World Languages (WL)

This is a novice-low to novice-high level course designed to introduce students to the French and francophone cultures of the world.  Course content includes basic elements of daily life, dealing with the student’s immediate environment in highly predictable situations.  By the end of the year, students will be able to interpret, interact, and present at a mid-novice to low-intermediate level.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of French I or by placement exam results

This is a novice-mid to intermediate-mid level course designed to continue to introduce students to the language and cultures of the francophone world. Course content includes topics related to self, the immediate environment, survival, and courtesy in transitional and some informal settings.  In this course, students will begin to formulate and express opinions on a variety of topics in a larger array of tenses, namely the past tenses, while reinforcing the present tense, and exploring the future.  

Prerequisite: Successful completion of French I or by placement exam results

This is a novice-high to intermediate-mid level course designed to continue to introduce students to the language and cultures of the francophone world. Course content includes topics related to self, the immediate environment, survival, and courtesy in transitional and some informal settings.  In this course, students will begin to formulate and express opinions on a variety of topics in a larger array of tenses, namely the past tenses, while reinforcing the present tense, and exploring the future.  In this Honors course, students will be challenged in their reading and writing skills by reading and interpreting literary excerpts and writing compositions and essays. 

Prerequisite: Successful completion of a French II-level course.

This is an intermediate-low to intermediate-high level course designed to further the students’ application and understanding of the language and cultures of the francophone world. Course content includes topics such as personal fitness, health and emergencies, personal identity and relationships, the arts, careers and humanitarian work, social issues, and the media.  These topics will be explored mostly in informal and in some formal settings.  In this course, students will formulate and express opinions on a variety of topics in a larger array of tenses, namely the subjunctive, the pluperfect, and past conditional tenses, while reinforcing the present, past, and future tenses.   

Prerequisite: Successful completion of a French II-level course.

This is an intermediate-mid to advanced-low level course designed to further the students’ application and understanding of the language and cultures of the francophone world. Course content includes topics such as personal fitness, health and emergencies, personal identity and relationships, the arts, careers and humanitarian work, social issues, and the media.  These topics will be explored mostly in informal and in some formal settings.  In this course, students will formulate and express opinions on a variety of topics in a larger array of tenses, namely the subjunctive, the pluperfect, and past conditional tenses, while reinforcing the present, past, and future tenses.  Students will read literary excerpts and be expected to continue developing their writing skills.  In this Honors course, the students will be challenged to meet the requirements and expectations of an Honors Course in all class activities, homework, and assessments, in preparation for a fourth year of study in Advanced Placement French Language and Culture. 

Prerequisite: Successful completion of a French III-level course.

The Advanced Placement French Language and Culture course is an advanced-level course that is designed to be the 4th year of study in French.  The curriculum is organized thematically following the College Board’s Curriculum Frameworks.  This includes any topic related to the following:  contemporary life, science and technology, global challenges/issues, personal and public identity, family and community, and aesthetics. The course is conducted exclusively in French. The course will provide students with authentic materials and contexts within which they can communicate effectively at a pre-advanced-to-advanced level in the three modes of communication, interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational, in preparation for the AP French Language and Cultures Exam.

This is a novice-low to novice-high level course designed to introduce students to the Spanish language and cultures of the Hispanic world. Course content includes basic elements of daily life, dealing with the student’s immediate environment in highly predictable situations.  By the end of the year, students will be able to interpret, interact, and present at a mid-novice to low-intermediate level.

Prerequisite: by placement exam results.

This intermediate-low to intermediate-high level course is a multi-level course for students who already comprehend and speak Spanish and also have a fair ability to read in Spanish at an entry level. This course is designed to broaden the student’s verbal, audio, grammatical, spelling, and writing ability.  Students work to improve sentence structure and orthography of the language (accent marks, etc.).  As these students are primarily fluent in the target language, grammatical concepts and topics are reviewed and analyzed, while vocabulary development and comprehension are fostered through reading excerpts of literary works by Spanish and Latin American authors. Topics of study relate to relationships, the transition from adolescence to adulthood, nature, society, poetry, and other literary genres. Students will increase their ability to write for different audiences and purposes by using simple and complex sentences to compose paragraphs and essays on studied topics. This course will support students in the development of cultural awareness and finding an appreciation for culture as it relates to their own personal heritage.   The class will be conducted almost exclusively in Spanish to enhance the oratory development and pronunciation skills of the student.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of CP Spanish I or by placement exam results.

This is a novice-mid to intermediate-low level course, conducted mainly in the target language, designed to continue to introduce students to the Spanish language and cultures of the Hispanic world. Course content includes topics related to self, the immediate environment, survival, and courtesy in transitional and some informal settings.  In this course, students will begin to formulate and express opinions on a variety of topics in a larger array of tenses, namely the past tenses, while reinforcing the present tense, and exploring the future.  

Prerequisite: Successful completion of CP Spanish I or by placement exam results.

This is a novice-high to intermediate-mid level course designed to continue to introduce students to the language and cultures of the Hispanophone world. Course content includes topics related to self, the immediate environment, survival, and courtesy in transitional and some informal settings.  In this course, students will begin to formulate and express opinions on a variety of topics in a larger array of tenses, namely the past tenses, while reinforcing the present tense, and exploring the future.  In this Honors course, students will be challenged in their reading and writing skills by reading and interpreting literary excerpts and writing compositions and essays. 

