World Language

WORLD LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

Mission Statement

The mission of the World Language Department at Seymour High School is to prepare each student to become a lifelong learner in a multicultural society.   Upon completion of their World Language studies, students will listen, speak, read and write proficiently in at least one language other than English, and will have explored the culture(s) of that language.

World Language Course Entry Requirements

Level I World Language Course Entry Requirement,  students requesting Spanish I or French I, should pass all of their core academic courses (ELA, Social Studies, Math, Science) with a grade of 70 or higher the preceding year and have teacher recommendations.  For ninth-grade students, this would require that they achieved a 70 in all of the core academic courses during their eighth-grade school year and have teacher recommendations to take the world language course.  Juniors and Seniors are exempt from this requirement due to graduation requirement expectations.  

Level II and above World Language Course Entry Requirement, Students who would like to take the next level of a World Language (Spanish II, III, IV, V, or French II, III) must pass the prior level with a grade of 70 or higher and have a world language teacher recommendation.

Students who did not earn a grade of 70 or higher and would like to take the next level course may audit the prerequisite course the following year so they may raise their grade to a 70 or higher so they may continue to the next level.

Courses

Spanish I – 311 

1.0 Credit

Offered to grades 9-10-11-12

The chief aims of Spanish I are to develop an ability to understand the spoken language and to be able to reply in clear, simple Spanish. Reading comprehension is developed by means of short stories, anecdotes, and descriptive paragraphs.  Some composition in Spanish is required. To make the student aware of Spanish heritage in our culture, historical and cultural materials on Spain and Latin America are presented. 

Spanish II – 321

Prerequisite:

Spanish 2:  A minimum grade of 70 in Spanish I.

1.0 Credit

In Spanish II, the grammar of the language is reviewed and continued. The emphasis in this course begins to shift from aural comprehension and conversation to the development of greater reading comprehension and free composition; more attention is given to the attainment of vocabulary skills.  The study of Hispanic civilization continues.  

Spanish III – 331, 335

1.0 Credit

Prerequisite: A minimum grade of 70 in Spanish II.

335 – Honors Is open to recommended students who meet the Honors course criteria.

Emphasis is placed on verbal conversation, with oral and written reports in Spanish.  The writing phase of language learning is given more prominence.  At this level, readings from Spanish literature and articles on Spanish civilization give greater depth to the students’ understanding of Spanish culture.    depth to the students’ understanding of Spanish culture.  

Spanish IV – 341, 345

1.0 Credit

Prerequisite: A minimum grade of 70 in Spanish III.

345 – Honors is open to recommended students who meet the Honors course criteria.

In Spanish IV, the stress shifts to Spanish composition, to more sophisticated vocabulary and idiomatic usage, and the reading of more modern literary works.  Studies on Hispanic culture will focus on the history of Spain and Latin America.

Spanish V Honors - 355

1.0 Credit

Prerequisite:  A minimum grade of 70 in Spanish IV.

355 – Honors is open to recommended students who meet the Honors course criteria.

This advanced course in Spanish will continue to expand the Spanish communication skills of our students.  Instruction will move away from grammar-based/routine-based learning, into performance based, communicative activities, authentic reading and aural comprehension.  Students will be exposed to Spanish literature which will serve as the primary source of instructional materials. This will be a performance based course allowing students to demonstrate and further develop their skill in the use of the Spanish language.

English as a Second Language Course

Students in this course will earn 1.0 credit.  Students may retake this course until they pass the LAS and exit from this program. (Life Skills or General Elective Credit)

Course Description

English as a Second Language Course is for students whose primary language is not English and who still need to pass the English Language Proficiency Assessment (LAS).  Initially, students will focus on English survival language for newcomers, differentiation will be provided to more advanced students to help them pass the LAS.  Students can test out of this course by performing at the following level on the LAS, achieving an overall performance level of 4 or 5 and having a reading score of 4 or higher and a writing score of 4 or higher.