Beaver’s Arabic, Chinese, French, and Spanish programs are designed to develop proficiency in the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. At all levels, students develop increasing levels of proficiency through the exploration of the cultural, social, and political landscapes in which the languages are spoken.

Requirements

All students must take a language; any student who thinks that he/she may qualify for a language waiver should carefully read the Language Waiver Policy that is included at the end of the Modern Language course descriptions. Thirty credits in one language are required for graduation, which is the equivalent of 6 terms of the language. Most students continue their foreign language study beyond the basic requirement in order to achieve greater proficiency and to meet the expectations of selective colleges. In order to advance to the next level of a language, students must demonstrate mastery of the necessary skills and receive Department approval.

Honors

Honors and Standard Level students work together in the same sections in all language courses. Students who intend to pursue honors credit will discuss that possibility with their teachers and advisors in the first week of the course and will commit to completing honors-level work within the context of the course. With the exception of the Level 1 courses, all language courses may be taken at the Honors or Standard Level.

Course Descriptions

Arabic

Arabic Introduction to Conversation and Storytelling

In Arabic 1, students learn the alphabet as well as the following vocabulary: family, school, furniture, numbers, adjectives, prepositions, country and city vocab and colors. Students meet twice a week to learn how to speak and write Arabic. They work on collaborative projects which include videos, songs and skits. By the end of the year, students can describe themselves, their families, friends and home using written and spoken Arabic. Unlike our other languages, we do not have a full 3-year program in Arabic. This means that Foundations Arabic is open to any student, but only students who have fulfilled their language requirement may take Arabic as their only language class.

Foundations of Arabic

In Foundations Arabic, students learn the present and past tense as well as vocabulary through stories. They work on reading, writing, speaking and listening activities.Unlike our other languages, we do not offer a full 3-year program in Arabic. This means that Foundations Arabic is open to any student, but only students who have fulfilled their language requirement may take Arabic as their only language class. Other students must also be enrolled in a Spanish, French or Chinese in order to fulfill their graduation requirements. Once students progress satisfactorily through Foundations Arabic, ( they may enroll in Intermediate Arabic. Arabic classes will meet twice a week during G-block throughout the school year. Foundations and Intermediate Arabic are 5-credit classes.

Intermediate Arabic

In Intermediate Arabic, students learn the future tense and continue to use the present and past tense with food and home vocabulary. Students continue to challenge themselves with Arabic stories, and they create their own plot twists and presentations based on readings. Unlike our other languages, we do not offer a full 3-year program in Arabic. This means that Intermediate Arabic is open to any student, but only students who have fulfilled their language requirement may take Arabic as their only language class. Other students must also be enrolled in Spanish, French or Chinese in order to fulfill their graduation requirements. Arabic classes will meet twice a week during G-block throughout the school year. Foundations and Intermediate Arabic are 5-credit classes.

Advanced Arabic

In Advanced Arabic, students spend the first term reviewing Modern Standard Arabic, and they use it in real life situations. In the second and third terms, students choose an Arabic dialect and they spend the rest of the year learning that dialect. In the past, students have focused on Egyptian or Levantine for example but they can choose any Arabic dialect that interests them. Students look at real life examples of the dialect: websites, movies, series, and other authentic sources. When learning the dialect, the students focus on speaking and using the dialect in class as much as possible. They work on skits to continue to challenge themselves with Arabic stories, and they create their own plot twists and presentations based on movies and series. Unlike our other languages, we do not offer a full 3-year program in Arabic. This means that Intermediate Arabic is open to any student, but only students who have fulfilled their language requirement may take Arabic as their only language class. Other students must also be enrolled in Spanish, French or Chinese in order to fulfill their graduation requirements. Arabic classes will meet twice a week during G-block throughout the school year. Foundations and Intermediate Arabic are 5-credit classes.

