Languages
Course Descriptions
FRENCH I
French I is an introduction to the French language and culture. Students learn to express themselves in present, past, and future tenses. At the beginning levels the basic skills of communication are stressed. Although emphasis is on speaking and understanding useful French sentences, the skills of reading and writing are not neglected. The students are also exposed to the cultures of the Francophone world through reports, documentaries and feature-length movies.
FRENCH II
French II continues to develop speaking and listening skills. Second-year students begin to build the strong vocabulary and grammatical background needed for reading and writing French. Through frequent and varied conversations in French and some informal presentations, students work on fluency and pronunciation. Written expression is developed through brief essays. For the final project of the year, students compose their own fairy tales.
FRENCH III
French III is a review of basic grammar, with attention paid to the more advanced grammatical structures found in written and spoken French. With the exception of some grammatical explanations, French is used exclusively in the third-year classroom. Frequent conversation is a point of both practice and emphasis, and students regularly write compositions of 150 to 300 words. Students continue their study of French and francophone cultures through reading, lectures, film, and research projects. Students focus on letter writing in French at the beginning of the year. Other long-term topics of study include medieval history, the French Revolution and the First World War in France. Students are also exposed to a wide variety of examples of literary excerpts from Francophone African works.
FRENCH LANGUAGE AP
French Language AP reviews French grammar with emphasis on complex structures and attention to idiomatic expressions. While continuing to write frequent compositions, students also make oral presentations and participate in class discussions on contemporary topics. French culture and major events in French history are addressed through the medium of feature movies. Readings include excerpts from medieval through twentieth century writings and full-length works which may vary year to year, but usually include writings of Camus, Zola, Ionesco, Labro, Sarraute, Colette and others. Students also read articles from magazines, newspapers and internet sites. Students may choose to take the Advanced Placement Test in French Language for which college credit may be received.
FRENCH CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION
This is a course designed for students with advanced proficiency in French who wish to continue their studies in the language while exploring social, historical, political and cultural issues of importance to young people growing up in France and francophone regions, such as North Africa, Québec and the French Caribbean. Through works of fiction and non-fiction, films, print media, and Internet resources, students will develop a deeper understanding of these cultures, while improving their language skills. Written and oral communication will be stressed through regular written assignments (compositions, essays, creative writing exercises), oral presentations, and video projects. The study of grammar topics and the mechanics of writing will be incorporated into assignments and class presentations. This course also will include a service component working with French learners in our community. Prerequisite: French IV AP Language or equivalent language skills. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor.
SPANISH I
First year Spanish is a student’s first introduction to the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures. At the beginning levels the basic skills of communication are stressed, and students work towards speaking and understanding Spanish necessary to communicate in real life situations. Students learn to express themselves in present, past and future time frames. As students study the language they begin to understand and appreciate the way of life, customs, values and cultures of people from many different areas of the world.
SPANISH II
Spanish II emphasizes the Spanish language as a means of personal communication. It begins to build the strong vocabulary and grammatical background needed for reading and writing the language. A knowledge of basic Spanish grammar is completed, including common verb tenses. Students begin to make short oral presentations and to write their first compositions, usually summaries or descriptions of situations. Students continue their study of the culture and customs of Spanish-speaking peoples.
SPANISH III
Spanish III is a review of basic grammar with attention to the more advanced grammatical structures found in written and spoken Spanish. With the exception of some grammatical explanations, Spanish is used exclusively in the third-year classrooms. Frequent conversation is a point of both practice and emphasis and students regularly write compositions of 200 words. At this level students begin to integrate literature into their studies, reading short stories and articles from a variety of sources.
SPANISH LANGUAGE AP
Spanish Language AP emphasizes the use of the Spanish language for active communication. The objectives of the class stress the ability to comprehend formal and informal spoken Spanish, the acquisition of vocabulary and a grasp of structure to allow the easy and accurate reading of Hispanic literature, the ability to compose expository passages and the ability to express ideas orally with accuracy and fluency. Materials include films, recordings, newspapers, and magazines as well as short stories, essays, poetry, drama and excerpts from novels. Students may choose to take the Advanced Placement exam in Spanish Language for which college credit may be given.
SPANISH LITERATURE AP
The AP Spanish Literature course is intended to be the equivalent of a third-year college Introduction to Hispanic Literature course. It covers selected authors and works from seven centuries of literature from Spain and Latin America and centers on the understanding and analysis of literary texts. Students read and analyze literature of all genres in Spanish including poetry. By the end of the course, student language ability can generally be equated to that of college students who have completed the typical fifth or sixth semester Spanish Language course in composition, conversation and grammar. In many colleges and universities this level marks the break between upper and lower division work.
HISPANIC CULTURE & COMMUNICATION
Students in this course will continue to refine their skills in the four communication areas of language learning: speaking, reading, writing and listening. This will be achieved through a focus on social issues relevant to Hispanic cultures in today’s world. In particular, the course will focus on the history and culture of five Latin American countries: Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and Cuba. We will read a novel, a collection of short stories or an autobiographical work from each country, with special attention to immigration to the United States. An important requirement of the course will be a service component, in which students work one-on-one with Spanish-speaking students at Vose Elementary School. We will spend one class period a week working on literacy skills with the Vose students. This course is designed for the student who has completed Spanish Language AP or higher, and is subject to instructor approval.