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Honors Native Spanish I.

The focus of this intermediate-high to advanced-low level course will continue to develop students’ literary analysis and composition writing skills. Authentic and meaningful texts, both from literature and from authentic sources, will be used in order to enhance the student’s experience and confidence in Spanish.  Topics of study relate to heroism, friendship, caring for our planet, mythology, humor, and life’s challenges.  In order to achieve the level of fluency required to advance to AP Spanish Language and Culture, the course will be conducted entirely in Spanish.  Continued emphasis on advanced grammatical expressions as well as some problematic parts of the language such as accents and spelling will continue to be addressed.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of a Spanish II-level course.

This is an intermediate-low to intermediate-high level course designed to further the students’ application and understanding of the language and cultures of the Hispanophone world. Course content includes topics such as personal fitness, health and emergencies, personal identity and relationships, the arts, careers and humanitarian work, social issues, and the media.  These topics will be explored mostly in informal and in some formal settings.  In this course, students will formulate and express opinions on a variety of topics in a larger array of tenses, namely the subjunctive, the pluperfect, and present perfect tenses, while reinforcing the present, past, and future tenses.   

Prerequisite: Successful completion of a Spanish II-level course.

This course is eligible for Dual Enrollment credit with Saint Louis University.

This is an intermediate-mid to advanced-low level course designed to further the students’ application and understanding of the language and cultures of the Hispanophone world.  Course content includes topics such as personal fitness, health and emergencies, personal identity and relationships, the arts, careers and humanitarian work, social issues, and the media.  These topics will be explored mostly in informal and in some formal settings.  In this course, students will formulate and express opinions on a variety of topics in a larger array of tenses, namely the subjunctive, the pluperfect, and present perfect tenses, while reinforcing the present, past, and future tenses.   This course differs from the non-honors course in rigor and pacing and will prepare students for a fourth year of study in Advanced Placement Spanish Language and Culture.  Students will become aware of the political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental challenges these countries face as global issues.  Specifically, at the end of the course, students will complete comprehensive tasks, such as a culminating project, a written exam, and an oral presentation in which they will demonstrate their level of proficiency in the language.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of a Spanish III-level course.

This course is eligible for Dual Enrollment credit with Saint Louis University.

This is an advanced-low to advanced-mid level course designed to further the students’ application and understanding of the language and cultures of the Hispanophone world.  Students will carry on simple and complex conversations in Spanish using the vocabulary, grammar, and thematic content of the units studied. Course content includes topics such as contemporary life, science and technology, global challenges & issues, personal and public identity, family and community, and beauty and aesthetics.  Grammatical concepts and topics are reviewed and analyzed, while vocabulary development and comprehension are fostered through reading excerpts of literary works of Spanish and Latin American authors as well as contemporary news articles.  Learners comprehend and produce oral and written essays dealing with unfamiliar, abstract, practical, social, and professional topics in informal and most formal settings and problem situations.  Students will be expected to apply all grammar concepts learned in previous courses.  This course differs from the non-honors course in rigor and pacing and will prepare students for a fourth year of study in Advanced Placement Spanish Language and Culture.  Every effort will be made to conduct this course exclusively in the target language. Specifically, at the end of the course, students will complete comprehensive tasks, such as a culminating project with a significant oral component and a written exam, in which they will demonstrate their level of proficiency in the language.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of a Spanish IV-level course or of Honors Native Spanish II.

This course is eligible for Dual Enrollment credit with Saint Louis University.

The Advanced Placement Spanish Language and Culture is an advanced-low to advanced-high level course that course is designed to be the 4th year of study in Spanish for non-native speakers and the 3rd year of study in Spanish for native/heritage speakers.  The curriculum is organized thematically following the College Board’s Curriculum Frameworks.  This includes any topic related to the following:  contemporary life, science and technology, global challenges/issues, personal and public identity, family and community, and aesthetics. The course is conducted exclusively in Spanish. Strong emphasis will be placed daily on oral communication and listening comprehension in a culturally authentic context.  The course will provide students with authentic materials and contexts within which they can communicate effectively at a pre-advanced-to-advanced level in the three modes of communication, interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational, in preparation for the AP Spanish Language and Cultures Exam.  

Prerequisite: Successful completion of AP Spanish Language and Culture.

This course is eligible for Dual Enrollment credit with Creighton University via the Arrupe Virtual Learning Institute.

Students will learn how to analyze literary texts from different genres such as the novel and short stories (narrative), poetry, theatre, and the essay. They will gain a broader perspective on language, political and social issues, literature, history, art, and culture of Spanish-speaking countries in the world. Strong emphasis will be placed daily on written and oral communication in a culturally authentic context throughout history. The course will be conducted exclusively in the target language. This course is organized according to the AP Spanish Literature and Culture Curriculum approved by the AP College Board. The themes covered are Societies in Contact, Gender Construction, Duality of Being, Personal Relationships, Literary Creation, and Time and Space (Las sociedades en contacto, La construcción del género, La dualidad del ser, Las relaciones interpersonales, La creación literaria y El tiempo y el espacio).