Chinese

Chinese Introduction to Conversation and Storytelling

These introductory courses for Mandarin Chinese are designed for students who have no previous exposure to the language. It stresses the building blocks of spoken and written communication- pronunciation, tones, stroke order and radical recognition. Students will be able to engage in basic daily interactions in Chinese using speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Grammar is introduced incrementally through storytelling as functional chunks for meaningful communication. Vocabulary is practiced in a thematic and communicative way, and the topics that are discussed include: introductory greetings, family, dates and time, hobbies, visiting friends, making plans, studying Chinese and school life. Students will also study cultural and historic elements of the Chinese-speaking world. Audio and video materials, computer software, games, projects, and presentations foster student interaction and participation. By the end of the first year, students should know approximately 300 words.

Foundations of Chinese

Foundations of Chinese builds on students’ basic proficiency established in Chinese I. Students may enroll in this course having demonstrated proficiency equivalent to completion of a full-year high school course. This course will continue to develop students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Grammar is studied incrementally through storytelling as functional chunks for meaningful communication. Vocabulary is practiced in a thematic and communicative way, and the topics that are discussed include: hobbies, weather, dining, celebrations, shopping and asking for directions. Students will continue to study the culture of the Chinese-speaking world in the form of language use, traditions and current events. Audio and video materials along with computer software, games, projects, and presentations will be used to foster student interaction and participation. 

Prerequisites: Demonstration of mastery of Chinese I skills and Departmental RecommendationRequired.

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.


Intermediate Chinese

In Intermediate Chinese, students continue to develop 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. Grammar is studied incrementally through storytelling as functional chunks for meaningful communication. Vocabulary is practiced in a thematic and communicative way, and the topics that are discussed include: making recommendations, giving directions, expressing doubt and certainty, and expressing opinions. Students will study the culture and diversity of the Chinese-speaking world in the form of culturally rich images, videos, music, and some authentic texts. Audio and video materials, computer software, games, projects, skits and presentations foster student interaction and participation.

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.


Advanced Chinese

In Advanced Chinese, students will continue to develop 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. Grammar is studied incrementally through storytelling as functional chunks for meaningful communication. Vocabulary is practiced in a thematic and communicative way, and the topics that are discussed include: dining, shopping, asking for and giving directions, and expressing opinions. Students will study the culture and diversity of the Chinese-speaking world in the form of culturally rich images, videos, music, and some authentic texts. Audio and video materials, computer software, games, projects, skits and presentations foster student interaction and participation.

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.

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.

French

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.

Intro to Storytelling students may be eligible to participate in a trip to France during the 2023-2024 school year as part of their coursework.


Foundations of French

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.

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. Students in this course may be eligible to participate in a trip to France during the 2023-2024 school year as part of their coursework.

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.


Intermediate French

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.

Art and Society (BVR-X): 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. Students in this course may be eligible to participate in a trip to France during the 2023-2024 school year as part of their coursework.

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.


Advanced French

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

Course topics are briefly outlined below.

Environments in Crisis: This course focuses on current environmental challenges around the world. Students will be encouraged to analyze the connections between the social contexts and contemporary environmental crises. Students will examine how social media, community engagement, and advocacy initiatives have played key roles in the positive outcomes of environmental problems. Students in this course may be eligible to participate in a trip to France during the 2023-2024 school year as part of their coursework.

French Literature: Students in this class will have the chance to read two novels from the Francophone world. They will explore issues of family, culture, 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.

Spanish

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.

Foundations of Spanish

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.
Course topics are briefly outlined below.

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 lens of travel, discussions and resources will cover topics such as: supporting the local economy, keeping an open mind, and educating oneself about the cultural traditions and practices of the host community. 


Intermediate Spanish

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.

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. Through the novel that students read called Vida o muerte en el Cusco, students learn about medical emergencies, as well as what it is like to travel through Peru. 

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 which humanizes and broadens our awareness of its context and impact. Class activities will consist of discussions, creative writing, group projects, and written and oral reflexions.


Advanced Spanish

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

Course topics are briefly outlined below.

Environments in Crisis: This course focuses on current environmental challenges across Latin America. Students will be encouraged to analyze the connections between the social contexts and contemporary environmental crises. Through case studies, students will explore the interrelationships between human activity and environmental change. The topics to be studied will include the destruction of the rainforest, water pollution, exploitation of natural resources, habitat destruction and endangered species. Students will examine how social media, community engagement, and advocacy initiatives have played key roles in the positive outcomes of environmental problems.

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.