Spanish II—Semester B

No sombreros or piñatas in sight.

  • Credit Recovery Enabled
  • Course Length: 18 weeks
  • Category:
    • Foreign Language
    • Middle School
    • High School

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Shmoop's Spanish II course has been granted a-g certification, which means it has met the rigorous iNACOL Standards for Quality Online Courses and will now be honored as part of the requirements for admission into the University of California system.


Here's how we imagine your previous Spanish classes:

  • Conjugating verb tenses, both regular and stem-changing
  • Writing short responses and essays about texts you've read
  • Conversing in Spanish about a variety of topics

Spanish II is…more of the same, but with the added benefit that you'll actually be applying your Spanish skills to real-world issues. Think: climate change, slums, immigration, and so on.

In other words, Spanish II's Semester B is not only going to bring your fluency to the next level—it'll also prepare you to be a responsible, global citizen. We mean, what better way to combine our loves of foreign language learning with cultural diversity and connections?

For the next 18 weeks, get ready to

  • reflect on the impact of wellbeing, health, and stress.
  • discuss the impact of different communities in Latin America and the world, like megacities, barrios bajos, and rural farming towns.
  • propose ways to preserve the environment and endangered animals.
  • describe the future you envision for yourself.

Trust us—this semester will bring a whole new meaning to your conjugation exercises.

P.S. This is a two-semester course. You're looking at Semester B; you can find Semester A here.

Technology Requirements

  • Access to a recording device with sound and video, such as a smartphone or webcam
  • Access to an audio uploading service, like Vocaroo, and a video uploading service, like YouTube or Dropbox
  • Headphones to listen to Shmoop's audios and videos


Unit Breakdown

5 El Bienestar

We hate being sick; all the chicken soup and naps can't make us feel better about a fever, stuffy nose, and non-stop sneezing. That's why we've got a whole unit devoted to wellbeing, including going to the doctor's office, keeping up a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding stress. It's all a part of staying sana como una manzana.

6 Nuestras Comunidades

Community isn't just the name of a hit sitcom. It's also a way of orienting yourself in the world, whether you're talking about the global comunidad of human beings or the local traditions of your suburban hometown. In this unit, you'll be describing the activities and unique qualities of your city, while also reflecting on the bigger impact of immigration on communities throughout the U.S.

7 Disfrutando de la Naturaleza

We at Shmoop are homebodies who prefer to watch Animal Planet than actually go outdoors—but that doesn't mean we don't have an appreciation for nature. Unit 7 is all about exploring geography, having a healthy fear of natural disasters, and protecting the environment. After all, there's nothing like litter and air pollution to spoil the medio ambiente for the rest of us…

8 ¿Cómo Será Nuestro Futuro?

What will the future be like? We're hoping for flying cars, robot servants, and food that can be instantaneously transmitted through the computer…but we've been burned before. Your final unit of the course is all about looking forward: what you want to major in, what job you want, and how you'll use your Spanish skills in the future. Fortune-telling crystal balls optional.


Recommended prerequisites:

  • Spanish I—Semester A
  • Spanish I—Semester B
  • Spanish II—Semester A

  • Sample Lesson - Introduction

    Lesson 8.02: Bringing Home the Bacon

    A photo of a carpenter ant.
    Sure, this carpenter ant has had things figured out since she hatched, but she's an ant. At least you're not in danger of being squished by a giant shoe every day of your life.
    (Source)

    Some people are lucky enough to have every step of their career path planned out. They know which AP classes to take in high school, which major to choose in college, what kind of internships to shoot for, where to go to grad school—and, of course, what they want to do for a living.

    But if you're just a mere mortal, the sheer amount of choices can reduce you to tears and panic attacks. You might even wish someone would make that decisión for you. You may wish you were a lowly ant instead of a human. After all, some members of the animal world have job titles built into their names. Think carpenter ants, worker bees, and writing spiders.

    …Actually, maybe don't think about those. They're all pretty creepy.

    Don't sweat it, though. Maybe you don't want to be un carpintero (carpenter), un obrero (worker), or un escritor (writer). Maybe you have no idea what you want to be when you grow up. Regardless of your choice, you've got plenty of time to make it. And, with a little help from today's Spanish lesson, you'll even be able to make it en español.


    Sample Lesson - Reading

    Reading 8.8.02a: Vocabulary

    We have a buffet of career choices waiting for you in today's vocabulary section. Feast on it, ingest it, and commit it to memory.

    Oh, and guess what? We're serving up your favorite dish: cognates. There are a ton of 'em in this round of vocab, which should aid the digestion process nicely.

    Yeah, we know: gross. We promise, we'll lay off the food puns for a while.

