WORLD LANGUAGES COURSES

Learning a foreign language is an inherently global experience, therefore it forms an essential part of our curriculum. Through language, students appreciate ideas, art and cultural differences and discover that culture is globally contextual. Moreover, learning a language encourages students to engage in public speaking and to share ideas collaboratively. The result is curriculum that nurtures global citizens and leaders. The World Languages Department offers instruction in two modern languages, Spanish and French, and one classic language, Latin. The four components of language instruction – reading, writing, speaking and listening – form the core of the language courses. Students are challenged to engage in these activities on a regular basis. Furthermore, through language, students are exposed to diverse perspectives on art, history, current events and culture. Language study is enhanced by the use of technology such as educational apps, authentic video and audio media, language podcasts and interactive educational websites. Departmental permission is a prerequisite for all language courses beyond the first year of study. Chinese courses are offered online through One Schoolhouse. Sample Progression:

Chinese - Beginning I online French, Latin, or Spanish 1 Chinese - Beginning II online French, Latin or Spanish 2 Honors French 3 Honors Spanish 3 All previous options plus: Honors Latin 3 Spanish 3/Honors Spanish 3 French 4/Honors French 4 Spanish 4/Honors Spanish 4 All previous options plus: Chinese – Intermediate II online Honors Latin 4 Honors French 5 AP French AP Spanish All previous options plus:

Chinese – Advanced online Post AP French AP Latin Advanced studies in Spanish

CHINESE – BEGINNING I

Online*** Level: Beginner Overview: Students develop the basic language skills in a cultural context by understanding and responding to structured social conversations. Starting with the introduction of the Chinese language system including Pinyin, tones, radicals, and characters, this course focuses on students' production of simple sentences and brief paragraphs related to the topics of greeting, sharing personal information and preferences, introducing others, making plans, and discussing school life. The corresponding cultural knowledge is introduced at appropriate intervals to enrich students' understanding of Chinese culture. Care is taken to create an authentic learning experience in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in the online environment. Students improve their overall language proficiency through weekly interactions with their teacher and classmates, in addition to using a variety of internet resources and audio and video materials. Engaging activities include playing games, performing songs and tongue twisters, writing stories, collaborating on projects, taking virtual field trips, and acting out roles in movies. This course aligns with Cheng and Tsui’s Integrated Chinese Level I, lessons zero through six. Offered

CHINESE – BEGINNING II

Online*** Level: Advanced Beginner Prerequisite: Successful completion of at least one year of high school Chinese Overview: Chinese – Beginning II students continue to improve their Chinese skills by using both structured and created language. Cultural connections are made at appropriate intervals to familiarize students with the Chinesespeaking world. Students learn to initiate and participate in daily communication, apply new vocabulary and more complex sentence patterns to fulfill the functions of expressing individual needs, describing circumstances, comparing the similarities and differences of phenomenon, and demonstrating culturally contextualized understanding. Students improve character literacy, authentic language production, and cultural competency. A variety of audio, visual, and textual materials are carefully selected based on the interests and preferences of the students, which optimizes the effectiveness of the online personalized experience. This course aligns with Cheng and Tsui’s Integrated Chinese Level I, lessons six through 12. Offered online through One

CHINESE – INTERMEDIATE I

Online*** Level: Intermediate Prerequisite: Successful completion of at least two years of high school Chinese. Dean of Studies recommendation Overview: Chinese - Intermediate I students develop their essential Chinese language skills while gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture through engaging with various audio, visual, and textual materials to produce an increasingly authentic language application experience. The course is designed for students who have had at least two years of Chinese study and takes them into structured communication through comprehensive skill-enhancement with abundant task-based practical grammatical structures and sentence patterns. Students engage in group work, online seminars, real-time speaking practice, and personalized learning activities to improve constructive conversation skills in Chinese. This course aligns with Cheng and Tsui’s Integrated Chinese Level I, lessons 11 through 20. Offered

