World Languages

 

This course teaches students to communicate in basic French through a wide variety of speaking, listening, reading and writing activities. Problem solving and decision making skills will be enhanced as students develop the vocabulary and grammatical knowledge necessary to handle everyday tasks. Student progress will be monitored through quizzes, tests in all 4 skills, daily participation in an atmosphere of mutual respect, and a variety of projects. A wide range of media is used in addition to the text – CD Rom, games, films, flashcards, digital resources and webquests. Throughout the course we will explore the customs and culture of French speaking regions of the world and begin the journey toward global citizenship and understanding.

 

Course Sequence: Completion of French 1 and Instructor recommendation.

French 2 greatly expands the students’ vocabulary and grammatical knowledge so that more complex conversational and written exchanges are possible using past, present and future tenses. Higher level thinking and decision-making skills will be increasingly employed as students strive to solve more complex communication challenges and express opinions in the target language. Students will be responsible for managing their online-resource time wisely to enhance their vocabulary knowledge. Student progress will continue to be monitored through quizzes, tests in all 4 skills, daily participation and a variety of projects. The history, geography, music, literature and customs of French speaking countries will be explored further, thus enhancing the global respect and awareness of the students. Students should achieve a grade of 70 or better in French 1 to be successful in this course. Students who don’t complete French 1 with a 70 or higher will not be recommended and should consider taking French 1 Review prior to this course. Students must achieve a grade of at least 80% to be recommended to French 3 Honors.

 

Course Sequence: Completion of French 2 with 80% or higher and/or Instructor recommendation.

This course will continue to develop students’ ability to communicate in the French language, now including a wide range of tenses while simultaneously expanding their awareness and respect for French culture. Increasingly challenging vocabulary and linguistic concepts will be presented. French media, films, recordings, and literature will be used to sharpen students’ comprehension and decision-making skills. Written and spoken expressive language skills will be addressed through class activities and projects, as well as more in-depth exploration of the culture and art of the French speaking world. Assessment will continue to be in all 4 skill areas. Students should achieve a grade of 70% or better in French 2 to be successful in this course. Students who don’t complete French 2 with an 80% or better should consider taking French 2 Review prior to this Honors course.

 

Course Sequence: Completion of French 3 and Instructor recommendation.

Students are expected to demonstrate increasing proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. French is spoken almost exclusively in class at this level. Students will acquire new vocabulary from French news journals, literature, theater, and film. There is a greater emphasis on essay writing and the ability to orally produce more advanced language. Self-direction will be important as students will be required to use various media to enrich their language acquisition process on their own, especially online resources in the language laboratory and through individual research for their weekly journal. French and Francophone cultures will be explored in greater depth and applied to both written and oral assessments and projects. Students will have the opportunity to practice their pronunciation through various native French speaker recordings.

 

This course emphasizes correct Spanish pronunciation to promote oral mastery and an appropriate accent. The basic skills: listening, speaking and presenting, reading and writing are emphasized, although the oral foundation is given precedence. Concentration is placed on comprehension and speaking while laying a strong grammar foundation. The cultural aspects of Latin-America and Spain are also included in the reading lessons, videos and internet activities. Weekly visits to the language laboratory provide opportunities for practice using technology by using on-line software and ancillary textbook materials.

 

Course Sequence: Completion of Spanish 1.

In the second course, there is a greater concentration on grammatical structures, particularly the imperfect and preterite tenses. Oral method is maintained and is evidenced in the various skits or dialogs in which individual students participate. The skills of reading, writing, speaking and presenting, and listening are also emphasized. In addition to the text, outside readings, videos and internet activities provide excellent insight into various cultural aspects of Spanish speaking countries. Weekly visits to the language laboratory provide opportunities for practice using technology through on-line software and ancillary textbook materials.
Students should achieve a grade of “C” or better in Spanish 1 to be successful in this course. Students who don’t complete Spanish 1 with a “C” or better should consider taking Spanish 1 Review prior to this course.

 

Course Sequence: Completion of Spanish 2.

Spanish is the prime method of communication in class activities to further develop the student's self-expression in the language using multiple modes of expression which include various technologies. There is greater concentration on group discussions and the development of writing skills. Critical thinking is enhanced as students learn to write creative essays and to speak in front of the class on various topics. Reading materials consist of books, magazine articles and short stories. Grammar practice continues but is not the focus of coursework. Citizenship and Culture are interwoven throughout and reinforced through the use of video and other recorded Spanish material. Internet research is included in a major country project at this level encouraging student responsibility and decision-making as they are working independently and collaboratively to accomplish their task. Weekly visits to the language laboratory provide opportunities for practice using on-line software and ancillary textbook materials.
Students should achieve a grade of “C” or better in Spanish 2 to be successful in this course. Students who don’t complete Spanish 2 with a “C” or better should consider taking Spanish 2 Review prior to this course.

 

Course Sequence: Completion of Spanish 3 and Instructor recommendation.

Students are expected to demonstrate increasing proficiency in the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing as they gather, interpret, and evaluate information. . Spanish is spoken almost exclusively at this level. Oral topics are based upon reading selections from Spanish magazines, short stories and novels. There is further development of essay writing and greater emphasis on reading and the ability to summarize, synthesize, discuss and analyze in the language. Spanish Culture is introduced through exploration and examination of some works of the Spanish Masters. Students continue learning about cultural norms and about understanding and accepting the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a diverse democratic society through exposure to literature, video and other recordings. Internet research is encouraged for developing listening skills and for project work. Student responsibility and decision-making skills are enhanced as they are working independently and collaboratively to accomplish their tasks.  Weekly visits to the language laboratory provide opportunities for practice using online software, podcasts and ancillary textbook materials.

 

Course Sequence: Completion of Spanish 4 and Instructor recommendation.

The Spanish 5 course covers the equivalent of a third year college course in advanced Spanish composition and conversation. It encompasses aural/oral skills, reading comprehension, grammar, and composition. Such a course, emphasizing the use of Spanish for active communication, has the following objectives; the ability to comprehend formal and informal spoken Spanish, the acquisition of vocabulary and grasp of structure to allow the easy, accurate reading of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as modern literature in Spanish, the ability to compose expository passages and the ability to express ideas orally with accuracy and fluency. The course might best reflect intellectual interests shared by the students and teacher. Materials might include recordings, films, newspapers and magazines. The course seeks to develop language skills that are useful in themselves and that can be applied to various activities and disciplines rather than to the mastery of any specific subject matter. Extensive training in the organization and writing of compositions must be an integral part of the course. Preparation for taking the AP test is a focus of this course. Weekly visits to the language laboratory provide opportunities for practice using online software, podcasts and ancillary textbook materials. Students enrolled in AP Spanish are required to take the AP Spanish examination in May.