Spanish A

This introductory course exposes students to Spanish through comprehensible input, including oral, written, and visual storytelling. The input-based approach to acquiring language focuses on the instruction of vocabulary in a highly contextualized manner. By keeping the conversation/story engaging and compelling, the learner is distracted from consciously trying to memorize vocabulary. Class time centers around developing fluency and students are encouraged to use their language skills wholistically. Emphasis is placed on fluency over precision, with a focus on students being comfortable communicating in simple sentences in Spanish.

Spanish Intermediate

In Intermediate Spanish, students continue to develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. At this level, students have greater independence with the language and are encouraged to use it creatively and authentically. Vocabulary is acquired in a thematic and communicative way, and the grammatical topics that are practiced include: preterite and imperfect, familiar, formal and nosotros commands, future and conditional, present subjunctive. Students also study the culture of the Spanish-speaking world in the form of authentic literature, historical and literary figures, customs, celebrations, and music. Audio and video materials, Skype conferences, computer software, games, projects, and presentations foster student interaction and participation. Course topics are briefly outlined below. Prerequisites: Demonstration of mastery of Foundations of Spanish skills and Departmental Recommendation Required. Art and Society: In this course, students will explore art through various modes such as music and visual art produced by Spanish-speaking artists. The class will discuss the context in which these works were created and their impact on society. Students will work closely with these works and use them to develop their own artistic voice.  Great Films: In this course, students will nominate and vote for a Spanish language film to watch and discuss throughout the trimester. In addition to building greater comfort with narration in the present and past, students will learn to predict future events and discuss what they would do in a given situation. Class activities will consist of discussions, oral and written responses, debates, and creative writing. Storytelling: In this course, students will explore aspects of storytelling including short stories, journalism, poetry, and oral histories and the art of the interview. Urban Life: In this course, students will explore various aspects of life in the city. Students will examine how topics such as pollution, accessibility, and migration shape urban settings. Students will also reflect on the causes and consequences of gentrification around the world and in our local communities.

Spanish Foundations

In this course, students will continue to develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Vocabulary is practiced in a thematic and communicative way. The grammatical topics discussed include: the present progressive tense, direct and indirect object pronouns, estar + adjectives, reflexive verbs, verbs like gustar, comparatives and superlatives, the imperfect tense and the preterite tense. Students will study the culture of the Spanish-speaking world in the form of language use, customs, celebrations, art, historical figures, and current contributors to Latin American and Spanish society.  Prerequisites: Spanish 1 or equivalent and Departmental Recommendation Required.  Cuisine & Culture: Students will learn vocabulary related to groceries, ingredients and the kitchen. They will learn different expressions as well as units of measurement used in Spanish-speaking countries. They will also learn about the typical gastronomy of different countries. Customs and Celebrations: In this course, students will explore different traditions and celebrations practiced in Spanish-speaking countries. They will also learn to talk about their own customs in their families and from their childhood. This course will deep dive into a particular tradition and/or celebration from the Spanish-speaking world celebrated during or around the time of the trimester and will be paired with a language learner novel to help students connect more deeply with the experiences and values of others. Human Interactions: Students will study vocabulary related to how people interact. Beginning with discussing their own family, friends and social life, students will build their communication skills as they tell stories and practice more in-depth conversations about their backgrounds and interests. They will then be able to discuss interactions in the Spanish-Speaking world and the difficulties that can arise in different cultures and contexts. The Spanish-Speaking World: In this course, students will be exposed to the many identities, traditions, and cultures of the Spanish-Speaking World. Through a multicultural lens, discussions and resources will cover topics such as: race, religion, dialects, geography, and cultural practices.

Spanish Introduction to Conversation and Storytelling

These introductory courses provide students with the basic skills to read, to write, to speak, and to understand introductory-level Spanish. Vocabulary is practiced in a thematic and communicative way, and the topics discussed include: introductory greetings, friendship, school, sports, leisure activities, food, family, clothing, the home, and health. Grammar is learned incrementally, and the topics introduced include: indefinite and definite articles, subject pronouns, the present tense of regular verbs, the present tense of irregular verbs, adjective agreement and placement, possessive adjectives, direct and indirect objects, and the preterit tense of regular verbs. Students also study aspects of various Spanish-speaking countries. Audio and video materials, computer software, games, projects, and presentations foster student interaction and participation.

