World Languages
World Language Department Philosophy
The World Languages Program is designed to provide students the opportunity to study one or more popular world languages. It is the philosophy of the department that every person is able to and should learn another language to broaden his/her perspective of the world and its cultures. The study of another language also serves to inform and deepen the understanding of the learner’s native language.
All world language courses are open to students in grades 9-12 and must be studied in sequential order, i.e.: Language 1 AB; 2AB; etc.
Students may be required to purchase workbooks and/or dictionaries.
Students wishing to learn another language need to realize that their choice is a long-term commitment.
Students must maintain passing grades at all times. If a student does not pass, he/she must repeat that section the following year to continue the study of the language.
IB for World Language
Students interested in the International Baccalaureate Degree program can study the four modern languages of French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Years one and two will experience standard classes to become adequately familiarized with the target language. Third and fourth-year students who are working toward an IB Diploma or Certificate will experience a greater academic challenge than standard classes. There will be more projects and more intensive use of the target language in discussions, presentations, and a wide variety of written production to adequately prepare them for the oral and written IB exams.
Chinese I A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: None
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 9, 10, 11, 12
This course introduces students to the basics of the Chinese written and spoken language.
Chinese II A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: "C" or better in first-year Chinese recommended
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
Second year Chinese builds on the foundation of the language learned in the first-year course.
Chinese III A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: Second-year Chinese
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 11, 12
Third-year Chinese emphasizes the conversational language.
Chinese IV A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: Third-year Chinese
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 12
Fourth-year students have the opportunity to read short works of literature written in the Chinese language.
French I A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: None
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 9, 10, 11, 12
From the first day, students will speak and understand beginning French. They will learn to talk and write about school, their family, and other relevant activities. They will write and present skits and will do art projects. Students will learn from magazines, videos, pen pals, and their text to give them a solid base of beginning French.
French II A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: "C" or better in French I recommended
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 9, 10, 11, 12
Students will continue to improve their writing, pronunciation, and fluency through interaction with their teacher, peers, and native speakers. They will read poetry and literature adapted for their level, acquaint themselves with French and Francoplone culture, and find resources and information on the Internet. They will continue to master grammatical structures and to broaden their base of vocabulary.
French III A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: French II
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
Students will continue their study of French at a higher level: seeing relationships between language and culture, exploring history and influence, and continuing their mastery of grammar and vocabulary. They will be more active, creating stories and videos, choosing areas of interest for presentations, and connecting with local native speakers. Students will feel increasingly comfortable with both spoken and written French.
French IV A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: French III
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 11, 12
Students will refine their use of written and spoken French. They will gain an appreciation of music, art, and the many cultural differences. Students will speak almost exclusively French, and will be writing short essays and dialogues.
IB French III A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: "C" or better in French II is recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
Students will work with grammar, vocabulary, and culture in this increasingly challenging course. Use of English will be discouraged, allowing students to strengthen their speaking and writing abilities. They will focus on the three IB themes of Group, Change, and Leisure, and will read and speak about these themes from literature, modern press, and videos. Students will take more initiative in their own learning, seeking out sources of information and resources.
IB French IV A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: B or better in IB French III recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 11, 12
Students will continue focusing on the IB themes and will participate in debates, play writing, games, and small group discussions. They will write essays and prepare group and individual presentations. Activities will prepare the students to take the IB exam in May.
German I A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: None
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 9, 10, 11, 12
Right from the first day students will be speaking, hearing and understanding German. As the year progresses, students will gain the skills, grammar, and vocabulary they need to understand and be understood in German. The skills, activities, and vocabulary of the class will be centered on the themes of self, family, school, music, leisure time activities, and travel among others.
German II A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in German I recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 9, 10, 11, 12
Similar to German I, students will be receiving instruction German and communicating in the language. The teaching style again will be student-centered and will involve active learning. The difference will be in what the students can do in the language. They will now have a much more extensive vocabulary, and their ability to work and in the language will also be more advanced. Their fluency and pronunciation will continue to improve, and they will begin to read authentic, level-appropriate literature.
German III A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in German II is recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
Similar in style to first and second year, German III will still be different in a number of ways. The focus will still be centered on themes, but will not be centered on a text per se, though we do have a text, Themen Neu. Besides developing their language skills further, students will now also develop skills, which allow them to think critically in German. There will also be an increased emphasis on the perspective unique to the German culture. The teaching approach will still be student-centered and emphasizing oral communication. Students will use the language daily and will create their own videos and stories.
