WORLD LANGUAGES

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: None

Credit: 1.0 French Year Course

Students in French I will learn about France and other French-speaking countries, the people and their language. They will learn to carry on conversations about family and friends, school, and leisure time. Students will develop reading, listening and intercultural skills through the use of authentic multimedia from various French speaking cultures. Frequent pair, small group and whole class interactions with peers are essential components to this course.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or French I

Credit: 1.0 French Year Course

Students in French II will continue to work on sustaining simple conversations and grow in their understanding of the French language and culture. Students will develop reading, listening, and intercultural skills through the use of authentic multimedia from various French speaking cultures. Students will engage in more self-expression through writing and conversation. Most of the class instruction will be in French. Frequent pair, small group and whole class  interactions with peers are essential components to this course. A continued study of French grammar and vocabulary will be accompanied by a variety of cultural topics including fashion, home, community, food and travel.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or French II

Credit: 1.0 French Year Course

Students in French III will further develop their knowledge of the French language and culture. The formal presentation of French grammar will continue with an emphasis on using both written and spoken French for communication and self-expression. Listening skills will be developed through class activities, while accuracy will be stressed in both usage and pronunciation. Students will continue to expand their study of francophone cultures and develop an appreciation for the similarities and differences between those cultures and their own.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or French III

Credit: 1.0 French Year Course

Students in French IV will increase their fluency in French and deepen their understanding of the cultures of French-speaking countries. In addition to reviewing and fine-tuning vocabulary and structure of French, students will be introduced to a variety of topics relevant to the contemporary French-speaking world. Authentic French literary works and French film will be studied and communication skills emphasized. Students will primarily speak French and by the end of the course will be able to converse comfortably.

SPANISH

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or French V

Credit: 1.0 French Year Course

Students in French VI will continue to deepen their understanding of complex grammar structures, explore contemporary and classic literature and develop their conversational skills. The course curriculum is aligned to the Advanced Placement French Language and Culture themes to prepare students to take the AP French Language and Culture exam in the spring. Students will improve their individual listening, reading, writing and speaking skills throughout this course. This course is the equivalent of a 300 level intermediate language course at a university. 

Note: Qualified students may receive college credit for the class through CAPP. All dual credit options are dependent upon teacher certification.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: None

Credit: 1.0 German Year Course

Students in German I will use sounds, rhythms, intonations and vocabulary to communicate in German. Topics of home, family, school, city and work will be covered throughout this course. Class activities include vocabulary and grammar exercises, dialogues, German music, internet activities and exploration of German culture.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or German I

Credit: 1.0 German Year Course

Students in German II will continue to speak German in the classroom while adding more vocabulary and grammatical structures to their repertoire. The class will perform dialogues and skits, read short stories and create cultural projects to broaden their language skills. The geography and folklore of Germany will also be studied.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or German II

Credit: 1.0 German Year Course

Students in German III will build on their abilities to read, write, speak and comprehend German. Students will increase their fluency and comprehension using their textbook, supplementary reading materials and journal activities. Authentic German literature will also be used to foster creativity and expression and expand cultural knowledge. The class will be conducted primarily in German to build the students’ confidence in speaking and understanding German more fluently.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or German III

Credit: 1.0 German Year Course

Students in German IV will improve their proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening while studying advanced grammatical concepts. Students will do extensive reading to improve vocabulary and language proficiency. Short stories will provide a basis for students to gain further insight into German culture. Additionally, students will do frequent journaling to foster creativity and expression in the target language. Students will also improve their conversational skills through class discussions and oral presentations.

Grade(s): 10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or German IV

Credit: 1.0 German Year Course

Students in German V will continue to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension skills through the discussion and study of contemporary and historical issues, current events, culture, history and literature from German-speaking countries. The course will review essential grammar as it applies to the material studied. Students will communicate primarily in German, both verbally and in written work. This course is the equivalent of a 200 level intermediate language course at a university. 

Note: Qualified students may receive college credit for the class through CAPP. All dual credit options are dependent upon teacher certification.

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or German V

Credit: 1.0 German Year Course

Students in German VI will continue to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension skills through the discussion and study of German civilization. Essential grammar will be reviewed as it applies to the material studied. Students will communicate primarily in German, both verbally and in written work. This course is the equivalent of a 300 level intermediate language course at a university. 

Note: Qualified students may receive college credit for the class through CAPP. All dual credit options are dependent upon teacher certification.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: No previous Spanish study, or recommendation of middle school instructor 

Credit: 1.0 Spanish Year Course

Students in Spanish I will begin to use spoken and written communication to express themselves in basic, everyday situations found at home, school, work and leisure time. Students will develop reading, listening and intercultural skills through the use of authentic multimedia from various Spanish speaking cultures. Frequent pair, small group and whole class interactions with peers are essential components to this course.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or Spanish I 

Credit: 1.0 Spanish Year Course

Students in Spanish II will continue to work on sustaining simple conversations about daily life and exploring their community. Common topics include going to a restaurant, taking a trip, my daily routine, clothes and shopping. Most of the class instruction will be in Spanish. Choice reading and free writing complement vocabulary study and learning about language structures. Students begin communicating in the past tense. Cultural identity and comparison are an important part of each class. Students will develop reading, listening and intercultural skills through the use of authentic multimedia from various Spanish speaking cultures. Frequent pair, small group and whole class interactions with peers are essential components to this course.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or Spanish II

