YES TO THE SPEAKERS

I have been speaking Spanish since I learned how to talk. Spanish was my first language and having grown up part of my life in a Latin country, I have had a lot of experience with the language. Speaking Spanish came easily to me and so did reading it, but writing was where I had the most trouble. I could still write well, but I did not know how to use accents over syllables. Coming into high school, I wanted to take Spanish at school and I decided to take the placement test, which put me in the Spanish Speakers level, but I did not think I would get better at speaking or writing since I could already do that.

Looking back now, I definitely feel that I have gotten a lot better at the language, not only in writing, but I have also developed a more extensive vocabulary and I speak and read with more fluency. Many people think that Spanish speakers should not be able to take Spanish classes at school because it is a waste of time and they do not need it. However, they should be able to take these classes as long as it is the correct level for them. Whether it is learning a new language or just getting better at it, nobody should be criticized for extending their knowledge on any language.

Andrew Montana, a sophomore in AP Spanish, and a native Spanish speaker said,” They can learn more about other cultures and histories of other countries in addition to maybe learning more about their own.”
In Spanish classes, students do not just learn about the language, they also learn about the different cultures in Hispanic countries. This is something that many native Spanish speakers do not know about and with these Spanish classes, they gain a lot of knowledge of the world around them and their neighboring Hispanic communities.

However, Spanish speakers will not learn anything if they are in a Spanish level that is too low for them. Alex Sauceda, also a tenth grader taking AP Spanish said, “I believe that they [native Spanish speakers] shouldn’t be able to take lower level Spanish, instead take a higher level Spanish — anything above Spanish three because they already have background in Spanish.”

Since they are not allowed to speak English in class and instead are encouraged to speak only Spanish, these students gain practice with the language and are able to speak it more fluently and with more confidence. In addition to the constant conversation, students are given different activities, which allow them to get better at reading comprehension and writing, which is something many Spanish speakers have trouble with. It’s a good that native Spanish speakers should be given the choice of taking a placement test to see if they qualify to be in advanced Spanish classes at school.