why do schools offer spanish class to spanish speakers?

Question

at my school, spanish class is offered to all students. many times there are kids who use spanish as their first language in these classes. i could understand if they took a higher level class, like the "american" students take an english class, but we learn about simple verbs and conjugating, stuff these people should know by the age of 5. any thoughts?

Answer 1

It's been my experience that Native Spanish speakers in my classes typically only speak the language, not read or write it. If they can write it, it is full of spelling and grammar mistakes (just like a native English speaker's is in and English class). So taking the class helps with their formal speaking and writing skills.
In standard high school Spanish classes we teach sort of a universal Spanish so that one can be easily understood anywhere in the world where Spanish is spoken. Just like British and American English can differ, Castilian and Latin American Spanish have different words, accents, and slang. When a native speaker takes a Spanish class they can learn more vocabulary and perhaps understand others better. Of course they might not use the new vocabulary when speaking to their family or friends, they are at least more aware of how others use the language.
Another component of a Spanish class is culture. While a native speaker might be familiar with their country's history and customs, they can learn about other Spanish speaking countries and their festivals, artists, heros, crafts, music, etc.
Like others have said, it helps with their English. I have heard several Latinos comment that because they speak both languages, they speak neither one well. Taking a Spanish class can help with both languages.
If the bilingual student has grown up in a typical public school system in the States, a high school class is their first exposure to Spanish grammar. So things they would have covered or should have known since age 5, aren't introduced until much later. But they have probably had English grammar since 1st grade.
Some take it simply to fullfill college entrance requirements or get an "easy A".

I hope this helps and offers some insight.

Answer 2

I teach ESL in a high school and the Spanish teachers and I decided that my native Spanish speakers should be placed in either Spanish IV or AP Spanish. In past years they were in Spanish I or II and become bored and some become discipline problems because of it. This year it is working much better. The higher level classes are more challenging and they are learning the grammar and how to write correctly in their native language. Many of them do lack literacy skills in Spanish so these classes do help. One of my students told the AP teacher, "Thank you for teaching me Spanish."

Some of my students do take French though. It's great if they become trilingual!

Answer 3

You're right, but maybe it's too difficult to determine for every student which level his/her Spanish is. And these Spanish students may have more trouble in English classes, and the extra time they have to put in English, is the extra time they get from not having to learn so much for Spanish classes. And all of the students receive the same diploma, so it wouldn't be fair either to let the Spanish people work harder for the same diploma.

Answer 4

Some Hispanic people do not receive a good education from the beginning and so they do benefit from Spanish classes even thought they speak Spanish it does not mean they are proficient in speaking or writing the language correctly. Also, it helps them to understand English.

Answer 5

For the same reason schools offer English class to English speakers... to command the language.

Answer 6

This is so annoying in my school its italian, this guy got an A in it at higher level in secondary school, its not fair cause hes been speaking it since he was born whole family do too, class was just an easy pass to get to uni, school even gave him an award at end of year for the grade-it disgusts me! ;)

Answer 7

They don't speak proper Spanish .. its usually a slang .. like in Texas they speak a form of Tex-Mex, not true Spanish (lets say) from Monterrey, Mexico

Answer 8

I think that so you can speak more than one language so you can talk to many people and if you know spanish you can talk to people who spaek spanish so that's probably why they offer it at school.

Answer 9

why do they have english and literature for english people
Same reason so you can better your grammar youll never get perfect but they want you to talk proper and the queens english