Online*** Level: Advanced Intermediate Prerequisite: Successful completion of at least three years of high school Chinese, or two years of high school Chinese with an immersion experience. Dean of Studies recommendation Overview: Chinese - Intermediate II is a rigorous class that prepares students for Advanced Chinese or AP® Chinese Language and Culture courses the following year. Students develop language competencies while building proficiency in applying Chinese in a variety of real-life situations. The course builds through unrehearsed listening and reading texts, engaging essays, authentic projects, and virtual field trips. Class discussions and debates are added sequentially so that students develop both communication and language-learning strategies. A variety of audio, visual, and textual materials are carefully selected based on the interests and preferences of the students to reflect the diversity of students' lives, school experience, and personal/social issues. Students should be prepared for a range of collaborative and individual activities each week, including speaking in real time with each other and the instructor. This course aligns with Cheng and Tsui’s Integrated Chinese Level II, lessons 21 through 30. Offered

CHINESE – ADVANCED

Online*** Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Successful completion of at least three years of high school Chinese. Dean of Studies recommendation Overview: Chinese - Intermediate II is a rigorous class that prepares students for Advanced Chinese or AP® Chinese Language and Culture courses the following year. Students develop language competencies while building proficiency in applying Chinese in a variety of real-life situations. The course builds through unrehearsed listening and reading texts, engaging essays, authentic projects, and virtual field trips. Class discussions and debates are added sequentially so that students develop both communication and language-learning strategies. A variety of audio, visual, and textual materials are carefully selected based on the interests and preferences of the students to reflect the diversity of students' lives, school experience, and personal/social issues. Students should be prepared for a range of collaborative and individual activities each week, including speaking in real time with each other and the instructor. This course aligns with Cheng and Tsui’s Integrated Chinese Level II, lessons 21 through 30. By the end of this course, students will able to relate past, present, and future experiences to conduct complicated daily activities in Chinese.

FRENCH 1

Level: Beginner Overview: Beginning students study language that can be used in everyday conversation. The course is taught using a communicative approach. Students begin to communicate in the target language through interpersonal speaking and writing, presentational speaking and writing, and interpretive reading and listening. Students communicate about such topics as greetings, telling time, school subjects, foods, shopping, weather, holidays, family and friends, and leisure activities. This class is conducted in French as much as possible and an emphasis is placed on becoming a competent communicator. Students expand their understanding of culture by studying about the countries of the francophone world.

FRENCH 2

Level: Advanced Beginner Prerequisite: Final grade of C or better in French I; passing the French I final exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: This course fosters students’ knowledge of the cultural variety of the modern Francophone world through readings, projects, film, and other authentic material. While delving into the Francophone culture, students work on acquiring the four language skills. Increased importance is placed on improving verbal skills and listening comprehension skills. Through different games and activities, students learn a lot of practical vocabulary and gain a solid foundation in the understanding of sentence structure and tenses.

HONORS FRENCH 3: Francophone Cultures

Level: Accelerated Intermediate Prerequisite: Final grade of B- or better in French 2; passing the French 2 final exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: In this level a big emphasis is on learning a lot of cultural aspects through written stories, songs, videos, and other authentic material. Current events are a big part of this course, especially news about climate change. Students gain a lot of vocabulary and understand and use grammar in context. They practice speaking about past, present, and future events. Through listening comprehension, writing and speaking practice, students become good communicators who have a good understanding of other cultures. HONORS FRENCH 4: Global Challenges

Level: Accelerated Advanced Prerequisite: Final grade of B or better in Honors French 3; passing the Honors French 3 final exam; teacher recommendation Overview: This course considers a number of current global challenges in the Francophone world related to topics such as identity, politics, France’s colonial history, the environment, health, and nutrition. Students work on improving their presentational skills after doing research on societal topics. Debates, discussions, projects are used to strengthen students’ command of the language. Historical and current events are a big part of this course.

