World Languages

The course focuses on the study of both Chinese language and literature and developing students’ abilities in Chinese oral and formal written communication. In this course, students will develop a variety of linguistic skills through the study of a wide range of texts, and be rigorously trained in literary analysis. By reading an increased variety of texts on a variety of topics, which include social, political and historical content, students will become proficient readers and writers in Chinese. At the same time, their vocabulary, usage and familiarity with a range of text styles and sources will be expanded. Literary works written by some famous writers from Mainland China and Taiwan will also be introduced to the students so they will be familiar with different ideologies and simplified characters. Students will write reflective and persuasive compositions to express their own opinions. Oral expression will continue to be reinforced through regular class presentations and discussions.

The course focuses on the study of both Chinese language and literature and developing students’ abilities in Chinese oral and formal written communication. In this course, students will develop a variety of linguistic skills through the study of a wide range of texts, and be rigorously trained in literary analysis. By reading an increased variety of texts on a variety of topics, which include social, political and historical content, students will become proficient readers and writers in Chinese. At the same time, their vocabulary, usage and familiarity with a range of text styles and sources will be expanded. Literary works written by some famous writers from Mainland China and Taiwan will also be introduced to the students so they will be familiar with different ideologies and simplified characters. Students will write reflective and persuasive compositions to express their own opinions. Oral expression will continue to be reinforced through regular class presentations and discussions.

Students will use Chinese literature and literary skills to develop creativity and critical thinking. Students will analyze, research, write, plan, and integrate words/copy for everyday uses, such as autobiography, resume, proposal, editorials, journalism, campaign speeches, posters, literary design, advertising, and product marketing drawing from Chinese literature. We aim to increase students’ formal communication skills and develop students’ creativity.

The course focuses on developing students’ basic abilities in Chinese oral and formal written communication. In this course, students will introduced by a variety of linguistic elements through the study of a wide range of texts, and be rigorously trained in their communicative skill. By reading an increased variety of texts on a variety of topics, which include social and daily life contents, students will be able to communicate effectively in the Chinese environment. At the same time, students will be able to recognize and write a certain number of characters.

Applying what has been learned in the language program as defined by the other standards, students come to realize the advantages inherent in being able to communicate in more than one language and develop an understanding of the power of language.

This course is designed for students who have previous experience in Mandarin or who are learning Mandarin Chinese as a second language. The curriculum aims to enable students to speak and understand the language, but gradually become fluent in reading and writing Chinese characters. Students are expected to be familiar with the Hanyu Pinyin Romanization system and will learn how to type Chinese characters using Pinyin system. Students will be taught in traditional Chinese. The course is supported by the textbook 'Chinese Made Easy Book 3' and online materials.

Students will work with this version on the base of their knowledge of the traditional characters, if any, or the knowledge gained from beginner’s programs, such as Mandarin 9 and 10. At the end of the year, over 270 characters (or about 300 phrases) will be learned to increase students’ writing efficiency.

The basic four skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing will all be developed with more emphasis on the following items:

• Correct tones and pronunciations: Students will learn and practice to read and talk in Mandarin with standard tones and pronunciations through topics such as school subjects, recreational activities, hobbies and interests, etc

• Basic grammar (including parts of speech, sentence structures, etc.): Students will have some knowledge of grammar and writing.

The AP course focuses on the study of both Chinese language and literature and developing students’ abilities in Chinese oral and formal written communication. In this course, students will develop a variety of linguistic skills through the study of a wide range of texts, and be rigorously trained in literary analysis. By reading an increased variety of texts on a variety of topics, which include social, political and historical content, students will become proficient readers and writers in Chinese. At the same time, their vocabulary, usage and familiarity with a range of text styles and sources will be expanded. The works written by some famous writers from Mainland China and Taiwan will also be introduced to the students so they will be familiar with different ideologies and simplified characters. Students will write reflective and persuasive compositions to express their own opinions. Oral expression will continue to be reinforced through regular class presentations and discussions. All students are required to take the AP Chinese exam at the end of the year.

Spanish 1 is an introduction to reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish. Cultural aspects of the language are also explored. Students will receive large amounts of vocabulary and grammar exercises. Students will be expected to work in pairs and perform speaking Spanish in front of other students as well as converse with the instructor.

Welcome to Spanish 2. In this course we continue from where we leave off in Spanish 1. Spanish 2 will focus on some of the same skills as Spanish I: pronunciation, vocabulary, auditory comprehension and reading comprehension. Spanish II will involve introduction to more advanced grammar including use of past, future and conditional tenses. We start with reviewing Spanish I concepts for the first three weeks. From week 4 on we proceed with new content using the textbook 'Avancemos 2'.

Spanish 3 is an advanced Spanish course that explores the use of Spanish in more artistic and technical settings, such as literature, commentaries, magazine articles and music. This course requires an understanding of Spanish tenses learned in Spanish 1 & 2: past conditional, preterit/imperfect as well as a solid foundation in Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

Spanish 4 is an advanced class designed to internalize complex Spanish language grammar and literacy; as well as cultural understanding and appreciation. Students will use the grammar and vocabulary knowledge acquired during Spanish 1, 2 and 3 to achieve fluency. Students will have various opportunities to communicate in all forms of speaking and writing with the integration of culture and critical thinking into the day by day learning process. During this course, students are required to use listening, speaking, reading and writing in Spanish as the primary means of communication. The class will be taught mostly in Spanish and all written communication with the teacher will be in Spanish. In order to successfully complete the course, students are required to integrate previous knowledge with recently acquired skills and practice every day for fluency. Students will use resources outside of the classroom such as watching Spanish tv shows, learning songs, listening to podcasts, reading books and other activities that will support Spanish language and culture fluency.

The AP Spanish Language and Culture course emphasizes communication (understanding and being understood by others) by applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills in real-life situations. This includes vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course strives not to overemphasize grammatical accuracy at the expense of communication. To best facilitate the study of language and culture, the course is taught almost exclusively in Spanish. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course engages students in an exploration of culture in both contemporary and historical contexts. The course develops students’ awareness and appreciation of cultural products (e.g., tools, books, music , laws, conventions, institutions); practices (patterns of social interactions within a culture); and perspectives (values, attitudes, and assumptions).