World Language

Honors French I  

Course Number: 552101H

Prerequisites: n/a

Credits: 1         

Students learn to communicate in a basic conversation as well as present ideas about themselves, their family, friends, school, food, home, and city.  They also interpret French sources both written and oral.  Students express themselves and describe others through basic vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar skills while exploring short reading and writing exercises that are centered on French speaking people and countries. Students are introduced to a variety of Francophone cultures and traditions from countries around the world. Instruction is in French and regular participation in French is required.                        

Honors French II 

Course Number: 552201H

Prerequisites: French I 

Credits: 1    

Students expand the skills demonstrated in the first year of study with mastery of more sophisticated conversation skills, grammar and vocabulary, as well as increased reading and writing practice related to the three areas of communication, presentation, and interpretation.  In level two students work more intensively in the past tense with themes related to holidays, clothing, travel, food, health and housing in various Francophone countries. Instruction is in French and regular participation in French is required.

Honors French III   

Course Number: 552301H

Prerequisites: French II

Credits: 1                                                                                                                                     

Students continue the expansion of the second year of study, including conversation, vocabulary, grammar and cultural awareness through the study of various aspects of geographical and regional characteristics. Students read short narratives, newspapers and other sources of information as an introduction to French literature. Instruction is in French and regular participation in French is required.

Dual Credit French IV   

Course Number: 564131A

Prerequisites: French III, Minimum GPA of 2.5, and 90% attendance rate

Credits: 1                                                                                                            

Students intensify their conversational skills through discussion and activities, as well as through creative writing and projects related to literature. Students use language skills to explore the politics, history, geography, traditions, art and music of French speaking people. Instruction is in French and regular participation in French is required.

AP French Language and Culture

Course Number: 572101A

Prerequisites: French III; Level III and/or IV or placement test recommended

Credits: 1           

Students who have satisfactorily completed the preparatory course sequence of the French program may enroll in this college level course conducted exclusively in French. AP French Language students demonstrate accurate and fluent mastery of basic language acquisition skills with intensive focus on reading literature, writing compositions and fluent, conversational speaking. Students prepare for the Advanced Placement Examination in French. Instruction is in French and regular participation in French is required.  

Honors Mandarin Chinese I  

Course Number: 540101H

Prerequisites: n/a

Credits: 1           

Chinese I will start with the initials, compound initials and finals of the Chinese Pinyin system. It will then focus on the sound combinations and the four tones. Chinese characters, words, and phrases will be taught almost simultaneously with the sounds. Coursework will center on phonetic practices, vocabulary and dialogues in various content areas such as greetings, family, hobbies, time and dates, visits and appointments, school and learning Chinese. Bell ringers, exercises and daily homework will create situations for the students to use the words and structures they are learning. Attention will also be directed to the students’ speaking ability through presenting dialogues and role-playing on their part. 

Honors Mandarin Chinese II 

Course Number: 540201H

Prerequisites: Chinese I 

Credits: 1                                                                                                                 

Chinese II is the continuation of Chinese I. Practice to enhance students’ ability in identifying sound combinations and in mastering the four tones will still be an important part of Chinese II. Coursework will center around vocabulary and dialogues in different content areas such as shopping, weather, dining, transportation, location, directions, entertainments, etc. Bell ringers, worksheets and daily homework will create language situations for students to use the words and structures that they are learning.       

Honors Mandarin Chinese III 

Course Number: 540301H

Prerequisites: Chinese II

Credits: 1                 

Chinese III can be considered an intermediate language course. The lessons are still arranged around vocabulary, dialogues, grammar and pattern drills. However, Chinese III expects students to demonstrate greater ability in recognizing Chinese characters, as the Pinyin versions of the dialogues are no longer provided to assist reading. In Chinese III, students will encounter more advanced sentence structures and usages. Efforts will be made to enhance their ability to use what they have learned in communication. Homework will include more cognitive exercises such as composing sentences, dialogues and writing letters.

Honors Mandarin Chinese IV 

Course Number: 540401H

Prerequisites: Chinese III

Credits: 1        

Chinese IV is an advanced Mandarin Chinese language course.  Vocabulary will be learned in the contexts of sports, travel, public services, etc. Students will learn advanced sentence structures and usages, and accordingly the course will push for greater abilities on the part of the students in writing and speaking. Paragraph and passage writing will be expected of the students instead of sentence writing, though there will still be a certain amount of the latter. Conversational Chinese practice will become a routine part of class activities in Chinese IV, and the course aims at increasing students’ abilities not only in constructing Chinese sentences, but also in delivering these sentences with ease and fluency. Students are encouraged to do research on Chinese history and culture for their course projects.

AP Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture 

Course Number: 579401A

Prerequisites: Chinese III and/or IV

Credits: 1        

AP Chinese is the most advanced Chinese language course we offer. The course will emphasize the mastery of Mandarin Chinese in reading, speaking, listening and writing (in Chinese characters), so classes will be mostly student-centered and assignments will be speaking, reading and writing intensive. The course will step up listening comprehension practices and some real world Chinese materials will be used for reading and listening training. Real world topics and situations will be given to students for note, letter, and message writing and oral production in the forms of description, narration and speeches. Class sessions will also be devoted to readings and lectures on Chinese culture. To prepare students for the AP Chinese Test, the course will align its exercises with the test format and content and will also train students in test taking skills. 