Level: Accelerated Advanced Prerequisite: Final grade of B or better in Honors French 4; passing the Honors French 4 final exam; teacher recommendation Overview: Students continue to develop proficiency at the advanced level in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing within the context of the contemporary Francophone world and its culture. Through enriching vocabulary, increasing usage of advanced grammatical concepts, listening comprehension practice and the study of French literature and films, students gain knowledge of the cultural variety of the modern Francophone world while developing facility in spoken and written French. AP FRENCH

Level: Advanced Placement. The AP exam is mandatory. AP Exam fee is charged. Prerequisite: Final grade of A or better in Honors French 4; passing the Honors French 4 final exam; teacher recommendation Overview: Students continue to develop proficiency in speaking and writing French as well as analyzing cultures of French-speaking countries; open to those students with sufficient language skills and the intellectual maturity and motivation to undertake a college-level language program. The course focus is on spoken and written discussion of ideas, as well as on everyday communicative competence, while exploring the history and cultural diversity of the Francophone world. Students work to achieve a high degree of fluency in French.

POST AP FRENCH

Level: Post AP Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation Overview: This class is designed for students who have completed AP French and wish to continue their study of French culture and society. The themes covered include literature, history, popular culture, and current events. Students make presentations on topics such as French history or French literature and they continue to practice writing, listening, and speaking French.

LATIN 1

Level: Introductory Overview: This course aims to help the student to attain a comprehension of the Latin language through practice in reading it. Using the Cambridge Latin Course Unit 1, students learn about Roman life by reading stories and dialogues pertaining to Roman life in the city of Pompeii in the 1st century C.E. and develop an understanding of Roman culture and civilization, especially during the 1st century C.E. Students earning a C or better may continue to Latin 2. LATIN 2

Level: Intermediate Prerequisite: Final grade of C or higher in Latin 1; passing the Latin 1 final exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: Students continue their study of the Latin language, with an emphasis on grammar, vocabulary and syntax. The aim of the course continues to be the development of the student's ability to read Latin. The Cambridge Latin Course Units 2 and 3 are used for this purpose. Students continue to explore Roman culture and civilization by reading stories about life in Roman Britain and Roman Egypt. HONORS LATIN 3

Level: Accelerated Advanced Prerequisite: Final grade of B- or higher in Latin 2; passing the final Latin 2 exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: Students continue their journey through the Cambridge Latin Course by finishing Unit 3. In this course students will develop their ability to read more complex Latin passages. They also continue their study of Roman civilization by exploring the monuments and topography of ancient Rome and the early history of the Empire. HONORS LATIN 4

Level: Accelerated Advanced Prerequisite: Final grade of B or higher in Honors Latin 3; passing the Honors Latin 3 exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: Students conclude their journey through the Cambridge Latin Course by reading the Latin stories in Unit 4. In this course, students will make the transition from reading the adapted Latin of the Cambridge Latin Course story line to reading original Latin. Students will read selections from Martial, Ovid, Catullus, Vergil, Horace, Pliny and Livy. HONORS LATIN 5

Level: Accelerated Advanced Prerequisite: Final grade of B or higher in Honors Latin 4; passing the Honors Latin 4 exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: This course is offered to students who have successfully completed Honors Latin 4 with a grade of B or higher and who do not want to take Advanced Placement Latin. In this course, students will read a selection of Latin prose and poetry. Poetry will include selections from Ovid, Catullus, Horace and Vergil. Prose selections will be from Pliny, Livy, Caesar and Cicero. Through these reading selections, students will continue to appreciate the global nature of the Roman experience. Emphasis will be placed on strengthening the student's ability to read Latin. AP LATIN

Level: Advanced Placement. The AP exam is mandatory. AP exam fee charged Prerequisite: Final grade of A- or higher in Honors Latin 4; passing the Honors Latin 4 exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: The main objective of this course is to prepare students for success on the AP Latin exam. In order to achieve this objective, the students will be guided in developing the ability to literally translate into English all of the passages of Vergil's Aeneid and Caesar's De Bello Gallico, which are required by the College Board for the AP Latin program. The students will read the entire Aeneid in English as well as Books 1, 6 and 7 in English from the De Bello Gallico.

