Foreign Language

French I

In this course, students will be introduced to basic French grammar and vocabulary and will concentrate on present and past tense.  Topics about which the students will be able to communicate include family and everyday activities. Students will focus on proficiency in French (reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension). The course will include an introduction to French and Francophone culture, as well as the history of the Church in France.

French II

Students will expand on the skills developed in French I and will learn more complex sentence structure and grammar. Use of speaking, writing, reading, and listening comprehension skills will be intensified and students will learn all remaining tenses (i.e., future, conditional, subjunctive). Students will be further introduced to French and Francophone culture. The course is taught in French.  Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in French I.

French III

Students will review grammar and vocabulary from French I and II, while further developing their knowledge of the French language and culture.  They will also learn such tenses as the passe simple, past subjunctive, and  plus-que-parfait. In addition, students will study French authors’ works, including those of Maupassant, La Fontaine, and St. Therese of Lisieux. The course is taught in French.  Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in French I and II.

Spanish I

Students will be introduced to basic Spanish grammar and vocabulary and will concentrate on present and past tense. Topics about which the students will be able to communicate include family aspects of daily life of the culture of Spanish speaking people. The course will emphasize listening and speaking and reading and writing in Spanish to develop students’ vocabulary and grammatical skills. In addition, this course will include an introduction to Hispanic culture.  Students will learn about customs and traditions of Spanish speaking cultures such us greetings, celebrations, holiday practices and more.  The history of the Church in Spanish speaking countries also will be discussed.

Spanish II

Students will begin with a review of Spanish I material and expand on the skills developed during previous course work with a focus on learning more complex sentence structure and grammar. Use of speaking, writing, reading, and listening comprehension skills will be intensified and students will learn all remaining tenses (i.e., Preterit, Imperfect, future). Students will develop a greater understanding of Hispanic culture and demonstrate an awareness that social practices and personal interactions differ among cultures. Spanish is used almost exclusively in the class as students develop the ability to discuss on the target language.  Prerequisite: A letter grade of C or better in Spanish I.

Spanish III

Students will expand on the skills develop in prior Spanish classes. Students will continue to develop their proficiency in communicative competence, such us interacting with other speakers of the language, and understanding oral and written messages in the foreign language. Students will work on oral and written presentations in the target language. Use of speaking, writing, reading and listening comprehension skills will be intensified. Students also will review the major grammatical structures of the Spanish language and learn the remaining verb tenses, such as the future and the conditional and subjunctive.  Students will read more complicated text and literary pieces, as well as write more complex essays. Spanish is used exclusively in the class as students develop the ability to discuss topics related to historical and contemporary events and issues in the Spanish language.  Prerequisite: A letter grade of C or better in Spanish I and II.

Spanish IV

Students enrolled in this course have completed three years of language study and have acquired a solid level of proficiency in the Spanish language. Literary selections, international newspapers and authentic materials will be used in class discussions. Projects and oral presentations, as well as essays and informal writings in Spanish also are an integral part of the program. Students will be able to exchange and support opinions on a variety of topics in Spanish. They will comprehend spoken and written Spanish texts form a variety of authentic sources as well as produce compositions containing well developed ideas. Students will continue to study the Hispanic culture. Communication in the language will be essential for this class.  Prerequisite: A letter grade of C or better in Spanish I, II and III.

AP Spanish Language

The Advanced Placement Spanish Language course is a specialized class designed for those students seeking college credit via the Advanced Placement exam in Spanish. The advanced student will have previously demonstrated competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish, as well as possess a fundamental knowledge of the culture of Spanish-speaking people. Students will continue to explore the literature and culture of the Hispanic world through film, drama, poetry, and group projects, with explicit and implicit emphasis on grammar, conversation, writing, and selected readings from the modern period of Spain and the Americas. By year’s end, students will aim to be accurate and fluent in the language as they compose expository essays and orally express ideas. Students will be expected to take the Advanced Placement Examination in May, and will use the Internet consistently in order to improve their aural and oral skills in preparation for this exam.