World Language Courses
Core Classes
FRENCH 1 Full Year
This course is designed to help the student develop the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Basic concepts of French grammar and syntax are reinforced through a variety of exercises including audio-visual devices such as films, songs, recordings, pictures and language games. Emphasis is placed on oral proficiency, pronunciation and rhythm using everyday situations to make this first year a realistic learning experience. Culture projects will bring insights into French traditions.
FRENCH 2 Full Year
This course is designed to continue the basic grammatical concepts of the French language learned in the first year. The cultural focus of the course is on basic French institutions and ordinary aspects of life in France and the French-speaking world. The course is organized in short segments to help students acquire skills quickly. It strives to develop the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
SPANISH 1 Full Year
This course is designed to help the student develop the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Emphasis is placed on oral proficiency, pronunciation and rhythm using everyday situations and conversations. In addition to the vocabulary presented in the text, commonly used idioms and basic vocabulary will be supplemented. Beginning readings in Spanish will be augmented by insights into Spanish culture and traditions. Basic concepts of Spanish grammar and syntax are introduced and reinforced through a wide variety of written and oral exercises.
SPANISH 2 Full Year
This course is a continuation of course work covered in Spanish 1. Students complete a thorough study of Spanish language, grammar and syntax. Knowledge of cultural backgrounds and customs of the various Spanish-speaking communities is reinforced with supplemental materials. Emphasis is placed on all four-language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students begin reading excerpts of Spanish literature.
CHINESE 1 Full Year
Chinese 1 introduces students to the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese. The students will also be introduced to the customs and life of the modern Chinese. Emphasis is placed on developing accurate pronunciation using everyday situations and conversations and reading and writing Chinese characters. Cultural activities are arranged to provide each student with opportunities to enhance language and cultural learning.
CHINESE 2 Full Year
This course is a continuation of the first year of Chinese including further acquisition of an additional 200 characters and phrases, training in the skills of reading, writing and speaking official Chinese. This class further develops the Chinese language and cultural understanding through regular practice in class and homework. The students will learn to express themselves using more sophisticated language structures. Major themes for the second year Chinese are making appointments, studying languages, school life, shopping, talking about the weather and transportation. The pinyin and traditional Chinese characters will be taught. The four-tone system in Chinese pronunciation will be required. The students will have to write in simplified style Chinese characters for quizzes and exams. Cooperative group learning is highly emphasized.
Honors & Advanced Placement
ADVANCED PLACEMENT FRENCH LANGUAGE Full Year
This course is designed to prepare students who plan to take the Advanced Placement Examination in French Language in May. Listening, reading, function words and grammar, verb conjugation, composition writing and describing a series of pictures emphasize development of the student’s active communication in French. Students rely upon a diversity of resources for class discussion, including authentic radio and television broadcasts, newspapers, films and modern songs. Increased fluency, accuracy and expansion of ideas are stressed. French is spoken exclusively in this class.
HONORS FRENCH LITERATURE Full Year
The cultural content of this course focuses primarily on the French speaking world through comparing and contrasting geographic, historical, artistic, social, and political features of target culture communities. Sources include texts from contemporary culture, poetry, publicity and excerpts from novels and magazines. Listening passages are taken from conversations, podcasts, radio and interviews. Students have the opportunity to read, comprehend, and present on cultural and literary topics relating to thematic units. Student participation is essential, and the course is taught primarily in French.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT SPANISH LANGUAGE Full Year
This course is designed for students who plan to take the Advanced Placement Examination in Spanish Language in May. Activities stress speaking, listening, reading and writing skills that focus on active communication in Spanish. Course materials will include recordings, films, newspapers, magazines and selected literary works by major authors. Training in the organization and writing of compositions is an integral part of the course. Students are expected to use Spanish exclusively and Spanish is the language of instruction in this class.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT SPANISH LITERATURE Full Year
This course is designed for students who take the Advanced Placement Examination in Spanish Literature in May. Students will read, discuss and analyze Hispanic literature of all genres, using required AP reading lists as well as supplementary selections as needed. This course is comparable to a third year college literature course. Spanish is spoken exclusively in this class.
SPANISH 3 HONORS Full Year
This intensive honors course at Level 3 is conducted in Spanish and students are expected to use only Spanish in class. The students’ listening and speaking skills are further developed, with an emphasis on original and spontaneous self-expression. Students are introduced to literature in Spanish and engage in oral and written discussion based on their reading. They continue to refine their knowledge and understanding of the target language and culture.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE Full Year
The AP Chinese Language and Culture course is designed to be comparable to a college/university course in Mandarin Chinese. These college courses, which deepen student immersion into the language and culture of the Chinese-speaking world, typically represent the point at which students complete approximately 250 hours of college-level classroom instruction. The course work in Chinese 4 AP provides students with opportunities to perform intermediate to advanced level tasks, and students are expected to achieve proficiencies throughout, and sometimes beyond, the intermediate range, as described in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines. The AP course prepares students to demonstrate their level of Chinese proficiency across the three communicative modes (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational) and the five goal areas (communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities) as outlined in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. Its aim is to provide students with ongoing and varied opportunities to further develop their proficiencies across the full range of language.
ELECTIVES
FRENCH 3 Full Year
This course reviews and builds upon the grammatical concepts learned in French 2. The course focuses on the development of reading and oral skills and on independent writing. Special emphasis is placed on conversation. The cultural focus this year is on contemporary French-speaking life and society. French is the primary language of instruction in this class.
FRENCH 4 Full Year
The cultural content of this course focuses primarily on the French speaking world. Sources include texts from contemporary culture, excerpts from novels and listening passages taken from conversations, podcasts, and interviews. Students will be advancing their skills learned in the first three years and study more detailed grammar structures. The emphasis of grammar usage relies on oral expression in conversations, and written interpersonal communication. Student participation is essential and the course is taught primarily in French.
SPANISH 3 Full Year
The text, accompanying workbook, supplementary reader and a Spanish/English dictionary are required. Language and literature selections from Spain and Latin America are incorporated into the study of Spanish at this level. The addition of new grammatical points, grammar reviews, literature and cultures are combined. The major emphasis at this level will be on the acquisition of new vocabulary and increasing conversational skills. All four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) are emphasized daily. Spanish is the primary language of instruction in this class.
SPANISH 4 Full Year
This course is designed for students who plan to continue their study in upper division Spanish, who wish to refine the skills acquired in the first three years and study more advanced grammar and vocabulary structures. Students concentrate on sustained language production, both oral and written and will develop their critical thinking skills in reading and writing, as well as listening and conversational skills. Students use Spanish exclusively and Spanish is the language of instruction in this class.
CHINESE 3 Full Year
This course is a continuation of the second year of Chinese including further acquisition of additional characters and phrases, and training in the skills of reading, writing, and speaking official Chinese. This class further develops the Chinese language and cultural understanding through regular practice in class and homework. The students will learn to express themselves using more sophisticated language structures.
CHINESE 4 Full Year
Chinese 4 is a continuation of the content learned in Chinese 3. The goal of the class is to advance the student's communicative competence in all four skills of language learning: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students will improve their oral skills through regular dialogue practice, participation in skits and discussions about course themes. Writing skills will be developed through frequent paragraph and essay practice, as well as through several writing projects. Listening will be enhanced through frequent use of audio content from the textbook and outside reading resources including narrations, stories, talks, andmovings. Reading skill improvement will be achieved by regular reading of the text, article, websites, and stories.