World language skills are both career skills and essential life skills.   Future employees need the ability to communicate effectively with people who are different from us.  As we work on collaborative teams, live in diverse communities, and wish to travel and interact with the greater world, language skills become essential.  

Students learn these skills and more in the world language classroom.  
    

Program    

Students at Howitt Middle School learn a new language, beginning in seventh grade.  Students may select to study French, Italian, Heritage Spanish, or Spanish, and study the same language for both seventh and eighth grades.  Students are strongly encouraged to select a language that is not spoken at home.  At the end of the two-year study of a language, students take a Proficiency Test and have the opportunity to earn a high school credit.  American Sign Language is also available for study at Farmingdale High School.  Students wishing to earn a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation may satisfy the required sequence by earning 3.0 world language credits and passing a Checkpoint B test, usually at the end of level 3 in tenth grade.   Students have the opportunity to earn six college credits upon successful completion of a Level 4 or 5 language class and pay a fee. 


Howitt Middle School World Language Course Descriptions

Farmingdale High School World Language Course Descriptions
  See pages 32-33 of the FHS Curriculum Guide



Checkpoint Assessments

Students take the Checkpoint A Proficiency Test at the end of 8th grade.   With a passing test score and by completing two years of language study, students earn 1.0  high school credits in world language.  Students wishing to earn a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation may satisfy the required sequence by earning 3.0 world language credits and passing a Checkpoint B test, usually at the end of level 3 in tenth grade.

7-12 Curriculum Overview - NYS World Language Standards have been updated and revised by the New York State Education Department.  The revised standards will be  phased in, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.  Each year, the revisions roll up to the next grade/level.  The World Language Department has been making changes to the program over the past few years to ensure that language learning is fully accessible to all students.  The department is ready for the revised standards due to the changes we continue to make to our instructional program.  Standard Elements of the NYS World Language Standards

Focus of Instruction  (coming soon)

Grade 7 World Languages Level 2 World Languages Level 4 World Languages

Grade 8 World Languages Level 3 World Languages College World Languages

Language functions in the World Language Classroom

Overview of the national World Language Readiness Standards   (video)