French Intermediate

In Intermediate French, students will improve their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. At this level, students have greater autonomy with the language and are encouraged to use it creatively and authentically. Vocabulary is acquired through exposure to authentic texts and communicative practice, and the topics that are explored include: making recommendations, expressing doubt and certainty, and expressing opinions. Students will learn a few more tenses while refining their written and oral communication. The class will use more authentic texts and documents from the Francophone world to guide both language learning and discussions. Students will study culture and diversity in the form of current events, film, music, and famous novels and stories. Prerequisites: Demonstration of mastery of Foundations of French skills and Departmental Recommendation Required. Course topics are briefly outlined below. Action and Romance: This course will use an authentic French text, such as the abbreviated version of the classic play Cyrano de Bergerac or a recent YA novel. The story will act as a starting point, allowing students to build mastery in the future and conditional tenses by reworking and re-imagining the tale. Additionally, students will be exposed to new tenses and review the past tense. Health & Wellness: In this course, we will explore topics around health, including and not limited to: access to healthcare in the francophone world, physical and emotional well-being, and managing stress in today's world. Through articles, videos and other resources, students will learn more about these topics in class. Technology In Our Lives: Students will be introduced to the vocabulary of technology and social media. Additionally, students will be given the opportunity to research and discuss how technology and social media have affected our everyday life, the factors that have allowed for recent technological advances, as well as any moral and ethical implications. Student created products will include both written and oral communication using different platforms, allowing for a thorough review of foundational grammar, as well as future and conditional tenses.

French Foundations

In Foundations of French, students will continue to develop their language skills through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Vocabulary will be taught through stories and accessible texts chosen around the themes of each one-term class. The class will be driven by comprehensible input; in other words, listening and reading that is understandable. Through readings and research students will also expand their cultural understanding of France and the Francophone world. Students completing this class will be able to comfortably use verbs in the passé composé and imperfect, direct and indirect pronouns, reflexive verbs, some relative pronouns and negative expressions. Students will show the language that they can produce creatively through writing assignments, videos and projects. Prerequisites: French 1 or equivalent and Departmental Recommendation Required. Course topics are briefly outlined below. Cuisine & Culture: Students will learn vocabulary related to groceries, ingredients and the kitchen. They will learn different expressions as well as units of measurement used in Francophone countries. They will also learn about the typical gastronomy of different countries. Human Interactions: Students will study vocabulary related to how people interact. Beginning with discussing their own family, friends and social life, students will build their communication skills as they tell stories and practice more in-depth conversations about their backgrounds and interests. They will then be able to discuss interactions in the Spanish-Speaking world and the difficulties that can arise in different cultures and contexts.

French Introduction to Conversation and Storytelling

These introductory courses provide students with the basic skills to read, write, speak and understand introductory-level French. The emphasis of the class is to acquire language through constant exposure to comprehensible input with the use of storytelling and reading. In the second term, the teacher uses French exclusively in class. Vocabulary will be taught communicatively through stories and with some thematic units including greetings, telling time, weather, school, sports, food, making plans, family, and clothing. Grammar will be acquired mainly through listening and reading, although there will be some direct instruction. Students completing this class will be able to comfortably use the present tense of common regular and irregular verbs, articles, subject pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, commands, question formation, possessive adjectives and more.

Spanish C

A continuation of Spanish B, in Spanish C students continue to develop their fluency in the language. This course exposes students to Spanish through comprehensible input, including oral, written, and visual storytelling. The input-based approach to acquiring language focuses on the instruction of vocabulary in a highly contextualized manner. By keeping the conversation/story engaging and compelling, the learner is distracted from consciously trying to memorize vocabulary. Class time centers around developing fluency and students are encouraged to use their language skills wholistically. Emphasis is placed on fluency over precision, with a focus on students being comfortable communicating in more detail and elaborating on their ideas entirely in Spanish.

French C

A continuation of French B, in French C students continue to develop their fluency in the language. This course exposes students to French through comprehensible input, including oral, written, and visual storytelling. The input-based approach to acquiring language focuses on the instruction of vocabulary in a highly contextualized manner. By keeping the conversation/story engaging and compelling, the learner is distracted from consciously trying to memorize vocabulary. Class time centers around developing fluency and students are encouraged to use their language skills wholistically. Emphasis is placed on fluency over precision, with a focus on students being comfortable communicating in more detail and elaborating on their ideas entirely in French.

Spanish B

A continuation of Spanish A, in Spanish B students continue to develop their fluency in the language. This course exposes students to Spanish through comprehensible input, including oral, written, and visual storytelling. The input-based approach to acquiring language focuses on the instruction of vocabulary in a highly contextualized manner. By keeping the conversation/story engaging and compelling, the learner is distracted from consciously trying to memorize vocabulary. Class time centers around developing fluency and students are encouraged to use their language skills wholistically. Emphasis is placed on fluency over precision, with a focus on students being comfortable communicating in more detail in Spanish.

French B

A continuation of French A, in French B students continue to develop their fluency in the language. This course exposes students to French through comprehensible input, including oral, written, and visual storytelling. The input-based approach to acquiring language focuses on the instruction of vocabulary in a highly contextualized manner. By keeping the conversation/story engaging and compelling, the learner is distracted from consciously trying to memorize vocabulary. Class time centers around developing fluency and students are encouraged to use their language skills wholistically. Emphasis is placed on fluency over precision, with a focus on students being comfortable communicating in more detail in French.