World Languages

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  None

Course and Grade Prerequisites: None

Students will begin to study Chinese according to the national second language requirements set by ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) specific to the novice low level for Mandarin Chinese. This course introduces students to the language and culture of the Chinese-speaking world, emphasizing oral and written proficiency, grammar, vocabulary, and global awareness. Students will begin to write characters by learning correct structure and stroke order. They will become acquainted with the sounds of the Mandarin language using the Pinyin system as a guide to pronunciation, including intonation. They will learn set phrases and greetings that are common to everyday Chinese and the simplest grammatical structures that are most similar to English. By the end of the course students will be able to initiate and respond to basic daily conversation prompts like greetings and simple questions. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Chinese I or teacher-approved placement

Building on Chinese I, students will continue the study of Chinese according to national second language requirements specific to the novice mid-level for Mandarin Chinese. Building on the foundation from level one, students will work on vocabulary building and learn more complex sentence patterns that are unique to the Chinese language. As a result they will be able to write and talk about a larger breadth of topics. Students will transition towards greater use and mastery of character writing and depend less on the Pinyin system. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Chinese II or teacher-approved placement

Building on Chinese II, students will continue the study of Chinese according to national second language requirements specific to the novice high level for Mandarin Chinese. Instruction will increasingly be given in Chinese. Level III students will continue to build vocabulary as we introduce basic authentic materials such as public signs, simple comics and short passages. They will be able to respond independently to these materials and express simple opinions in Chinese using correct sentence structure. We will explore a number of topics related to modern life and culture in China. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Chinese III(H) or teacher-approved placement

Building on Chinese III, students will continue the study of Mandarin according to the national second language requirements specific to the intermediate level. Students will be able to express themselves creatively with the language and handle simple situations and transactions. We will begin to lay a foundation for the AP exam by using Chinese almost exclusively in the classroom and introducing more authentic materials to read and discuss. Level IV students will be able to relate a series of events or tell a simple story in Chinese both verbally and in written form. There will be discussion of current events as they relate to China. As at each level, we will continue to build vocabulary, expand the range of sentence patterns and improve pronunciation. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Chinese IV(H) and approval of teacher

*See “Requirements for Taking Honors and Advanced Placement Courses” at the beginning of this Catalog. Advanced Placement Chinese is conducted entirely in Mandarin. Students will continue the study of Chinese according to national second language requirements specific to the intermediate level and above. We will utilize authentic materials to facilitate higher-level language expression, analysis and cross-cultural reflection through structured activities. Students approved for this course must have a strong work ethic and possess advanced proficiencies in Chinese language. This course covers and reviews various aspects of contemporary Chinese society including gender roles, environmental protection, population, and housing, travel and weather, holiday foods, culturally significant plants, sports and games, significant people, current economic affairs, Chinese folk beliefs, etc. This course follows the College Board standards to prepare students for the AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam in May. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  None

Course and Grade Prerequisites: None

This course is for students new to French or who have taken middle school French but are not yet ready for French 2. In alliance with state and national standards, this course acquaints students with the language and culture of the French-speaking world, emphasizing oral and written proficiency, grammar, vocabulary, and global awareness. Using texts and interactive on-line resources, topics include geography, self, school, family, leisure activities, clothing, time, food and weather. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of French I or teacher-approved placement

This course reinforces the vocabulary, structures and cultural themes presented in French 1 and develops more complex structures necessary for continuing communication. This course includes a graphic novel and interactive on-line resources to develop global, cultural and historic themes with an emphasis on West Africa. Topics also include health, food, technology, daily routines, household tasks and the environment. Students communicate in past, present and future time frames.  Other grammatical structures include reflexive verbs and object pronouns. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of French II or teacher-approved placement

French 3 students: 1) develop oral and written communication skills through past, future and conditional narratives; 2) develop cultural and global awareness while being attentive to international perspectives; and 3) reinforce reading and listening comprehension skills through on-line resources, short stories, film, poetry, music lyrics and print media with a focus on French-speaking Europe. Topics include fairy tales, 20th century history, travel, education and interpersonal relationships.  This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of French II and teacher approval

*See “Requirements for Taking Honors and Advanced Placement Courses” at the beginning of this Catalog. French III Honors covers the same material as French III, but in more depth, with more rigorous readings. The course is conducted almost entirely in French.  This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: 10th, 11th, and 12th grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of French III(H) or teacher approval.