    Take out your vocabulary notebooks and warm up your vocal cords—it's time to drill the following new terms:

    • el mecánico (m) / la mecánica (f): mechanic
      Plural: los mecánicos/las mecánicas
      Mi tío es un mecánico.
      My uncle is a mechanic.
    • el obrero (m) / la obrera (f): worker, manual laborer
      Plural: los obreros/las obreras
      Su padre es obrero de la construcción.
      His father is a construction worker.
    • el enfermero (m) / la enfermera (f): nurse
      Plural: los enfermeros/las enfermeras
      Los enfermeros no ganan mucho.
      Nurses don't make a lot of money.
    • el ingeniero (m) / la ingeniera (f): engineer
      Plural: los ingenieros/las ingenieras
      Yo quiero ser ingeniero naval.
      I want to be a naval engineer.
    • el doctor (m) / la doctora (f): doctor
      Plural: los doctores/las doctoras
      No me siento bien. Llamo al doctor.
      I don't feel well. I'm calling the doctor.
    • el abogado (m) / la abogada (f): lawyer
      Plural: los abogados/las abogadas
      Mis padres son abogados, así que no puedo mentirles.
      My parents are lawyers, so I can't lie to them.
    • el policía (m) / la policía (f): police officer
      Plural: los policías/las policías
      Mi vecino es policía; él tiene una pistola, pero nunca lo usa cuando él no está trabajando.
      My neighbor is a police officer; he has a gun, but he never uses it when he's not working.
    • el diseñador (m) / la diseñadora (f): designer
      Plural: los diseñadores/las diseñadoras
      Oscar de la Renta es un diseñador muy conocido.
      Oscar de la Renta is a well-known designer.
    • el bombero (m) / la bombera (f): firefighter
      Plural: los bomberos/las bomberas
      Es muy peligroso trabajar como bombero.
      It's very dangerous to work as a firefighter.
    • el informático (m) / la informática (f): computer specialist
      Plural: los informáticos/las informáticas
      Se necesitan muchos informáticos.
      Many computer specialists are needed.
    • el arquitecto (m) / la arquitecta (f): architect
      Plural: los arquitectos/las arquitectas
      ¿Ganan mucho dinero los arquitectos?
      Do architects make a lot of money?
    • el cantante (m) / la cantante (f): singer
      Plural: los cantantes/las cantantes
      Maya es cantante en una banda.
      Maya is a singer in a band. 
    • el científico (m) / la científica (f): scientist
      Plural: los científicos/las científicas
      Muchas veces los científicos trabajan en un laboratorio.
      Scientists often work in laboratories.
    • el deportista (m) / la deportista (f): athlete
      Plural: los deportistas/las deportistas
      Su madre era una deportista famosa. Ella jugaba fútbol.
      Her mother was a famous athlete. She played soccer.
    • el contador (m) / la contadora (f): accountant
      Plural: los contadores/las contadoras
      Hay mucho trabajo para contadores, pero no me gusta trabajar con dinero.

      There are a lot of jobs for accountants, but I don't like working with money.
    • el sueldo (m): salary
      Plural: los sueldos
      No me importa ganar un sueldo alto.
      Earning a high salary isn't important to me.

    Sample Lesson - Reading

    Reading 8.8.02b: Job Blog, Job Blog, Job Blog

    In today's reading, a student pours all his thoughts and deliberations about career choices into a blog post. Read on to find out about his decision paralysis (relatable), and how he overcame it.

    If you get tripped up on a vocab word or two, check out our mini glossary.

    Glossary:

    • soñar con algo: to dream of something
    • la beca: scholarship
    • la pasantía: internship

    Hace dos años, todavía no sabía cómo escoger entre todas las profesiones disponibles después de mi graduación. Muchísimas profesiones me parecían interesantes. Me gustaban las clases de educación física y quería ser deportista o profesor de educación física.

    Pero me di cuenta de que la carrera de un deportista muchas veces es bastante corta. No quería quedarme desempleado a la edad de 40 años. Además, sabía que los profesores no ganan mucho dinero, y quería dejar atrás la escuela. Por eso eliminé esa opción.

    También me fascinan los edificios altos en ciudades grandes como Nueva York, y por eso soñaba con ser arquitecto. Pero leí en una página web que se tiene que dibujar muy bien para ser arquitecto. Las clases de arte me salen muy difíciles.

    Mi tío Raúl es científico en una universidad, y siempre me cuenta historias del laboratorio, de sus explosiones y experimentos. Eso me parece muy divertido, pero Raúl dice que un doctorado es necesario para obtener un buen trabajo como científico. No pienso que podría alcanzar eso. Prefiero el trabajo a la escuela y no quiero pasar mucho tiempo en la universidad para obtener el doctorado.

    Me preocupaba mucho tratando de decidirme. Había tantas opciones y no sabía cuales me harían feliz.

    Un día, mi madre me dijo: "Pregúntate: ¿qué es lo más importante para ti? ¿Quieres ganar un sueldo alto? ¿Quieres trabajar de manera creativa? ¿O te importa más un trabajo social, para una buena causa?"

    "¡Todo eso!", le respondí. "Pues, no soy muy creativo, pero quiero ganar mucho dinero, y me gusta relacionarme con mucha gente."