JAPANESE IV
Japanese IV begins with a review of grammatical concepts and previously learned structures, and uses these concepts as the building blocks for new and more complex constructions. Students continue to increase the volume of Kanji, totaling 300 by the end of this year. Students practice conversational skills in both formal and informal settings. In order to introduce Japanese history, individual students explore different eras, and share the information with other students. In-class writing and in-class discussion are assigned. Writing is mostly done by computer.
JAPANESE V AP
The goal of Japanese V is to develop conversational competence and listening with more accuracy. Students write short essays, and increase their knowledge of Kanji. 100 new kanji are introduced to help students read articles, posters, advertisements, and other authentic reading materials. This prepares the students for Advanced Placement test of Japanese language and culture, for which they might be credited a 1st year of Japanese language study in college level.
MANDARIN I
Mandarin I uses a communicative approach to language teaching which strikes a balance between language forms and language functions. Culture is not treated as a separate entity apart from phonology, syntax and discourse. At the elementary level the focus is on listening and speaking. Chinese is connected to English, enabling students to find a bridge to reach the “strange” language. Technology is used in the form of websites and chat rooms in Chinese. At the end of first year Chinese, students should be able to comprehend short dialogues and passages read or spoken by Chinese natives at normal speed with familiar vocabulary, talk about simple everyday activities and be able to handle simple survival situations (asking for direction, shopping and eating), write Chinese phonetic symbols (pinyin), and be knowledgeable of the principles (e.g., stroke orders, basic radicals, etc.) of writing Chinese. In addition students should be able to comprehend short written dialogues and reading passages with familiar vocabulary and discuss topics of general interest beyond daily routines (e.g., presenting a short story, describing cultural traditions in general terms).
MANDARIN II
This course is a continuation of Chinese I with a review of grammar and further development of reading and writing skills in Mandarin. Students will gain additional proficiency in their four skills of aurally understanding, speaking, reading and writing. Emphasizes building lexicon in spoken and written forms, and using context and strategies to ascertain meaning without knowing the structures and lexicon of an authentic text. Students are expected to handle some tasks such as discussing daily routines, asking for and giving simple directions, shopping, talking on the phone, reading and writing notes and letters. Levels II will be required to produce a 15- 20 minute video project all in Chinese. The class will be taught using Total Physical Response Story-telling combined with extended reading. Some stories are created together with the students in class, so student participation is a key part of the course.
MANDARIN III
Mandarin III works to integrate the students' skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking at the intermediate level. The course will provide students with (1) approximately 500 new vocabulary items and phrase; (2) further understanding of Chinese grammar; (3) abilities to read and comprehend different genres of Chinese writing; (4) more sophisticated skills of composition; (5) further understanding of Chinese history, culture and society. Topics include school subjects, getting to places, taking public transport, leisure activities, celebrations, illness and traveling. Dictionaries are introduced along with the methods of finding characters by radicals, stroke count, and Pinyin. Class lectures, classroom language practice, audiotapes and interactive computer programs are coordinated in classroom activities. Prerequisite: Mandarin II or equivalent level.
MANDARIN IV
This is a high-intermediate Chinese language course which is designed to further increase the conversation ability of students' proficiency. There are more opportunities for listening to unrehearsed text and for discussion in Chinese. Magazines, video and other resources designed to provide practical opportunities for vocabularies and skill development. Topics for this level reflect the diversity of students' lives, from school-based interests and activities to personal/social concerns about health, adolescence, part-time work, relationships, customs, technology and environmental issues. By the end of the course, students will be able to relate past, present and future experiences to conduct more complicated daily activities in Mandarin.
Prerequisite: Mandarin III or equivalent language skills.
ESL 9 ACADEMIC ENGLISH SUPPORT
This course is designed to support freshman ESL students in gaining the confidence and skills needed to be successful in both their academic courses and everyday living in the United States. The curriculum focuses on all language skill areas (reading, writing, listening and speaking) at the advanced level, in addition to vocabulary building and cross-cultural awareness.
ESL 9 HUMANITIES
This course is a section of the 9th grade Humanities core class, designed for students who are working on English language fluency and writing skills. The course material is a selection from the Humanities course reading list, allowing ESL students to participate in the 9th grade shared intellectual experience- -the exploration of ancient civilizations and texts in English. Through the study of these literary and historical documents, students have the opportunity to improve reading ability, to develop interpretative tools, and to refine writing skills. Students practice different kinds of writing from critical essays to more personal or creative projects, learning how to use the process of self-editing and correction. The goal of ESL 9 Humanities and the companion ESL 9 courses is to prepare students to enter 10th grade with the strongest skills possible in reading, writing and speaking in English.
ESL 9 AMERICAN STUDIES / PHYSICS HELP
American Studies is a course which provides students with the opportunity to strengthen and perfect their skills in the areas of research, speech and debate, along with critical reading and writing. Using the structure of American government, politics and culture as our framework, students complete various research projects and presentations which strengthen their speech, communication, and public speaking skills. American Studies meets twice a week and alternates with the Physics Support tutorial. This tutorial provides additional support for ESL students enrolled in the Physics course, assisting them in designing and engaging in the required year-long science project. In addition, the students receive extra help with the vocabulary, structures and materials introduced in the regular Physics course.
ESL 10 ENGLISH
This course supports ESL students in their work with the challenging reading, writing, and discussion expectations of English 10, and prepares them for future work that will require a high skill level in reading and writing on complex themes. Coursework includes close reading, analysis and discussion of the texts assigned in English 10, one-on-one and group work on higher-level writing skills, intensive work in advanced English grammar and usage, and building a stronger English vocabulary.