German IV A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in German III is recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
The class will be active and student centered and will use the Internet, videos, music, and games as well as traditional methods. Students will have already learned all the conventions of the language and will now be reinforcing what they already know. Again, a heavy emphasis will be placed on communicating in German within the context of various themes.
IB German III A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: A grade of "B" or better in German II is recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
This class will be centered around the IB themes of change, groups, and leisure time. In this class the student will further
strengthen his/her skills in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding German. The Internet will play an ever-increasing role as students access information about what is currently happening in Germany and exchange opinions with their counterparts in Germany. Students will also become more adept at thinking critically, being creative in German and being able to express their opinions on various subjects.
IB German IV A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: "C" or better in IB German III
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 11, 12
Students in this class will read and discuss in the thematic areas required by IB. Under this general thematic umbrella such topics as young people in Germany, the generation conflict, minorities in Germany, the German school system, and recent German history will be addressed. They will be able to understand German at age appropriate levels and will be in steady contact with their peers in Germany. Discussions, debates, games, videos, the Internet, literature, and magazine and newspaper articles will all be used to prepare the students for the IB exam in May.
Japanese I A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: None
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 9, 10, 11, 12
Students will begin the acquisition of the four basic linguistic skills: listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing (hiragana, katakana, and limited kanji). Students will become acquainted with the Japanese people and their lifestyles.
Japanese II A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: Passing grade the first year of Japanese
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 9, 10, 11, 12
Students will continue their acquisition of the four basic linguistic skills. They will also begin to familiarize themselves with the land and people of the Japanese-speaking world.
Japanese III A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: Second year Japanese
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
The students will expand upon their development of the four linguistic skills and increase their use of the language in practical communication. They will study the Japanese culture in more depth.
Japanese IV A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: Third year Japanese
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 11, 12
The students will review and expand on intermediate listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. They will continue to study the Japanese lifestyle and culture.
IB Japanese III A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: Successfully complete 2 years of Japanese
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
The IB Japanese language program will follow the format and content of regular third-year studies but will be accelerated to teach to the demands of the IB diploma program.
IB Japanese IV A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: Successfully complete 3 years Japanese
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 11, 12
The IB Japanese language program will follow the format and content of regular fourth-year studies, but will be accelerated to each to the demands of the IB diploma program.
Spanish I A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: None
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 9, 10, 11, 12
This course is an introduction to speaking Spanish in which students will explore the rich culture and the language that has evolved. Students will acquire a strong base for written and oral communication in Spanish, with an emphasis on using the language in meaningful and authentic situations in and outside the classroom.
Spanish II A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in first year Spanish is recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 9, 10, 11, 12
The second year class will be an expansion and extension of first year Spanish. The students will increase their working knowledge of useful vocabulary and communication through the use of various verb tenses and language structures. The class is designed to guide the students to acquire a foundation necessary to communicate with fluency.
Spanish III A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in second year Spanish is recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
This course reviews the grammatical elements learned in second year and continues with more complex structures. Students will advance their ability to communicate in Spanish through media, literature, interactive projects and extensive reading, writing, and speaking. Classes are conducted mainly in Spanish.
Spanish IV A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: A grade of “C” or better in third-year Spanish is recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
In fourth year Spanish students will perfect and expand their learning from the first three levels. The class shifts away from textbook Spanish and looks with more depth into history, culture, and literature from Latin America and Spain. Class communication will be in Spanish and students are encouraged to practice for fluency outside the classroom as well. Students will continue to increase their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
IB Spanish III A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: A grade of “B” or better in Spanish II is recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 10, 11, 12
The IB Spanish language program will follow the format and content of regular third-year studies but will be accelerated to teach to the demands of the IB diploma program. In addition, the IB students will be exposed to more literature and required to write and speak in more complex formats. Communication in the language will be more varied, extensive and rigorous. The students will take a more independent role in their learning.
IB Spanish IV A, B
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: A grade of “B” or better in Spanish III is recommended.
Length: 1 year
Grade level: 11, 12
The IB Spanish language program will follow the format and content of regular fourth-year studies but will be accelerated to teach to the demands of the IB diploma program. In addition, the IB students will be exposed to more literature and required to write in more complex formats. Communication in the language will be more varied, extensive and rigorous. The students will take a more independent role in their learning.
Independent Study in World Language
Credit: Elective
Prerequisite: Prior successful experience and grades and instructor’s recommendation.
Length: 1 semester
Grade level: 11, 12
This course is to be arranged with individual teachers and with the approval of the Department Coordinator. This study will only be considered when scheduling conflicts prevent the student from entering in a sequential existing class.