By Anna Maria Last updated:
In most places, having another language can open doors for you.
In fact, getting a high school diploma often requires some language credits, and most universities like to see foreign language skills on entrance applications.
We’ve got you covered with some first-rate options to take your Spanish learning online—and get high school credits for it, too!
Contents
- How Do Online Spanish Courses Work?
- The Best Online Spanish Courses for High School Credit
- 1. The American Academy
- 2. International Virtual Learning Academy
- 3. Connections Academy
- 4. James Madison High School
- 5. National High School
- The Benefits of Online Spanish Courses for High School Credit
- And One More Thing…
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
How Do Online Spanish Courses Work?
Online high school Spanish courses are affiliated with accredited institutions so the coursework meets the educational standards set by your state.
Generally, students log in to a portal to access the course syllabus, check on grades and communicate with teachers. That’s the place to find your textbooks, too.
Students usually complete lessons by a certain deadline. Submit your work to be graded, then log on to receive grades once they’ve been posted.
For proctored testing, students must go to a testing site. If that applies to a course you’re interested in, be sure to check where the nearest testing area is.
The Best Online Spanish Courses for High School Credit
When studying online, you’ll need to stay on top of your own learning. Be sure to make enough time every day to get all the work done so you can keep up with the class!
1. The American Academy
Cost: $476 for two semesters (1 credit)
The American Academy operates an accredited private online high school. If you’re looking for either a complete education or just a few classes, their 100-plus high school course catalog should meet your needs.
Students determine how quickly they complete their work: The Academy allows six months to finish a course but there’s no minimum time limit for completion.So if you’re very motivated and learn quickly, you could ace Spanish as quickly as you want!
Spanish I has no prerequisites and students can start learning within 24 hours after signing up.Spanish II requires completion of Spanish I, so take the first course and head right into the second!
Prices vary depending on which course you choose.
2. International Virtual Learning Academy
Cost: Fee calculator available here
The International Virtual Learning Academy is a private school that offers a year-round virtual learning environment.
They’re fully accredited and will even award a California high school diploma through the distance learning program.
The program builds language skills through reading, writing, listening and speaking exercises.
There’s a live tutoring option so students can converse with native speakers whenever they want to practice their speaking skills.
A boon to the program is the option of playing educational gamesthat turn study time into fun time—because, really, gamifying learning just makes sense, doesn’t it? There’s avariety of exercises and games to choose from so every skill’s covered and there are enough options to interest most students.
Learning should be entertaining and with this program, it is!
3. Connections Academy
Cost: Tuition-free
Connections Academy’s online coursesare affiliated with public schools in various states. Attendance is tuition-free, testing is standardized and programs are fully accredited.
Start and end dates, as well as program lengths, vary from state to state. Time commitment and scheduling isn’t as flexible as some other programs, but there’s still plenty of room for customization. There are teacher-led live lessons to attend but other than that, work can be done at an individual pace.
There’s a full Spanish curriculum available for online students, featuring eight Spanish courses for various skill levels. This program provides a great place to get a super language education and put your Spanish skills through their paces!
4. James Madison High School
Cost: From $1099
Best College Reviews rated James Madison High School their #1 Top Pick in their reviews of online high schools!
The school is located in Georgia but their online learning program makes their curriculum accessible to students everywhere.It’s a fully accredited institution that offers an extensive Spanish program.
There are three levels to choose from:Spanish I, Spanish II and Spanish III. They’re all comprehensive courses geared toward either gathering requirements for a high school diploma or preparing for college-level study.
Enrollment is open year-round so you can begin your Spanish studies at any time. All courses are 100% online and self-paced, whichmeans there are no group projects or mandatory times to log into your virtual classroom.
5. National High School
Cost: Course information available on website
National High School is a private school that facilitates learning for high school students who choose to learn from home.
In addition to offering an entire high school curriculum, National High School has an individual course program. There’s alsotuition assistance available if it’s needed.
To enroll in high school courses, students must provide proof that they’ve completed 8th grade.
Courses aredesigned to teach students proficiency in Spanish through listening, reading, writing and comprehension exercises. Three tests and a final exam must bepassed in order for students to receive credit for coursework.
Self-paced courses mean flexible hours but if you plan to take Spanish over the summer, all work must be completed by the end of their summer session.
Classes come with unlimited tutoring.Traditional tutors can really impact a budget but this inclusive tutoring option eliminates that concern. It’s a great addition to any course!
The Benefits of Online Spanish Courses for High School Credit
There are lots of reasons for taking an online Spanish course for high school credit. Lots.
They’re a great option for home-schooled or non-traditional students.
You may even be thinking about job opportunities where Spanish skills would have a positive impact on getting hired.
I haven’t even mentioned relocation yet! Who doesn’t dream of living somewhere exotic—say, Costa Rica or some other amazing Latin locale?
As I mentioned in the introduction, maybe you just really need those last few high school credits or need to check off the “foreign language” requirement. Here are some more excellent reasons why you should take an online Spanish course for high school credit:
- Schedule. Most of us cringe when we hear that word, thinking of hours jam-packed with places to be and things to do. But when used in regard to online Spanish courses, a schedule is a great thing. That’s because, unless the course you choose includes mandatory interactive classes, scheduling is completely at your discretion.
Log on whenever’s most convenient for you—that’s one of the best perks of self-studying!
- Levels are based on your current skills. Placement exams may eliminate the need to take basic courses if you’re not a beginner. That’s great news for anyone who’s got some Spanish skills already.
It’s especially useful for heritage learners who might not have completed any traditional Spanish learning, but still know a bit of the language due to a cultural connection or because they hear or speak that language in the home environment.
- Resources can often surpass what’s available in most standard high school classrooms. Many courses offer intensive online study guides, friendly chat rooms and other interactive options to level up the coursework.
An important note about studying online for credits: Always check for accreditation. To see if an online resource has high school course accreditation, look for it in theUS Department of Education database.
To reinforce everything you learn in the above courses, it’s a good idea to diversify your study. Try watching Spanish movies, listening to Spanish music and finding a good, complementary language learning program on the side of your for-credit program.
For example, you could get more exposure to native Spanish with the FluentU language learning program, which uses video clips from real Spanish media to create an immersion experience online.
So no excuses, okay? Just crack the virtual books and get your Spanish creds. Get one step closer to switching that tassel on your cap.
¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing…
If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.
Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.
FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:
FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.
Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
