High School World Language Courses

Did you know that American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most commonly used language in North America? American Sign Language 1 Part A will introduce you to vocabulary and simple sentences, so that you can start communicating right away. Importantly, you will explore Deaf culture—social beliefs, traditions, history, values, and communities influenced by deafness. Part B will introduce you to more of this language and its grammatical structures. You will expand your vocabulary by exploring interesting topics like Deaf education and Deaf arts and culture.

College Prep • UC Approved Language • NCAA Approved Additional Core

Explore the vocabulary you need for shopping, making purchases, and dealing with emergencies. Building upon the prior prerequisite course, you will progress your communication skills and foster your understanding of Deaf culture. You will learn about classifiers, glossing, and mouth morphemes, as well as how to give descriptions and directions. In Part B, students will increase their proficiency by learning about sequencing, transitions, role-shifts, and future tenses. Students will learn how to tell a story and ask questions, benefiting from greater exposure to deaf culture. Speed, conversations, signing skills, and cultural awareness are characteristic of this course.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of ASL 1

College Prep • UC Approved Language • NCAA Approved Additional Core

As you dive into more advanced ASL signing, including unique grammar features and advanced classifiers and locatives, you’ll learn, compose, and present your new-found vocabulary and narratives by immersing yourself in Deaf culture and community. From opinions, slang, and idioms, to using technology and media that offers authentic deaf perspectives. Explore how travel, cultural differences, and geography affect sign language. And gain a better understanding of Deaf culture by learning important events and examining topics such as education, science, and literature.

For Part B, are you ready to discover ways in which Deaf culture influences the world in general? After all, the concept of culture goes far beyond an understanding of Deaf history. Through discussing Deaf culture and experiences, you’ll advance your signing skills by developing verb tenses, grammar, and syntax. Apply your language skills in real conversation activities and through opportunities to debate real issues. It’s also time to explore the next steps in education and career opportunities for your new intermediate ASL skills.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of ASL 2

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Students begin their introduction to Spanish by focusing on the four key areas of foreign language study: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course represents an ideal blend of language learning pedagogy and online learning. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme and grammar concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural presentations, and interactive activities and practices which reinforce vocabulary and grammar. There is a strong emphasis on providing context and conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit.

Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own language learning, become familiar with common vocabulary terms and phrases, comprehend a wide range of grammar patterns, participate in simple conversations and respond appropriately to basic conversational prompts, analyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of various Spanish-speaking countries, and take frequent assessments where their language progression can be monitored. The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

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Students continue their study of Spanish by further expanding their knowledge of key vocabulary topics and grammar concepts. Students not only begin to comprehend listening and reading passages more fully, but they also start to express themselves more meaningfully in both speaking and writing. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme and grammar concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural presentations, and interactive activities and practices which reinforce vocabulary and grammar. There is a strong emphasis on providing context and conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit.

Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own language learning, understand common vocabulary terms and phrases, use a wide range of grammar patterns in their speaking and writing, participate in conversations and respond appropriately to conversational prompts, analyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of various Spanish-speaking countries, and take frequent assessments where their language progression can be monitored. By semester two, the course is conducted almost entirely in Spanish. The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

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Students further deepen their understanding of Spanish by focusing on the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. Each unit consists of a variety of activities which teach the students how to understand more difficult written and spoken passages, to communicate with others through informal speaking and writing interactions, and to express their thoughts and opinions in both formal and informal spoken and written contexts. Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own language learning, use correct vocabulary terms and phrases naturally, incorporate a wide range of grammar concepts consistently and correctly while speaking and writing, participate in conversations covering a wide range of topics, respond appropriately to conversational prompts, analyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of various Spanish-speaking countries, read and analyze important pieces of Hispanic literature, and take frequent assessments where their language progression can be monitored.

The course is conducted almost entirely in Spanish. The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Upper School Spanish 2

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French 1 is an introductory course in learning academic French. It is also the foundation course for French 2 and 3. In this course, students begin their introduction to French by building fundamental skills in the four key areas of world language study: listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. The majority of study is focused on verb conjugation, grammar, basic vocabulary, and basic pronunciation. Cultural information about Francophone countries and communities and cross-cultural reflections are present throughout the course.

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Students further expand their knowledge of key vocabulary topics and grammar concepts while begining to comprehend listening and reading passages more fully, and expressing themselves more meaningfully orally and in writing. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme and grammar concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural presentations, and interactive activities and practices which reinforce vocabulary and grammar. There is a strong emphasis on providing context and conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit.

Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own language learning, understand common vocabulary terms and phrases, use a wide range of grammar patterns in their speaking and writing, participate in conversations and respond appropriately to conversational prompts, analyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of various French-speaking countries, and take frequent assessments where their language progression can be monitored. By semester two, the course is conducted almost entirely in French. The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Upper School French 1

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Since mastering a classical language presents different challenges from learning a spoken world language, students learn Latin through ancient, time-honored, classical language approaches which include repetition, parsing, written composition, and listening exercises. These techniques, combined with a modern multimedia approach to learning grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, provide students with a strong foundation for learning Latin. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme and grammar concept, reading comprehension activities, writing activities, multimedia culture, history, and mythology presentations, and interactive activities and practices which reinforce vocabulary and grammar.

There is a strong emphasis on engaging with authentic classical Latin through weekly encounters with ancient passages from such prestigious authors as Virgil, Ovid, and Lucretius. The curriculum concurs with the Cambridge school of Latin; therefore, students will learn ancient high classical styles of pronunciation and grammar in lieu of generally less sophisticated medieval styles, making it possible for students to comprehend the most Latin from the widest range of time periods. Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own language learning, become familiar with common vocabulary terms and phrases, comprehend a wide range of grammar patterns, understand and analyze the cultural and historical contexts of the ancient sources they study, and take frequent assessments where their language progression can be monitored.

The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

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Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own language learning, understand and use common vocabulary terms and phrases, comprehend a wide range of grammar patterns, understand and analyze the cultural and historical contexts of the ancient sources they study, and take frequent assessments where their language progression can be monitored. The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Upper School Latin 1

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Students begin their introduction to Chinese by focusing on the four key areas of foreign language study: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course represents an ideal blend of language learning pedagogy and online learning. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme and grammar concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural presentations, and interactive activities and practices which reinforce vocabulary and grammar. There is a strong emphasis on providing context and conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit. Both Chinese characters and pinyin are presented together throughout the course and specific character practices are introduced after the first quarter.

Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own language learning, become familiar with common vocabulary terms and phrases, comprehend a wide range of grammar patterns, participate in simple conversations and respond appropriately to basic conversational prompts, analyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of various Chinese-speaking regions, and take frequent assessments where their language progression can be monitored. The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

College Prep • UC Approved Language • NCAA Approved Additional Core

Students continue their study of Chinese by further expanding their knowledge of key vocabulary topics and grammar concepts. Students not only begin to comprehend listening and reading passages more fully, but they also start to express themselves more meaningfully in both speaking and writing. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme and grammar concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural presentations, and interactive activities and practices which reinforce vocabulary and grammar. There is a strong emphasis on providing context and conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit. Character recognition and practice are a key focus of the course and students are expected to learn several characters each unit. However, pinyin is still presented with characters throughout the course to aid in listening and reading comprehension.

Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own language learning, understand common vocabulary terms and phrases, use a wide range of grammar patterns in their speaking and writing, participate in conversations and respond appropriately to conversational prompts, analyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of various Chinese-speaking regions, and take frequent assessments where their language progression can be monitored. The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Upper School Chinese 1

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The AP^® Spanish Language and Culture course is an advanced language course in which students are directly prepared for the AP Spanish Language and Culture test. It uses as its foundation the three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. The course is conducted almost exclusively in Spanish. The course is based on the six themes required by the College Board: (1) global challenges, (2) science and technology, (3) contemporary life, (4) personal and public identities, (5) families and communities, and (6) beauty and aesthetics. The course teaches language structures in context and focuses on the development of fluency to convey meaning. Students explore culture in both contemporary and historical contexts to develop an awareness and appreciation of cultural products, practices, and perspectives.

Students should expect to listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of authentic Spanish-language materials and sources, demonstrate proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication using Spanish, gain knowledge and understanding of the cultures of Spanish speaking areas of the world, use Spanish to connect with other disciplines and expand knowledge in a wide variety of contexts, develop insight into the nature of the Spanish language and its culture, and use Spanish to participate in communities at home and around the world. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is a college-level course. The intensity, quality, and amount of course material can be compared to that of a third-year college course.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 3 or native fluency in Spanish

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved Language • NCAA Approved Additional Core

The level of rigor in these AP^® World Languages courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.