In an effort to challenge Spanish immersion students, a new course called Spanish Language Film has been added to the curriculum for next year. The course was added after parents of immersion students pushed to have a content-based class taught. Aimed at students reading at or above Spanish grade level, Saneun McHaley-Foley will teach the course next year with the hopes of refining speaking, listening, and writing skills through themed units including magic realism, the Spanish Civil War, the South and Central American wars of the 1980s, rituals, the economy, recession, and death. By studying films covering such historical topics, students will analyze and interact with each other and be assessed through oral presentations and written responses.

According to McHaley-Foley, the course will offer little homework but will focus more on speaking, writing and listening skills. Instead of working at home, students will work on their productive language skills in class. “Many language students suffer from lack of exposure to the second language with only three classes per week on the block schedule,” McHaley-Foley said. “This class will offer students of higher level ability the opportunity to practice more every day.”