Modern and Classical Languages Electives

Electives are prioritized for Class 11 and Class 12, but some are offered to all students based on schedule availability. Electives must be taken in addition to core courses each year.

Comparative Mythology

Semester course; not offered 2023-2024

Prerequisites: department approval

Students will investigate myths representing cultures around the world. Delving into themes such as heroes, creation and cosmology, and values, students will explore contrasting plot structures, themes, and character types within and across cultures. This course will also touch on myth’s relationship with religion and the arts. Students will also write their own origin-story myths (or produce a media-version).

Arabic Studies I

Semester course; not offered 2023-2024

Prerequisites: department approval

The Arab world is large and complex and is at the epicenter of many pressing issues for our nation today. This dynamic class will teach students to speak, read, and write in Modern Standard Arabic, using the textbook Alif Baa as the basis for language work that will give them a functional vocabulary of more than 200 words. Students will be exposed principally to the Egyptian dialect of spoken Arabic. Students will explore the origins and development of the Arabic language as influenced by historic events in the Middle East/North Africa. They will learn the geography of this region and explore Arab stereotypes and contrast these with contemporary reality. Students will learn the basics of Islamic faith and practice and its influence on culture of the Middle East/North Africa. Students will be asked to specialize in one country from this region and will be expected to share information with their peers and learn from them as well. This is a challenging and fascinating class for the motivated language learner and for students who wish to broaden their world perspective.

Arabic Studies II

Offered Semester 2: not offered 2023-2024

Prerequisites: Arabic Studies I and department approval

Students who have completed Arabic Studies I will be invited to continue their studies of the Arabic language in this follow-on elective. The principal text will be Al-Kitaab 1, the premier Arabic language textbook in use on college campuses across the nation. Students will expand their foundation in Arabic, learning verb formation patterns and gaining listening comprehension, as well as developing their ability to hold a conversation and convey meaningful information about their lives. In addition, students will be exposed to the history of the Middle East and North Africa, with the opportunity to continue to explore a country of interest from the region. Using selected readings from The Middle East (11th Edition), students will become familiar with pivotal moments in history that have affected US relations with the Arab World and will come to understand the dynamic behind historic events, including the “Arab Spring.”

History of Greco-Roman Mythology in Art

Semester course; not offered 2023-2024

Prerequisites: department approval

In this course, students read many Greek and Roman myths in translation. In addition to considering the narratives in terms of their historical context and contributions to Western literature, students explore the intrinsically diverse and multicultural facets of the classical world through studies of art as seen in maps, sculpture, pottery, and architecture.

History of Rome through Architecture

Semester course

Prerequisites: department approval

In this course, students explore Roman architecture through a wide survey of monuments, buildings, and sites. Students expand their knowledge of western cultural identities, gain a better understanding of the classical world, and are encouraged to reflect upon ‘who we are as humans’ by learning about the objects, attitudes, and ideas brought forth by Roman architecture. Throughout the course, students improve their ability to analyze critically the cultural importance each site held at its inception.

Greek I

Semester course; not offered 2023-2024

Prerequisites: Latin III or Latin III Honors and department approval

This is an introductory course to the language and culture of the ancient Greeks. A primary focus is placed on form recognition, vocabulary, and the development of translation skills.

Greek II

Semester course; not offered 2023-2024

Prerequisites: Greek I and department approval

After an intensive review of Greek I, in which students complete the grammar essentials, emphasis is placed on the reading, context, and interpretation of original Greek. During the second semester, students may read selections from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and Hesiod’s Theogony

World Cultures

Full-year course; not offered 2023-2024

Prerequisites: department approval

In this class, students explore major themes and values of different cultures around the world. Western, Eastern, Middle Eastern, and Latin American cultures all have holidays, rituals, and values which define them. Students investigate many of these cultures, see what they share with students’ values and with other cultures, and explore how different and yet connected all of humanity is. This course is designed for students who have already completed their course of study in a language.