Spanish Language Support
Every lesson. Fully translated. Audio-driven. Teacher-controlled. Spanish-language students receive the same standards-aligned EDI instruction as their English-speaking peers, in the language they understand best.
Every Lesson, Fully Translated
American Digital Education delivers every lesson in both English and Spanish. Spanish-language students receive the same standards-aligned Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) lessons as their English-speaking peers, with fully translated on-screen content and natural-sounding Spanish audio narration. Nothing is watered down and nothing is left out. The rigor, the interactivity, and the instructional methodology are identical across both languages.
Same Standards, Same Depth
Spanish lessons teach the same content standards, follow the same 65-step EDI structure, and assess with the same rigor. Only the language changes.
Natural Spanish Narration
Two dedicated Spanish-language instructors narrate every lesson through the same high-fidelity audio pipeline used for English.
Bilingual Academic Vocabulary
Key academic terms appear in both languages on first use, building the English vocabulary students will meet on state assessments.
Teacher-Controlled Delivery
Teachers set a student’s default language and can override the language for any individual assignment when it serves the lesson.
1. Built for English Language Learners
More than 1.1 million California students are classified as English Language Learners, and the vast majority speak Spanish at home. These students deserve full access to grade-level academic content, not simplified alternatives that leave them further behind. ADE’s Spanish language support is designed around that principle.
Spanish-mode lessons teach the same content standards, follow the same EDI lesson structure, and assess understanding with the same rigor. Students are never placed on a lower academic track simply because they need instruction in their home language.
Bilingual Academic Vocabulary
When a lesson introduces a key academic term, Spanish-mode students see both the Spanish and English forms together on first use:
razón (ratio)
This ensures students build the English academic vocabulary they will encounter on CAASPP and other state assessments while learning the concept in the language they understand best. The goal is not translation for its own sake, but a bridge: students master the idea in Spanish and carry the English term forward into the assessments and classrooms where they will need it.
Verbal Responses in Spanish
When lessons ask students to speak their answers, the platform listens for and evaluates Spanish responses. Students think, speak, and respond in Spanish while engaging with grade-level academic content, so the language of instruction never becomes a barrier to demonstrating what they know.
2. Natural Spanish Audio Instruction
Two dedicated Spanish-language virtual instructors guide students through every lesson. Students select their preferred voice, and that preference is remembered across all lessons.
Mrs. Hernandez
Default voice
Mr. López
Alternate voice
The audio is produced through the same high-fidelity text-to-speech pipeline used for English instruction, tuned specifically to handle the phonetic vocabulary instruction central to EDI methodology. When a lesson displays syllable breakdowns on screen, the audio pronounces the complete word fluently, exactly as a classroom teacher would, so the on-screen decoding support and the spoken model always agree.
3. Teacher Controls
Teachers manage Spanish language delivery through two simple, flexible controls that work together.
Under each student’s accommodation settings, teachers select English or Spanish as the student’s default language. Once set to Spanish, that student receives every assigned lesson in Spanish automatically. This is the right setting for students who need consistent Spanish-language instruction.
When assigning lessons (individually, in bulk, through Attendance Recovery, or through Independent Study), teachers can apply a Language Override to deliver specific lessons in English or Spanish, regardless of the student’s default setting.
Precise Instructional Control
Together, these controls let a teacher meet a student exactly where they are. A teacher might assign a challenging math lesson in Spanish for a student who usually works in English, providing scaffolding on difficult content. Or a teacher might assign a lesson in English for a student who usually works in Spanish, building English academic language skills on familiar material.
The logic is predictable: when no override is applied, the system follows the student’s accommodation setting. When no accommodation is set, lessons default to English.
4. Attendance Recovery and Independent Study
Spanish language support works across all assignment pathways, including Attendance Recovery and Independent Study. Districts recovering ADA funding for ELL students can now provide standards-aligned, interactive, audio-driven instruction in Spanish through the same compliance-ready system used for English-language attendance recovery.
5. Assessment Support
Lesson-level assessments, including checks for understanding and built-in quizzes, function fully in Spanish, so a student working in Spanish is assessed in Spanish throughout the lesson. Support for unit tests and benchmarks in Spanish is on the product roadmap.
6. Designed for California’s Student Population
ADE’s Spanish audio and speech recognition use Latin American Spanish, matching the dialect spoken by the overwhelming majority of California’s Spanish-speaking families. This is not an afterthought localization. The system is built from the ground up to serve the students California districts are working hardest to reach.
7. Quick Reference: What’s Supported in Spanish
| Feature | Spanish Support |
|---|---|
| On-screen lesson content | Fully translated |
| Audio narration | Two Spanish instructors (Mrs. Hernandez, Mr. López) |
| Academic vocabulary | Bilingual (Spanish + English on first use) |
| Verbal (spoken) responses | Evaluated in Spanish |
| Checks for understanding & quizzes | Fully supported |
| Unit tests & benchmarks | On roadmap |
| Attendance Recovery & Independent Study | Fully supported |
| Dialect | Latin American Spanish |
8. Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Spanish lessons simplified versions of the English lessons?
Which Spanish dialect does ADE use?
Can a student move between English and Spanish?
Does Spanish support work for Attendance Recovery and ADA funding?
Are assessments available in Spanish?
Can students answer out loud in Spanish?