the first year will continue to struggle and will experience even further and more profound difficulties at higher levels. Since the study of foreign language is incremental, difficulties at early stages of the courses will become magnified as students advance. Retaking the course gives these students a chance to build the solid foundations which will make for a successful and enjoyable experience.