Honors Spanish I      

Course Number: 558101H

Prerequisites: n/a

Credits: 1                                                                                                                                  

Spanish I presents the Spanish language and the cultures of the Spanish speaking countries.  Effective communication and confidence using the language are emphasized.  The course objectives are for students to be able to converse utilizing the present and future tenses, to possess a broad basic vocabulary, and to interact with some fundamental components of the Hispanic culture.  Students speak Spanish in every class, take regular written and oral examinations, develop projects on local and international Spanish-speaking communities, and put on short presentations. Instruction is in Spanish and regular participation in Spanish is required. There is a website associated with this course, so access to the internet is preferred.

Honors Spanish II        

Course Number: 558201H

Prerequisites: Spanish I or placement exam equivalent 

Credits: 1                                                                                                                               

Students expand the skills demonstrated in the first year of study with mastery of more sophisticated conversation skills, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as increased writing and reading practice. Students continue to expand their interaction with the culture of Spanish speaking countries. Instruction is in Spanish and regular participation in Spanish is required.  There is a website associated with this course, so access to the internet is preferred.

Honors Spanish III 

Course Number: 558301H

Prerequisites: Spanish II or placement equivalent 

Credits: 1                                                                                                                                       

Students continue the expansion of the second year of study, including skills in conversation, vocabulary, grammar, and cultural awareness through the study of geographical and regional characteristics. Students read short narratives as an introduction to Spanish literature. Instruction is in Spanish and regular participation in Spanish is required. There is a website associated with this course, so access to the internet is preferred.

Honors Spanish IV        

Course Number: 558401H

Prerequisites: Spanish III or placement equivalent 

Credits: 1                                                                                                                                     

Students intensify their conversational skills, participate in activities and discussions, and complete creative writing and projects. Students use language skills to explore the politics, history, geography, art, and music through Spanish literature. Instruction is in Spanish and regular participation in Spanish is required.  There is a website associated with this course, so Internet access is preferred.

Honors Spanish for Heritage Speakers II 

Course Number: 540301H

Prerequisites: Placement Test

Credits: 1                    

(The course is conducted in Spanish only.)  Spanish for Heritage Speakers III is an extensive review of grammar and spelling. Students improve their reading skills through extensive reading of Hispanic literature, legends of Latin America, Spanish classic literature, and newspaper and magazine articles on current events.  Compositions and group discussions of literary styles and writers’ uses of words will further enhance students’ communication skills.  Students identify causes and effects of the conquest of the Americas by examining pre-Columbian civilizations such as the Mayas, Aztec, Incas, and Tainos. Students will recognize the influence of historical events on the Hispanic culture and examine the influence of other languages on the Spanish language. Students will further examine regional dialects of Spain and Latin America and will develop a sense of pride for their Hispanic heritage and the Spanish language.   At the end of the course the students will be ready to take Spanish for Heritage Speakers IV. 

Honors Spanish for Heritage Speakers III 

Course Number: 540401H

Prerequisites: Heritage Speakers II or placement exam equivalent 

Credits: 1                  

(The course is conducted in Spanish only.)  Spanish for Heritage Speakers IV is designed to further develop and challenge students’ skills in speaking, reading and writing. Students expand their bilingual range through reading literary selections from Spain and Latin America. Students will further develop the ability to describe and narrate short stories and novels with acquired thematic vocabulary and in depth literary analysis. Written narratives, compositions and essays as well as group discussions of literary styles and authors’ points of view will further enhance students’ communicative skills. Students will identify cultural elements found in short stories, novels, fables, myths, and legends of Spain and Latin America, and will compare and contrast the unique culture of each Spanish speaking country. Students will continue to develop a sense of pride for their Hispanic heritage and the Spanish language.  By the end of the course the students will be ready to take AP Spanish Language and the following year AP Spanish Literature and Culture so they can complete 4 years of the same language which will benefit their college acceptance. 

AP Spanish Language and Culture 

Course Number: 578101A

Prerequisites: Spanish III and/or IV or placement exam or Heritage Speakers II and III 

Credits: 1                                                                                                              

AP Spanish Language, emphasizing the use of language for active communication, has the following objectives: The development of vocabulary sufficiently ample for reading literary text and all forms of technical writing without the use of a dictionary; and the ability to express oneself coherently, resourcefully and with reasonable fluency and accuracy in both written and spoken Spanish; in addition, being able to comprehend the spoken language in an academic setting. The course seeks to develop language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) that can be used in a variety of activities and disciplines. Extensive training in the organization and writing of compositions is emphasized. 

AP Spanish Literature and Culture   

Course Number: 579101A

Prerequisites: Spanish III and/or IV or placement exam or Heritage Speakers II and III or AP Spanish Language 

Credits: 1          

Students analyze and evaluate the literature of Spain and Spanish-America with emphasis placed on major writers, themes, and literary movements from the medieval periods to the 20th century. Extensive training in the organization and writing of analytical essays is emphasized. Students take tests and do project based assessments and presentations based on the literature studied. It is suggested by the World Language Department that this course be taken after AP Spanish Language.