SPANISH 1

Level: Beginner Overview: Beginning students study language that can be used in everyday conversation. The course is taught using a communicative approach. Students begin to communicate in the target language through interpersonal speaking and writing, presentational speaking and writing, and interpretive reading and listening. Students communicate about such topics as greetings, telling time, school subjects, foods, family and friends, and leisure activities. This class is conducted in Spanish as much as possible and an emphasis is placed on becoming a competent communicator. Students expand their understanding of culture by studying about the countries of the Hispanic world. Vocabulary will focus on school, shopping, family, clothes, weather, simple foods found in restaurants and markets, holidays, leisure, and tourist activities.

SPANISH 2

Level: Advanced Beginner Prerequisite: Final grade of C or better in Spanish I; passing the Spanish I final exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: This class continues to emphasize and build the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students learn to express more complex thoughts using a variety of verb tenses, including an introduction to the present subjunctive, while building vocabulary and developing their writing skills. Classes are conducted in Spanish; however, English is occasionally used to explain difficult grammar and certain material. Students are required to use the target language as they develop all of their skills while they explore Hispanic culture through readings in the textbook complemented by videos with native speakers. Students are encouraged to conduct simple exchanges with native speakers in the community. Classwork varies to include listening activities and lessons in the e-text. SPANISH 3

Level: Intermediate Prerequisite: Final grade of B- or better in Spanish 2; passing the Spanish 2 final exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: Spanish 3 begins with a thorough review of the grammatical concepts covered in the first two levels. Students continue to expand their vocabulary while building all language skills. At this level, students will study and practice the present subjunctive in more depth. The class is conducted mostly in Spanish; therefore, students at this level should be comfortable using the target language to speak and should be able to write using coherent and connected sentences. Classwork and homework include reading and listening activities and lessons in the e-text as students expand their knowledge of the language and Hispanic cultures. HONORS SPANISH 3

Level: Accelerated Intermediate Prerequisite: Final grade of A- or better in Spanish 2; passing the Spanish 2 final exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: At the Honors level students refine their competence in the four skills needed to learn a world language and begin interpretation of literary texts. Increased emphasis is placed on students’ writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. The students analyze short stories and poems. An honors-level course demands a great deal of personal responsibility and determination as students are expected to review basic materials outside the classroom so that class discussions can focus on cultural topics and current events.

SPANISH 4

Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Final grade of B or better in Spanish 3; passing the Spanish 3 final exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: Spanish 4, conducted entirely in Spanish, is a course for those wishing to continue Spanish studies at a higher level. Through a variety of authentic materials, students will examine, discuss and present on varied topics, such as current events and issues concerning the Spanish Speaking world, to improve their speaking and writing skills. A strong emphasis is placed on speaking both daily in class and in regular presentations and projects. The use of technology, film, and additional materials enhance the content of the course.

HONORS SPANISH 4

Level: Accelerated Advanced Prerequisite: Final grade of A- or better in Spanish 3H; passing the Spanish 3H final exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: Honors Spanish 4, taught entirely in Spanish, is designed to further hone students' competence in all modes of expression and to deepen students’ understanding of the culture of the Spanish-speaking world through film, music, short stories, poetry, and drama. Students increase their understanding of formal and informal speech, improve their spoken fluency by expressing their ideas and values, and advance their writing ability through frequent compositions based on film, readings, and class discussions. The course seeks refinement in interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication. AP SPANISH: Language and Culture

Level: Advanced Placement. AP Exam is required, fee charged. Prerequisite: Final grade of A- or better in Honors Spanish 4; passing the final exam; and teacher recommendation Overview: AP Spanish Language polishes students' communicative skills, moving them to a higher level of proficiency in their speaking, listening, writing, and reading of Spanish. A broad range of authentic materials from textbooks, newspapers, the web, film, television, and the local community serves as the basis for discussion and investigation of diverse cultural and linguistic themes. The class is conducted exclusively in Spanish and students are expected to participate actively. Evaluation is based on a variety of assessments including essays, journals, oral quizzes, projects, and presentations. ADVANCED STUDIES IN SPANISH

Level: Post AP Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation Overview: This class is designed for students who have completed AP Spanish and wish to continue their study of Spanish culture and society. The themes covered include literature, popular culture, politics, and government. Students blend in-depth independent research projects of their design with continued study of writing, listening, and speaking Spanish.