*See “Requirements for Taking Honors and Advanced Placement Courses” at the beginning of this Catalog. Building on the skills learned in French III and based on state and national standards, this course aims to increase oral and written proficiency on topics related to families and communities, aesthetics, search for identity, culture, and global challenges. Reading and listening activities involve on-line resources, articles, films, short stories, poems, and other authentic materials. Students will continue to deepen their understanding of francophone cultures and history. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: 10th, 11th and 12th grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: ‘B’ in French IV (H)

*See “Requirements for Taking Honors and Advanced Placement Courses” at the beginning of this Catalog. This course is conducted entirely in French. Students must be highly motivated and have advanced proficiencies in French grammar, speaking, reading, and writing skills. In alliance with state, national and Advanced Placement standards, students will participate in active discussions and writing assignments based on the six Advanced Placement French themes: identity, families and communities, science and technology, global challenges, contemporary life, and beauty and aesthetics. The course uses authentic print, audio and video materials. Students will deepen their knowledge of francophone cultures and contemporary global issues while reviewing grammatical concepts, increasing vocabulary, and improving interpretive, presentational and interpersonal communication. French VI students will do some independent study including more advanced reading and writing. This course follows the College Board standards to prepare students for the AP French Language and Culture Exam in May. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  None

Course and Grade Prerequisites: None

This course is for students new to Spanish or who have taken Spanish before but are not yet ready for Spanish 2. In alliance with state and national standards, this course acquaints students with the language and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world, emphasizing oral and written proficiency, grammar, vocabulary, and global awareness.   Students utilize the online textbook and supplementary Web-based resources to practice/learn about relevant topics including geography, describing oneself and others, school/courses, family, leisure activities, travel, clothing, weather, and shopping. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Spanish I or teacher-approved placement

This course reinforces the vocabulary, structures and cultural themes presented in Spanish I and develops more complex structures necessary for continuing communication, in alliance with state and national standards. This course includes short readings and interactive on-line resources to develop global and cultural themes. Topics also include health, food, daily routines and communication in past, present and simple future time frames. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages.

Open to: All grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Spanish II or teacher-approved placement

In alliance with state and national standards, the purpose of Spanish 3 is threefold: 1) to develop oral and written communication skills through past, future and conditional narratives 2) to develop cultural and global awareness, while attentive to international perspectives and 3) to reinforce reading and listening comprehension skills through on-line resources, short stories, film, poetry, music lyrics and print media. Using texts and interactive on-line resources, topics include geography, family and home, environment, health and wellbeing, city life, and professions. Students also learn about history and culture of Mexico and Spain. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages.

Open to: 10th, 11th and 12th grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Spanish II and teacher-approved placement

*See “Requirements for Taking Honors and Advanced Placement Courses” at the beginning of this Catalog. Spanish III Honors covers the same material as Spanish III, but in more depth, with more rigorous readings. The course is conducted almost entirely in Spanish. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: 10th, 11th and 12th grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Spanish III or III(H) or teacher-approved placement

This course is conducted in Spanish and is for the serious Spanish language learner. Students will develop higher levels of proficiencies that lead to mastery of Spanish communication using a variety of dynamic methods. The students will study advanced grammar applied to informal and presentational modes in speaking and writing composition. Using on-line as well as printed resources, the students will read short works from the Spanish-speaking world and study current events, contemporary literature, history, art, and the cultures of Spain and Latin America. Students will develop oral and written proficiency on topics related to families and communities, beauty and image, personal and public identities, immigration and global challenges. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: 10th, 11th and 12th grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Spanish III(H) or teacher-approved placement

*See “Requirements for Taking Honors and Advanced Placement Courses” at the beginning of this Catalog. This course is conducted entirely in Spanish. Spanish IV Honors covers the same material and uses the same immersion methods as Spanish IV, but in more depth, with more rigorous readings. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: 11th and 12th grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: ‘B+’ in Spanish IV or ‘B’ in Spanish IV (H)

*See “Requirements for Taking Honors and Advanced Placement Courses” at the beginning of this Catalog. This course is conducted entirely in Spanish, and is specifically tailored for the highly motivated and advanced Spanish language learner. Students develop proficiencies in presentational and informal modes of communication, and are expected to speak Spanish in daily discussions and presentations using the three modes of communication (Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational). The course not only develops communication of in-depth thoughts and ideas, but also provides access to new complex personal and global perspectives and knowledge through the Socratic Method of Inquiry. Students explore six themes; Beauty and Aesthetics, Contemporary Life, Families and Communities, Global Challenges, Personal and Public Identities and Science and Technology. This course follows the College Board standards to prepare students for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam in May. This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: 9th, 10th and 11th grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Teacher and Counselor Placement

This course is designed for Spanish Heritage (Native) Learner students and students in bilingual (Spanish-English) immersion programs, with the purpose of providing opportunities to develop proficiency in Spanish. Students who are interested in enrolling in the course will be invited and/or selected (Placement Exam).

