Hillside students from first through third grade are privileged to have a world language program to develop basic skills in Spanish. Students learn greetings, basic Spanish vocabulary and communication. They are exposed to the Spanish culture and its rich history.

“World language education is critical to our students’ success in the world of the future: a world
that will insist upon their need to interact effectively with others who do not speak English.”
- American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

Hillside School's World Language program aims to develop the three modes of communication in our students: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. The teaching process accentuates learner-centered activities.   

The World Language curriculum consists of the five “Cs”: communication, cultures, connection, comparison and community. In addition, we emphasize creativity and innovation in the classroom, essential 21st century skills.

Total Physical Response (TPR) is widely employed, whereby students acquire their knowledge visually and orally through games, songs and exposure to the Spanish culture.  TPR is used extensively in vocabulary introduction, sentence building and the teaching of songs and games. TPR activities teach our young students to learn Spanish in an exciting and healthy way by connecting vocabulary to actions and movements.

The Hillside World Language program will enhance students’ education by exposing them to different cultures and preparing them for a diverse and multilingual world.