Modern Languages

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.

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.

Home Life: In this course, students read a novel called Bianca Nieves y sus siete toritos, which is about the life of a girl growing up in Spain whose father is a torero. They learn to understand Bianca’s complicated home life. In addition, students learn about different cultural aspects of Spain, including, but not limited to family life, and the controversy around bullfighting.

Human Rights: Focusing on some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, students will develop their oral and written skills in Spanish. From access to food to the right to education, students will be exposed to new vocabulary and grammatical structures. While the course will have an overall global view of these issues, particular attention will be given to issues concerning the Spanish-speaking world.

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.

Course topics are briefly outlined below.

Prerequisites: Demonstration of mastery of Foundations of Spanish skills and Departmental Recommendation Required.

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.

Health & Wellness: In this course, students will explore health-related topics including cultural context of food, access to healthcare, physical exercise, emotional well-being, and the importance of meditation and maintaining a healthy balance with technology. 

Identities and Narratives: In this course, students will explore their identities in the past, present, and future. They will do this by working with various themes such as important events in one’s past, dreams for the future, and communicating identity,  as they establish what it means to be an individual in the 21st century.

Immigrant Stories: In this course, students will explore stories of immigration from the Spanish-speaking world and the U.S. These stories will serve as windows and mirrors to students’ experiences and understandings. This class will discuss immigration through a lens that humanizes and broadens our awareness of its context and impact. Class activities will consist of discussions, creative writing, group projects, and written and oral reflections.

Social Justice in Latin America: In this course, students will investigate the key social justice issues facing the Spanish-speaking populations of the Americas. We will examine struggles for equity among various groups, including indigenous populations, political dissidents, and the poor and disenfranchised. Using a variety of authentic sources from the media, such as news articles, documentaries, music, literature and poetry, we will compare and contrast the multiple perspectives of people of Latin American descent. Students will be expected to demonstrate their understanding and express their opinions in discussions, essays and projects. One of the goals of this course is for students to understand the societal forces that shape the beliefs and attitudes of diverse groups of people.

Spanish Literature: In this course, students will explore literary works of The Latin American Boom, a modern literary period known for blending fantasy, magic, and journalistic stories with everyday life. This class will discuss the movement as a product of the political, historical, and social context in Latin America in the 20th century. Through fragments of novels, short stories, film, art, and history, students will explore the importance of the movement in the culture of the region and its global impact. Class activities will include discussions, written and oral reflections, presentations, debates, and creative writing. 

Research Seminar (H): This course will offer students the opportunity to explore a topic of their choosing related to their Spanish studies. This course will represent an automatic Honors credit and a culmination of students’ language studies at Beaver. Students will work with the teacher in the class environment to craft a final research project on their topic, while sharing their discoveries with other students in the classroom setting.

Prerequisites: French 1 or equivalent and Departmental Recommendation Required.

Course topics are briefly outlined below.

Everyday Life: Students will get a chance to compare their lives to those of French and Francophone teens today. By the end of the term, students should be comfortable describing their daily lives, from simple morning routines to hobbies and habits.

French through Media: Students will build their French vocabulary and skills through examining various media. This class will listen to music, watch videos, explore social media, read texts, and generally look at formal vs. informal language. Students will build their ability to describe and critique, as well as build more media-related vocabulary.

Human Rights: Focusing on some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, students will develop their oral and written skills in French. From access to food to the right to education, students will be exposed to new vocabulary and grammatical structures. While the course will have an overall global view of these issues, particular attention will be given to issues concerning the Francophone world.

Prerequisites: Demonstration of mastery of Foundations of French skills and Departmental Recommendation Required.

Course topics are briefly outlined below.

Art and Society: In this course, students will explore art through various modes such as music and visual art produced by Francophone 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. 

Identities and Narratives: Students will explore cultural identity and how it is related to place. We will look at themes such as immigration and rural vs urban environments. Students will look at a variety of authentic sources that explore places and the people that inhabit them including Butterfly in the City and Jean de Florette, as well as representations of place and identity in poetry and music. Finally, we will look at how places have influenced and been represented in art.

Mystery and Suspense: This course will use the abbreviated version of ‘The Phantom of The Opera’ and other French stories. Students will use these stories to review the past tense and learn the future and conditional tenses while working on their speaking, pronunciation, listening, reading and writing skills. Students will work on plot twists of the stories and create their own mystery and suspense stories using film, audio and other media forms.

French Lit: Students in this class will have the chance to read two novels from the Francophone world. They will explore issues of family, culture, the effects of colonization, and identity. Students will develop their literary comprehension as well as their ability to make deep cultural comparisons. 

Québec of Today and Yesterday: In this class, students will explore Quebec’s rich history and culture. Students will use literature, current events, film, music and other resources to learn about the region of Quebec. This course will explore themes including  La Révolution Tranquille, Quebecois identity today, Quebec’s indigenous population, Quebec’s relation to France today and yesterday. The course will also look at Quebec today as well as explore Quebec’s future. Students will read excerpts by Quebecois writers including Michel Tremblay, Wajdi Mouawad. This class will be taught entirely in French. This course will include a travel experience.

Prerequisites: Demonstration of mastery of Chinese I skills and Departmental Recommendation Required.

Course topics are briefly outlined below.

Everyday Life: Students will get a chance to compare their life to that of teens in China and around the world today. By the end of the term, students should be comfortable describing their daily lives, from routines and schedules, to hobbies and habits.

Family and Home: Students will discuss the elements that comprise a home, as well as one’s circle of care.  Additionally, students will learn about Chinese familial structures and compare and contrast their lives to those of Chinese teens.

Prerequisites: Demonstration of mastery of Foundations of Chinese skills and Departmental Recommendation Required. 

Course topics are briefly outlined below.

Home, School and Work: Students will learn to talk about their life at home, school and their plans for their future education and careers. They will learn the necessary vocabulary to express their likes and dislikes concerning their present life, education and future goals.

The World and Me: In this course, students will explore diverse lives and stories around the world, in particular the Chinese speaking communities. These stories will serve as windows and mirrors to students’ experiences and understandings of their identities as global citizens and Chinese language learners.

Prerequisites: Demonstration of mastery of Intermediate Chinese skills. Departmental RecommendationRequired.

Course topics are briefly outlined below.

Cuisine and Culture: Students will learn vocabulary related to groceries, ingredients, dining out and the kitchen. They will learn different expressions as well as units of measurement used in Chinese-speaking countries. They will also learn about the typical dining etiquette. This course will include a travel experience.

Travel and Transportation: Students will learn practical topical vocabulary around travel, asking for and giving directions while developing their skills of reading authentic Chinese signs, understanding Mandarin of various accents and expanding their vocabulary. This course will include a travel experience.

Prerequisite: Foundations Arabic