The WL program aims to prepare students to:

1) Become effective communicators using the language to engage in meaningful conversations (interpersonal), to understand and interpret spoken language and written text (interpretive), and to present information, concepts, and ideas (presentational).

 2) Collaborate using their native and acquired languages to learn from and work cooperatively across communities and cultures with global team members, sharing responsibility and making necessary compromises while working  toward a common goal.

 3) Frame, analyze, and synthesize information as well as negotiate meaning across language and culture in order to  explore problems and issues from their own and different perspectives.  Ultimately, students realize that people around the world have multiple ways of viewing and experiencing life.

 4) Create and innovate to respond to new and diverse perspectives with respect and appreciation.  Students use language in imaginative and original ways to make useful contributions, be agents of change and pursue social justice at the local, national and international levels.

For information and requirements for the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy, see p. 9

Course Offerings

French 1 - This is an introductory course intended to develop the four primary language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.  A communicative approach is used to engage students using basic vocabulary and sentence structure.  Students also begin to develop an understanding and appreciation of the Francophone world. The proficiency target for the end of this course is Novice-Mid or Novice High. 

French 2 -  A second-year course designed to reinforce and further develop communicative competency through active student participation.  Grammatical structures studied to become more complex. Reading and writing are gradually expanded in length and depth as the year progresses. Audio and visual materials are used to develop auditory skills. Cultural topics enhance the curriculum. The proficiency target at the end of this course is Intermediate-Low.  Prerequisite:  French 1 or completion of Middle School program at the novice-high level with recommendation of teacher

French 3 - This is an intermediate course intended to provide continued development of conversational skills, vocabulary building, and grammatical structure. Speaking proficiency is further developed in real life contexts through dialogues and class discussions.  Writing skills progress from paragraphs to short compositions. The curriculum is designed to promote a deeper understanding of the diversity of the cultures of the Francophone world. The proficiency target at the end of this course is emerging Intermediate-Mid.

Prerequisite:  French 2  or completion of Middle School program at the intermediate-low level with recommendation of teacher

Latin and Classical Humanities

Why Latin? 

There are many reasons why Latin is still a thriving and relevant language that is worth studying. Latin is the root of 60% of English words and the mother of the five Romance languages. Moreover, learning Latin develops your critical thinking skills and your ability to carefully analyze texts and write eloquent prose in English--highly desirable skills in school and today’s job market! Finally, we are not only learning a new language, but studying an ancient civilization that has continued to shape our modern world with regards to government, social values, philosophies, art, and architecture.

Latin I - This course introduces  students to the rudiments of Latin grammar and syntax.  Emphasis is on the development of English vocabulary based on its Latin word derivations.  Translation is practiced through readings of myths about Olympian gods and Aeneas.  Cultural topics explored include daily life in ancient Rome, the Romans’ cultural customs, and mythological stories that are still widely taught today.

Mandarin Chinese

Why Mandarin?

Here are eight reasons why I want to learn Mandarin.

Learning Chinese offers many benefits to personal and professional growth, not least gaining a better understanding of one of the world’s richest cultures. Millions of people travel to China to see the shrines, walk the Great Wall of China, and indulge in the great food markets in cities.

1. One-fifth of the planet speaks Chinese. Mandarin Chinese is the mother tongue of over 873 million people, making it the most widely spoken first language globally.

2. Learn about the history and culture of China.

3. Make friends with different cultures.

4. It is suitable for business. Many top CEOs speak Chinese as a second language.

5. Learning Mandarin is easier than you think. There are no verbs, no plurals, no tenses, no subject-verb agreement, and no conjugations. 

6. Improve your artistic skills. Chinese symbols and characters are created using “strokes” rather like a painting.

7. Travel to beautiful counties knowing you can communicate. 

8. Eat great food. 

Mandarin Chinese 1 - In Chinese 1, students will start to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing Chinese. They will be able to communicate about themselves and their immediate environment using simple sentences. This course will emphasize pronunciation and tonal accuracy, basic sentence structures, the stroke orders, and Chinese characters’ radicals. Students will also start to learn Chinese culture and be aware of cultural differences. Students have chances to celebrate Chinese festivals, watch movies, etc. Finally, the hope is that students build interest in exploring Chinese to continue their studies beyond this level to become global citizens. The proficiency target at the end of this course is Novice-Mid. 

AP Chinese for Heritage Learners - The AP Chinese course is comparable to fourth semester (or the equivalent) college/university courses in Mandarin Chinese.  Students who take AP Chinese can skip introductory Chinese language courses or earn college credits by receiving a passing grade on the AP Chinese exam. Students will demonstrate their Chinese proficiency level across the three communicative modes (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational). Students learn about various aspects of contemporary Chinese society and broadening their worldview by comparing Chinese cultural products, practices, and perspectives with those of the U.S. Prerequisites: Course open to 10-12th graders. Chinese 4 or Successful completion of an approved Chinese for heritage learners course or earning no lower than an  intermediate-mid on an approved language-proficiency exam or recommendation of the current Chinese language teacher.  There is also a required summer assignment.

Spanish

Beginner Spanish - A first-year course that provides an introduction to Spanish through the use of the four-language skills- reading, writing, listening and speaking.  The course emphasizes vocabulary and conversational patterns, such as the ability to express basic questions and answers, as well as dialogues that deal with a wide variety of "real life" situations and cultural topics.  Reading is developed gradually through short cultural selections.  Paragraph writing enhances the development of proficient language use. The proficiency target for the end of this course is Novice-Mid to Novice-High. 

Advanced Beginner Spanish - A second-year course that prepares novice students in Spanish to express their own thoughts, provide descriptions, communicate about familiar topics, and ask questions about familiar topics.  Students will develop the skills to comprehend the general concepts and messages presented in multimedia materials as they are presented to native Spanish speakers. The proficiency target for the end of this course is Novice-High to Intermediate-Low.  Prerequisite: Beginner Spanish or departmental approval.

Spanish 2 - This course is for students who successfully completed Andover's Middle School program at a Novice-High level.  It is designed to reinforce and further develop oral competency through active student participation.  Reading and writing are gradually expanded in length and depth as the course progresses.  Readings dealing with Hispanic culture are incorporated into each unit.  Audio-visual materials will be used to enrich these discussions.   The proficiency target at the end of this course is Intermediate-Low. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Middle School Program at the Novice-High Level and recommendation of teacher.

Spanish 3 - This is an intermediate course intended to continue students’ development of communication skills.  The content provides for a comprehensive review of basic grammatical structures and the introduction of more complex grammatical concepts through real life contexts within the diverse Spanish-speaking world. Students engage in dialogues, discussions, and debates regarding the customs and practices of the Dominican Republic, Spain, and other Latin American countries. Topics and themes are explored and analyzed through a critical and reflective lens while students further develop argumentation skills through writing and speaking. The proficiency target at the end of this course is emerging Intermediate-Mid.  

Prerequisite:  Spanish 2  or completion of Middle School program at the intermediate-low level with recommendation of teacher