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    ¡HOLA!
    Bienvenidos a la Clase de Español.
    My name is Sra. Gilbert, I am the Spanish teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School - (Grades 1st - 4th), and Baker Elementary  (4th Grade). I am very happy to be teaching your children Spanish, a fun, useful and lively language.

     
    I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) Program in Upper St. Clair. Our FLES is based on the insights and hypotheses of many foreign language teachers and researchers who have preceded us. Two such researchers, Krashen and Terrell, believe that language acquisition occurs in three stages called the Natural Approach. These stages are comprehension, early speech production, and speech emergence. In the first stage, students begin to comprehend the new language that is being used. This language is used to describe things that are important to the students, various aspects of their surroundings, and different topics that are relevant to the students lives. In the second stage, students begin early speech production. They begin to answer simple questions with single or two words answers and they begin to practice in simple dialogue. Finally, in the thirds stage, speech becomes more spontaneous and students begin to participate in games and recreational activities while using their foreign language.

     
    Every day we start our class with greetings,ask each student how they feel, what the day's weather is and the date. Then we follow with a review of the previous day vocabulary and then practice. Practice is something that we do a lot of.
     
    I hope that you find this web page useful in order to practice what your child is learning in the classroom.

     
    If you would like to contact me, you may call me at 412-833-1600 ext. 8085, or e-mail me at: