This course is an introduction to the French language and culture, emphasizing the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The language is presented within the context of the contemporary French-speaking world and its culture. In addition to a textbook, authentic materials and various media sources will be used to enhance the topics covered. Students will learn to perform a variety of language functions: to list, to ask questions, to describe, to give and follow directions, to narrate and to express opinions. The strong emphasis is made on vocabulary acquisition and verb conjugation in present tense. These functions will be incorporated in a variety of contexts, for example, at home, in school, at work, when traveling, while shopping and playing. Students will be able to perform these tasks with an appropriate level of accuracy using interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes.
This course will continue to emphasize the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing which were begun in Level I. Constant re-entry of past lessons will be part of each new lesson. Technology and authentic sources will be used to enhance the topics covered. Themes covered in this course include household items, entertainment, sports and health, weekend activities, physical and character description of others and oneself. The use of past, present, and future tenses are reinforced throughout the year. Many of the class activities incorporate cooperative practice and critical thinking, as well as, opportunities to develop multicultural awareness through the study of the regions of France and French speaking countries.
This course will continue to encourage students to develop fluency in the language by maintaining their focus on the message being communicated utilizing the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. In addition to structure, the course affords the student the opportunity to compare Francophone and American cultures through the study of the geography and customs of the French speaking African countries. Topics covered in this course include house and home, clothes and accessories, travel and vacations. Several new tenses will be learned including the conditional and future. Students will begin to hold extended conversations and speeches on a variety of topics. Many of the class activities incorporate group work and critical thinking, as well as, opportunities to practice reading comprehension skills through the use of authentic short stories.
This course provides a continuing study of the French language and culture presented within the context of the contemporary French-speaking world. Attainment of proficiency of the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing are emphasized with materials including a textbook, a twentieth century novel and a variety of authentic sources. Topics covered in this course include physical descriptions of people and objects, the environment and its protection, shopping and services provided at various establishments, national and international travel, occupations and education, health issues and how they are being addressed in different French speaking countries. Students will continue to hold extended conversations and express their opinions using idiomatic expressions as well as past, present, and future tenses; expand on their use of the subjunctive and conditional moods and be able to recognize and comprehend the written past tense in literary works. Critical thinking skills will be reinforced through the reading of the novel “Le Petit Prince” par Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and studying the impressionist movement and it’s artists.
This course provides a continuing study of the French language and culture presented within the context of the contemporary French-speaking world. Attainment of proficiency of the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are emphasized throughout the year and students learn language structures in context and focus on the development of fluency to convey meaning. The course is based on the six themes outlined by the College Board: Global challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary life, Personal and Public Identities, Families and Communities, Beauty and Aesthetics. This course is designed to allow students to gain deeper insight into the nature of the French language and modern life of the French speaking countries. Students use several primary textbooks and other authentic materials and resources that are in accordance with those suggested by the College Board. Student must take AP exam in order to receive AP course credit.
This course is an introduction to the Spanish language and culture, emphasizing the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The language is presented within the context of the contemporary Spanish-speaking world and its culture. In addition to a textbook, technology will be used to enhance the topics covered. Students will learn to perform a variety of language functions: to list, to ask questions, to describe, to give and follow directions, to narrate and to express opinions. These functions will be incorporated in a variety of contexts, for example, at home, in school, at work, when traveling, while shopping and playing. Students will be able to perform these tasks with an appropriate level of accuracy using interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes.
This course will continue to emphasize the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing which were begun in Level I. Constant re-entry of past lessons will be part of each new lesson. Technology will be used to enhance the topics covered. Students will learn to perform a variety of language functions: Discuss leisure time, comment on travel, comment on food, talk about the past, discuss fine art, express activity preferences, and to ask for and give information. These functions will be performed in a variety of contexts for example, at home, in school, at work, when traveling, while shopping and playing. Students will be able to perform these tasks with an appropriate level of accuracy using interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes.
This course will continue to encourage students to develop fluency in the language by maintaining their focus on Communication utilizing the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Technology will be used to enhance the topics covered. Students will learn to perform a variety of language functions: Describe childhood experiences, narrate in the past, talk about present and past activities in progress, talk about daily routine, tell someone what to do, express plans for the future, and make recommendations and suggestions. Students will be able to perform and apply all language skills tasks with an appropriate level of accuracy using interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication. Writing continues to be presented as a process that develops writing skills along a competency continuum that moves them into a cohesive essay stage. The use of authentic resources motivates students to use their critical thinking skills and to make cross-cultural comparisons.
A content based approach to teaching advanced level Spanish. The course provides multiple levels of authentic comprehensible input through literary and journalistic readings, videos, and audio recordings. Learning activities are designed to motivate students and to foster the use of critical thinking skills. The development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills accommodates students' different learning styles. Students will learn to perform a variety of language functions: Talk about families and communities, give advice, express emotions, talk about travel, persuade and make suggestions to others, make future plans, talk about how to solve a problem, and talk about nature and the environment. Students will be able to perform these tasks with an appropriate level of accuracy using interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication. Writing and speaking continues to be presented as a process that develops skills along a competency continuum, moving students into a cohesive essay stage and allowing productive discussion and conversations to take place. There is an active discovery of culture using critical thinking to compare and contrast, predict and question. People and events are described in the context of the past, the present, and the future so students not only gain insight into Hispanic cultures and civilizations, but also achieve a more global understanding of the issues these people and their countries face now and in the future. The course is conducted almost entirely in Spanish.
This course will use a content-based approach to teaching advanced level Spanish. The course provides students the tools to develop a strong command of the language in all language skills in order to communicate with native speakers at a natural pace, with a variety of regional pronunciations, in both informal and formal contexts. Students are exposed to global topics by using a variety of authentic level appropriate readings, audio visuals, and realia. Students are required to express themselves with reasonable and sustained fluency in oral and written expression utilizing strategies learned. Learning activities are designed to motivate students, to foster the use of critical thinking skills, and to promote mastering of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. All four skills are combined in order to demonstrate understanding of authentic Spanish-language source materials. There is an active discovery of culture using critical thinking to compare and contrast target cultural products, practices and perspectives to students’ own cultural experiences. Learning activities closely reflect the format of the AP language exam. The Advanced Placement Program prepares students to take the AP Spanish language examination as a possible means of obtaining advanced standings or credit at the college level. The course is conducted entirely in Spanish. Students must take the AP exam in order to receive AP course credit.
This course focuses on developing a working vocabulary as well as the ability to create meaningful communication for students who are non-native speakers with minimal or no background in Mandarin Chinese. Role-plays, skits, celebrations of holidays, and collages are just some of the activities and projects that will be utilized within this course to improve their skills. The aim of this course is for the student to develop skills in the three communicative language modes (interpretive, interpersonal and presentational communication) by being able to understand, converse, interact, and present in Mandarin through both oral and written communication. Opportunities to learn and explore Chinese culture are also emphasized throughout the course. The majority of vocabulary learned will pertain to the student’s immediate world, whether through their family, school or daily life, before integrating other idioms and content. While there will be some written work, the majority of communication will be done through speaking.
This course takes a real life communication task as its starting point. The goals of this course are to continue to develop the ability to communicate in Mandarin in a meaningful way, particularly in language fluency. Through the improvement of their language, their appreciation for Chinese culture will grow deeper and stronger. Students will develop good strategy to negotiate meaning by relying on their previous knowledge, and by analyzing and discovering cues from the communicative context. Students will be able to converse, interact and present in Mandarin through oral and written means. Grammar and vocabulary learned in Mandarin I will be briefly reviewed early in the semester and will continue to be built upon as the year progresses. Many helpful online resources will be introduced and students are encouraged to utilize them. Character recognition will be implemented throughout this course, transitioning the student’s emphasis of communication from oral to written forms.
Mandarin III continues to develop the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational, but at a much higher level. The use of audiovisual aids, classroom activities, projects and texts continues to strengthen understanding, speaking and the knowledge of grammatical structures. Students will learn thematic vocabulary relevant to practical everyday life situations. Customs and culture are reflected in festival and culture-related activities. Many helpful online resources will be introduced and students are encouraged to utilize them. Through their online resources and frequent access to computers, students will be expected to use the computer to type Chinese characters.
Mandarin IV Honors continues to emphasize the student development of the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational. Students are expected to be able to complete assignments using more complex diction. Students will be expected to participate in oral presentations, class discussions, and forums. In addition, character writing and recognition becomes a greater discipline through increased practice and drills. This will allow the students to maintain greater responsibility and connection to the language when expressions and vocabulary come more easily. Explored topics are relevant to the different aspects within the student lives. A more critical comparison of American and Chinese cultures is created to help students understand the differences of both ethnicities. Many helpful online resources will be introduced and students are encouraged to utilize them. Students will continually use their online resources to complete written assignments.
Advanced Placement Mandarin is designed to provide the student with an intellectual challenge through the advanced study of language. While literature is included in the course, the emphasis is on composition and conversation. This increases individual responsibility to practice the language outside of the classroom. Since this is highly conversational, daily practice is not only recommended but necessary in being successful in this course. This course is comparable in both content and difficulty to a college-level introductory Mandarin language course. The course seeks to develop language skills that can be applied to various activities and disciplines rather than the mastery of any specific subject matter. The history of China will be explored, through the usage of authentic materials. Students will also be expected to develop and convey their personal opinions on certain issues or topics. Student must take AP exam in order to receive AP course credit.