    "¿Y quieres estudiar en una universidad, o prefieres comenzar un trabajo después de la escuela?", me preguntó mi madre.

    "Pienso que quiero estudiar en la universidad", le respondí.

    "¿Alguna vez has pensado en ser abogado?", dijo mi madre. "Se puede ganar un sueldo bastante alto, y siempre estás en contacto con otra gente."

    Eso me pareció muy buena idea. Ahora, me importa más sacar buenas notas, porque es muy caro volverse abogado, y quiero obtener una beca. El verano, quiero hacer una pasantía con un abogado.

    Now, say "job blog" three times fast. For, uh… fluency practice, of course.


    Sample Lesson - Activity

    Activity 8.02a: Jobs in Pictures

    No written clues, no context, no English cognates to remind you of the Spanish word—just pictures. That's all you have in this activity.

    Don't worry. We're confident you're up to the challenge.

    And what, you might ask is the challenge? We want you to write the Spanish word for the profession you see in each picture. Include both male and female variants, please.

    Sounds pretty simple, we know. But we'll give you an example anyway, because it's our job to make your life easier:

    For the above image, you would write:

    el enfermero, la enfermera

    Or:

    el doctor, la doctora

    We'd accept either answer in this case, because, again: we want to make your life easier.


    Sample Lesson - Activity

    Activity 8.02b: So, About That Job Blog…

    The writer of the job blog you read earlier had a hard time making up his mind about the right career path for him, until his mom helped him get past it. His struggle is definitely not uncommon, so it's worth looking at his story in detail. Maybe there are some helpful tips for your own decision processes in there.

    To make sure we're all on the same page, skim through the blog again and answer the following comprehension questions, in at least one complete Spanish sentence each.

    1. ¿Cuáles son las profesiones que le interesaban al escritor del blog, y cuál escogió después de hablar con su madre?

    2. ¿Cuáles son las características de una profesión que le importan más al escritor?

    3. ¿Cuál es el aspecto de una profesión (enumerado por su madre) que no le importa mucho?

    4. ¿Cómo le ayuda su madre con su decisión?

    5. ¿Qué hace para alcanzar su carrera preferida?

    6. ¿Por qué no quiere hacerse científico?


    Sample Lesson - Activity

    Activity 8.02c: Weighing Your Options

    When you take a second to really think about it, some dream careers might not be all they're made out to be.

    For instance, being an Olympic athlete might sound glamorous, but would you really want to endure punishing workouts on a daily basis, not be able to eat whatever you like, and live with the awareness that your whole career could be ruined with a single injury?

    If your answer is "uh, yes," then you're way more hardcore than we are. Still, it's definitely worth reflecting a little about career options, just like the blogger did in today's reading.

    You're going to write a 100 – 150 word Spanish reflection about the reading. In your response, you should answer the following questions:

    • Which of the jobs from the reading would you be interested in doing and which ones would you not be interested in?
    • Regardless of the jobs mentioned in the reading: If you answer the mother's questions for yourself, which jobs can you come up with that might be good options for yourself?
    • What are the most important characteristics of a job for you?

    Here's a sample start to a paragraph to inspire your own writing:

    Ningunas de las profesiones mencionadas en el blog me interesan, porque no quiero estudiar en una universidad. Quiero buscar un trabajo, ganar dinero, y mudarme a mi propio apartamento lo antes posible. Saco buenas notas en matemáticas. Tal vez puedo trabajar como contadora en una oficina.


    Sample Lesson - Activity

    Activity 8.02d: The Quest for Awesome Careers

    We know we've said this a billion times already, but it bears repeating: picking a job is a delicate and detailed process.

    For instance, a job might pay a lot but also be so stressful and time-consuming you never get around to enjoying all the moolah you make. A job could also be so easy that you're bored every day at work. When you pick a job in the future, you want to make sure to find something that covers all your bases. You want to make enough money to, uh, pay your bills, but you don't want a job that'll suck your soul out, Dementor-like.

    For this activity, you'll be crowdsourcing some info on the best and worst jobs out there—with a partner.

    First of all, partner up. In Spanish, discuss the jobs that you think are…

    • más estresante (most stressful).
    • más creativo (most creative).
    • más difícil (most difficult).
    • más fácil (easiest).
    • bien pagados (well-paid).

    You and your partner should talk for about five to ten minutes and record your convo. Here's how such a conversation might start:

    CAROLINA: Pienso que los abogados son muy bien pagados.

    RICKY: ¿De verdad? Yo conozco una abogada que no gana mucho. Pienso que depende en el tipo de abogado y clientes.

    CAROLINA: Pues, si trabajas para un banco puedes ganar mucho.

    RICKY: Eso es verdad. Pero trabajar en Wall Street también puede ser muy estresante.

    You and your partner should get equal airtime here. If it helps, alternate speaking between one sentence and the next.

    When you're finished, upload your audio file below.