Credit: 1.0 Spanish Year Course

Students in Spanish III will extend their speaking and listening ability through the use of authentic multimedia from various Spanish speaking countries. The teacher and students will primarily communicate in Spanish. Common topics include childhood, health and wellness, home and community, and the environment. Choice reading and frequent journaling will foster creativity and expression in Spanish, as well as build vocabulary, strengthen grammatical concepts and improve reading comprehension. Frequent pair, small group, and  whole class interactions with peers are essential components 

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or Spanish III

Credit: 1.0 Spanish Year Course

Students in Spanish IV will be taught in Spanish, and continue to build on the skills and knowledge taught in Spanish III. The focus is on improving and extending fluency. Students will engage in extensive reading and frequent journaling to improve their vocabulary and language proficiency and foster creativity and expression in Spanish. Authentic short stories, current events and multimedia from various Spanish countries provide a basis for students to gain further insight and understanding of Spanish and Latin American cultures. Discussion, debate, and oral presentations further improve the students’ conversational skills.

Grade(s): 10,11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or Spanish IV

Credit: 1.0 Spanish Year Course

Students in Spanish V will use the grammatical and cultural background knowledge they have acquired in previous courses. The literature and film of Spain and Latin America will serve as vehicles for an in-depth look into the Spanish speaking world of the past and present. Each student will improve their own individual conversational and written communication skills through extensive class discussion, readings, oral presentations and journal writing. This course is the equivalent of a 200 level intermediate language course at a university. 

Note: Qualified students may receive college credit for the class through CAPP. All dual credit options are dependent upon teacher certification.

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or Spanish V

Credit: 1.0 Spanish Year Course

Students in Spanish VI will examine literature, film, news and other products of Spanish-speaking cultures while continuing to improve their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. This course provides an intense and high-level grammar review, deepening the students’ understanding of previously learned concepts while exposing them to the subtleties within those concepts. This course is the equivalent of a 300 level intermediate language course at a university. 

Note: Qualified students may receive college credit for the class through CAPP. All dual credit options are dependent upon teacher certification.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: Heritage Spanish Speaker

Credit: 1.0 Spanish Year Course

Students in Spanish Language Arts will focus on reading and writing in Spanish, with project-based activities and grammar work. The unit themes of year A will include identity, language, race, and gender.  Year B students will explore a panoramic view of the history of Latin America. Spanish Language Arts is designed for students who are already bilingual (Spanish/English) and would like to work on becoming biliterate. Two years of Spanish Language Arts should be taken consecutively, as the curriculum is taught on an A/B year rotation. 

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: None

Credit: 1.0 Mandarin Year Course

Students in Mandarin Chinese I will learn Mandarin in a variety of situations with ever-increasing linguistic accuracy. Students will read, write, speak and listen to become familiar with the many aspects of the language. Students will also begin to acquire knowledge and culturally appropriate interaction skills essential for basic communication and will develop uses for Mandarin within the community. Through active participation in class activities, students will develop insights into their own language and culture in addition to the Mandarin language and culture.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: Mandarin I

Credit: 1.0 Mandarin Year Course

Students in Mandarin Chinese II will further develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening with an emphasis on communication skills in real world situations. Students will explore and discuss culturally relevant information with the theme of “being empowered.” Active participation in class activities is a critical component to learning the language and will be expected on a daily basis.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: Mandarin II

Credit: 1.0 Mandarin Year Course

Students in Mandarin Chinese III will continue to explore real world situations in Mandarin through reading, writing, speaking and listening. Using the theme “the thinker,” students will learn about Chinese philosophies and how they connect with themselves and the world. Students will discuss culturally relevant information through texts that include moral and philosophical thought and will engage in activities surrounding these ideas.

Grade(s): 9,10,11,12 Prerequisite: Mandarin III

Credit: 1.0 Mandarin Year Course

Students in Mandarin Chinese IV will work to understand authentic passages on familiar issues and communicate using accurate pronunciation and intonation with more diversified sentence structures. Students will be able to read and summarize texts from Chinese modern literature or the latest authentic language materials from China, written in the form of Mandarin characters. Students will also be able to write more complex texts on related issues. In addition, movies, music, various folk art forms and ancient Chinese classics will be studied to help students further develop intercultural competence.

Grade(s): 10,11,12 Prerequisite: Mandarin IV

Credit: 1.0 Mandarin Year Course

Students in Mandarin Chinese V will continue working on authentic language materials related to culture, history and current events. Students will further develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, as well as review essential grammar and vocabulary. Students will apply these skills to class discussions, presentations, cultural appreciations and journal writings. All reading and writing materials will be in the form of Mandarin characters. The teacher and students will speak primarily Mandarin throughout this course.

Grade(s): 11,12 Prerequisite: A proficiency assessment or Mandarin Chinese V

Credit: 1.0 Mandarin Year Course

Students in AP Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture will continue to deepen their understanding of complex grammar structures, explore contemporary and classic literature and develop their conversational skills. The course curriculum is aligned to the Advanced Placement Chinese Language and Culture themes to prepare students to take the AP Chinese Language and Culture exam in the spring. Students will improve their individual listening, reading, writing and speaking skills throughout the course.