World Languages

In the World Languages program, students develop strategies, skills, and understandings that fuel a commitment to longitudinal language acquisition. Resiliency is strengthened through risk-taking and performance, while compassion is cultivated by learning collaboratively, actively evolving cultural awareness, and engaging in reflection.

Lower School

Students in the Pre-K-5 language program are broadly introduced to the language, geography, and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. In alignment with developmental needs, students grow a foundation in Spanish through a variety of modalities, and are encouraged to develop a nascent appreciation for the value of differing linguistic and societal norms. All students in the Lower School have Spanish for 30 minutes, two-to-three times per week.

Middle School

In the Middle School, students choose Chinese, French, or Spanish. Each learner studies the same language for all three years of Middle School with approximately 180 minutes of instruction per week. Our programs each build intentionally scaffolded skills development (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), and we foster cultural literacy through inquiry, projects, and discussions.

Upper School

In the Upper School language program, students are required to complete a minimum of two consecutive years of study of the same language, regardless of the level at which they begin. It is strongly recommended that students take at least three and preferably four years in the language. A student may choose between Chinese, French, and/or Spanish. Courses are offered from levels one to five in all three languages. Students grow their real-world language skills and develop a more nuanced understanding of the complexity of culture, so that they may express themselves effectively in the language they select while respecting perspectives other than their own.