Spanish Immersion to get under way today

In its continued efforts to support the teaching and learning of Spanish as a foreign language, The Spanish-Jamaican Foundation is again partnering with the Ministry of Education and embassies of Spanish-speaking countries to stage a Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) oral examination practice today.

The event, which is dubbed 'Spanish Immersion Day', is to be held at the Kingston & St Andrew Parish Library. Some 300 students from high schools in the Corporate Area are expected to attend the event during allotted time slots between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid will be in attendance from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Also in attendance will be Ambassador Jose Tomas Ares, dean of the diplomatic corps; ambassadors and other representatives from the embassies of Spain, Argentina, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. These native speakers will be paired with Jamaican teachers of the Spanish language who will guide the students through oral exam practice using recognised themes from the CSEC syllabus.

This year, Spanish immersion workshops will also take place at Church Teachers' College in Mandeville, April 16, and Sam Sharpe Teachers' College in Montego Bay on April 15.