Language

The goal of the Middle School Department of Modern and Classical Languages is to empower students to thrive in authentic situations, develop curiosity and confidence as lifelong learners of languages, and embrace ethical values as global citizens. Our program offers classes in Mandarin Chinese, French, Spanish, and Latin. All four languages are offered at the beginner level in sixth grade. We anchor our work in our School’s values of academic excellence, progressive education, and ethical learning as our students gain rich linguistic, cultural, and historical perspectives and knowledge.

We are committed to developing students who will independently: 

• Communicate in their language of study on an array of topics

• Make connections between their language of study and their native language

• Apply cultural competency to engage with diverse communities and individuals

• Embrace lifelong learning of modern and classical languages 

Because our School is committed to academic excellence, progressive education, and ethical learning, our instructional methods include:

• Teaching in the target language

• Activities in all four modes (listening and reading comprehension, speaking, and writing)

• Emphasis on grammatical accuracy and effective communication

• Student-centered activities

• Differentiated instruction

• Interdisciplinary work

• Real world applications

• Use of authentic material such as songs, films, photographs, visual art, fiction and non-fiction texts, online news, and overseas websites

• Use of technology such as blogs, online writing and recording tools, and presentational and creative softwares 

• Trip opportunities within New York City and abroad