Student Reactions

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For this project, I also wanted to see how students felt about their learning experience in Spanish class. I administered a survey to the seventh and eighth grade students at Jefferson Middle School to see what they liked best about Spanish class as well as if Spanish ranked as one of their favorite classes.

General Trends in Student Surveys

	There was not an overwhelming amount of students who listed Spanish as their favorite class. However, many more seventh graders listed it as their favorite class than the eighth graders.
	The students who listed Spanish as their favorite class said it was because they thought it was neat to learn another language.
	Most of the students did not choose the fact that Spanish is spoken all the time in Spanish class as the best part of the class. They also did not say that the best part was because they were not afraid of making mistakes.
	The most common choices for the best part of Spanish class was that it challenged them, they got to have a different name in the class, and they were allowed to express their opinions and experiences freely. Very few students stated the fact that Spanish was an easy class.
	The most common choices for the best part of Spanish class focusing on the teachers were that the teacher made students feel welcome in class and that he was funny. The students tended to agree that part of the reason they enjoyed Spanish class was because there was a comfortable atmosphere where both the students and the teacher use humor as a positive part of their learning experience.
	Students who participated a lot in most of their other classes also participated a lot in Spanish. The students who participated often in Spanish class said it was because they understood what was going on and they felt like they were learning something.
	In some cases, students who did not participate much in other classes were involved more in Spanish class. Students stated that the reason they participated more in Spanish was because it was fun and they felt comfortable using another language to express themselves.

General Observations of Students in the Classroom

	In general, students respect the rule that Spanish should be spoken at all times with the teacher as well as with their peers. Students try hard to express themselves in Spanish and this keeps them engaged in the class.
	Some students participate more than others, but all students will participate when the teacher calls on them. The teacher makes an extra effort to encourage these students to participate more by complimenting their effort when they do participate.