World Languages

The second year of French study continues the emphasis on developing communication skills in the language that are useful in a variety of common, everyday situations. Listening, speaking, reading and writing exercises will again provide the vehicle for learning, however, with more rigorous expectations. The listening exercises will place a greater emphasis on a variety of authentic higher level listening materials. The speaking component of the course will place a greater emphasis on the refinement of conversational skills leading to a higher degree of fluency. The reading assignments will draw upon more supplemental material with acquisition of more sophisticated vocabulary being the primary goal. The writing assignments will place a greater emphasis on spelling and grammatical accuracy in the target language. Advanced classes explore each topic more in depth. Their requirements for testing are more rigorous. They have additional assignments compared to regular classes. Compositions, reading passages and listening activities are longer and at a higher difficulty level.

The third year of French further develops the communication skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing with an even more rigorous emphasis on a broader vocabulary range, proper spelling and grammar with the goal of an ever higher level of fluency. The students will apply these skills to a broader and more complex set of scenarios that will require a more developed level of communication skills. Advanced classes explore each topic more in depth. Their requirements for testing are more rigorous. They have additional assignments compared to regular classes. Compositions, reading passages and listening activities are longer and at a higher difficulty level. Students must pass the Checkpoint B exam at the end of the course to be eligible for Advanced Designation.

For those students who want to go beyond the minimum graduation requirement for foreign language, French 4 provides an opportunity for a more in-depth study of the French language and culture.Since students should have begun to develop some facility with the language, on many days the class is conducted primarily in French. This course provides more of a daily immersion experience with greater exposure to French culture and traditions. Additionally, literature and cinema are used to further develop the students understanding of the language. Class will take place almost entirely in target language.

The French 4 Advanced course is a more rigorous version of French 4 with additional assignments and more in–depth treatment of the topics commensurate with the expectations of an advanced level course. There will also be a greater emphasis on the study of French literature in this course. Class will take place almost entirely in target language.

Many selective colleges want to see that students have taken a minimum of 4 years in a language.

French 5 provides the opportunity for more serious language students to refine their communication skills and to begin to approach some level of fluency in the language. These classes aim for a total immersion experience and on most days the classes are conducted entirely in French. This course also provides an expanded study of French culture and traditions and there is a continued focus on literature and cinema. Class will take place almost entirely in target language.

The French 5 Advanced course is a more rigorous version of French 5 with additional assignments and more in–depth treatment of the topics commensurate with the expectations of an advanced level course.There will also be a greater emphasis on the study of French literature in this course. Class will take place almost entirely in target language.

Students who qualify, may choose to take these courses for college credit as part of the University in High School program of the State University of New York at Albany. The students can earn four college credits for each course at a greatly reduced price compared to the cost of taking these courses at SUNY Albany. Credit is verified by an official SUNY Albany transcript and this credit can be transferred to many colleges and universities in New York State as well as throughout the country.

As per SUNY Albany’s requirements, a student must have an overall average of 83 or above and an 83 or greater final average in French 3 to take this class for credit. Sophomores interested in taking this course for college credit must meet additional requirements.

This is a course designed for beginning Spanish language learners. The focus of the course is on developing basic communication skills in the language through a combination of listening, speaking, reading and written exercises. This is a very interactive class with student participation an integral part of the experience. The course will focus on developing a working knowledge of vocabulary and proper usage to allow the student to be able to communicate in common, everyday, real-world situations. Students must pass the Checkpoint A exam at the end of the course to meet NYS Graduation Requirements.

The second year of Spanish study continues the emphasis on developing communication skills in the language that are useful in a variety of common, everyday situations.Listening, speaking, reading and writing exercises will again provide the vehicle for learning, however, with more rigorous expectations. The listening exercises will place a greater emphasis on a variety of authentic higher level listening materials. The speaking component of the course will place a greater emphasis on the refinement of conversational skills leading to a higher degree of fluency. The reading assignments will draw upon more supplemental material with acquisition of more sophisticated vocabulary being the primary goal.The writing assignments will place a greater emphasis on spelling and grammatical accuracy in the target language. Advanced classes explore each topic more in depth. Their requirements for testing are more rigorous. They have additional assignments compared to regular classes. Compositions, reading passages and listening activities are longer and at a higher difficulty level.

The third year of Spanish further develops the communication skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing with an even more rigorous emphasis on a broader vocabulary range, proper spelling and grammar with the goal of an ever higher level of fluency. The students will apply these skills to a broader and more complex set of scenarios that will require a more developed level of communication skills. Advanced classes explore each topic more in depth. Their requirements for testing are more rigorous. They have additional assignments compared to regular classes. Compositions, reading passages and listening activities are longer and at a higher difficulty level. Students must pass the Checkpoint B exam at the end of the course to be eligible for Advanced Designation.

For those students who want to go beyond the minimum graduation requirement for foreign language, Spanish 4 provides an opportunity for a more in-depth study of the Spanish language and culture. Since students should have begun to develop some facility with the language, on many days the class is conducted primarily in Spanish. This course provides more of a daily immersion experience with greater exposure to Spanish culture and traditions. Additionally, literature and cinema are used to further develop the students' understanding of the language. Class will take place almost entirely in target language.

The Spanish 4 Advanced course is a more rigorous version of Spanish 4 with additional assignments and more in–depth treatment of the topics commensurate with the expectations of an advanced level course.There will also be a greater emphasis on the study of Spanish literature in this course. Class will take place almost entirely in target language.

Many selective colleges want to see that students have taken a minimum of 4 years in a language.

Students who qualify, may choose to take these courses for college credit as part of the University in High School program of the State University of New York at Albany.  The students can earn four college credits for each course at a greatly reduced price compared to the cost of taking these courses at SUNY Albany.  Credit is verified by an official SUNY Albany transcript and this credit can be transferred to many colleges and universities in New York State as well as throughout the country.

As per SUNY Albany’s requirements, a student must have an overall average of 83 or above and an 83 or greater final average in Spanish 3 to take this class for credit. Sophomores interested in taking this course for college credit must meet additional requirements.

Spanish 5 provides the opportunity for more serious language students to refine their communication skills and to begin to approach some level of fluency in the language.

These classes aim for a total immersion experience and on most days the classes are conducted entirely in Spanish. This course also provides an expanded study of 

Spanish culture and traditions and there is a continued focus on literature and cinema. Class will take place almost entirely in target language.

The Spanish 5 Advanced course is a more rigorous version of Spanish 5 with additional assignments and more in–depth treatment of the topics commensurate with the expectations of an advanced level course.There will also be a greater emphasis on the study of Spanish literature in this course. Class will take place almost entirely in target language.

This course will be focused on communication, cultural awareness in hispanic cultures, and multiple topics for conversational Spanish. Social Media, News, Music, Celebrity, Food, Television, and Holidays/Celebrations are some of the topics that will be covered in this project-based learning class. This course is designed for students interested in continuing their Spanish education but without the emphasis of grammar and vocabulary included in Spanish 4 Adv or 5 Adv.  Projects and communication will still be required to be completed in Spanish.