In this course students will explore their own cultural identity, who they are, where they come from, food, migration, geography, and contribution to the society based on their cultural background. Students will be presented with different authentic written materials from the Spanish speaking world in both narrative and poetry forms. They will be given grammar, orthography language lessons and they will develop interpretation skills, orally and written, and progressive linguistic production: sentences, paragraphs, essays.  Students will be evaluated through their written products, presentations, dramatizations and exams. The methodology applied in this course will be mostly project based.

Español para hispano-hablantes y estudiantes bilingües de español I (Honores)

Este curso ha sido diseñado específicamente para estudiantes que hablan español como lengua nativa en su entorno familiar y social, y para estudiantes en programas bilingües de inmersión (Español-Inglés), con la finalidad de ofrecerles la oportunidad de desarrollar mayores niveles de competencia en español. Los candidatos a este curso serán invitados a postularse y seleccionados a través de un test de Aptitud en español (Placement Exam).

A lo largo de este curso, los estudiantes explorarán sus señas de identidad cultural, quiénes son, de dónde vienen, la gastronomía, las migraciones, geografía y contribución a la comunidad en base a su herencia cultural. Se expondrán a una variedad de textos auténticos escritos por distintos autores del mundo hispano, tanto en narrativa como en poesía. Recibirán lecciones de gramática, ortografía y desarrollarán las destrezas de interpretación lingüística: oral y escrita, así como también, de producción lingüística progresiva: oraciones, párrafos, redacciones. Los estudiantes serán evaluados a través de sus proyectos escritos, presentaciones, dramatizaciones y exámenes. En este curso, se aplicará metodología basada en proyectos. 

This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective.

Open to: 10th, 11th and 12th grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: Completion of Spanish for Heritage Learners and Bilingual Students I; recommendation from current teacher.

In this course, students will explore current world issues, professional development, technology and art. Students will analyze authentic materials by Hispanic authors in different literary genres: poetry, drama, fiction and non-fiction, journalism and audiovisuals. We will work with compound sentences and future, conditional and subjunctive verb tenses in combination with verb tenses studied in previous years. Students will be assessed based on their written projects, presentations, dramatizations, and exams. The methodology applied in this course will be mostly project based.

Español para hispano-hablantes y estudiantes bilingües de español II

Este curso es una continuación al curso de español para hispano-hablantes y estudiantes bilingües de español I. Los candidatos a este curso son los estudiantes que cursaron el nivel I en el año anterior o que hayan sido recomendados por su profesor/a actual. 

A lo largo de este curso, los estudiantes explorarán problemas del mundo de hoy, desarrollo profesional, tecnología y arte. Todo ello sobre el análisis de textos auténticos de autores del mundo hispano en distintos géneros literarios: novela, teatro, poesía, periodístico y audiovisuales. Se trabajaran las oraciones compuestas y los tiempos verbales subjuntivo, futuro y condicional en combinación con los tiempos practicados el año anterior. Los estudiantes serán evaluados a través de sus proyectos escritos, presentaciones, dramatizaciones y exámenes. En este curso, se aplicará metodología basada en proyectos.

This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective. It is also eligible for dual credit with Portland State University as follows:

• SPAN 201H (Fall) – 4 credits

• SPAN 202H (Winter) – 4 credits

• SPAN 203H (Spring) – 4 credits

Open to: 11th and 12th grades

Course Length: Two Semesters

Teacher approval?  Yes

Course and Grade Prerequisites: AP Spanish 

Spanish Service Learning (H) is open to rising seniors who will have completed AP Spanish by the end of their junior year. This course will allow students to continue their language studies while using their Spanish in service with and for others in the greater Portland area.  Students will be assigned a partner organization where they will complete their weekly service hours. 

This course fulfills one year of the two-year requirement for World Languages or may be taken as an elective. It is also eligible for dual credit with Portland State University as follows:

• SPAN 301 (Fall) – 4 credits

• SPAN 302 (Winter) – 4 credits

• SPAN 303 (Spring) – 4 credits