Secondary Curriculum: World Languages
The World Languages courses are designed for students to become successful individuals with understanding of different cultures. Students will develop their cultural awareness and their perspectives in the other parts of the world. As communication is the key to success in this complex world, it is crucial for students to develop their knowledge in different languages and cultures to work with people with different backgrounds. Many World Languages courses are integrated with aspects of World History, Geography, International Relations, Arts and Music. Our ultimate goal is to lead students to success in different fields as global level professionals. In addition to classroom-setting instruction, multiple field trips are planned for each class every year. At the annual International Talent Show, students perform on music, dance, play or poetry in different languages. Travel opportunities to foreign countries are offered every year. The destinations of the trips in the past five years include; Japan, Spain, and Costa Rica. Students can take advantage of these opportunities to experience cultural exchange through local schools, communities and host families.
Latin
Grade 6
This required course for all sixth-grade students focuses on Latin as
the foundation of a strong vocabulary and sound logic. Latin is Fun by
John Traupman is the featured text for this class. The text is designed
to help students attain an acceptable level of proficiency in four basic
skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Through the medium
of the Latin language, students will enter the Mundus Romanus and explore
how the rhetorical traditions of the ancient world remain the groundwork
of an exemplary education.
Chinese
Grade 7
Required for all seventh-grade students, this course introduces Chinese
through the pinyin method, which uses the Roman alphabet and the appropriate
tone marks to allow students to master pronunciation. Students will
develop the comprehension necessary for conversation. Considerable
use is made
of audio and video materials, many of which are produced in China.
Chinese culture will be integrated throughout using song, dance, and
theater.
Sufficient introduction to Chinese characters and calligraphy will
be included to ready students for continuing instruction.
Japanese I
Grade 8
Students learn the Japanese language at the introductory level. This
course provides students with the basic elements of the Japanese language
with an emphasis on listening and reading skills. It introduces the
basic structures of the language. Students will master all Hiragana
and Katakana
characters, the basic phonetic alphabets. They also learn typing in
Japanese by using Windows XP in the computer lab. Japanese culture
is introduced
to students through audio-visual materials, research projects, a field
trip to Little Tokyo, and other cultural events.
Japanese II
Grade 9
Students learn the Japanese language at the beginning level. This course
builds on the basic elements of the Japanese language with an emphasis
on listening skills and reading skills. Conjugation of adjectives and
verbs are introduced. Students will master the basic sentence structures.
They are exposed to more reading and writing in the combination of
Hiragana and Katakana. In addition to Hiragana and Katakana, students
will be
able to recognize about 100 Kanji characters, Chinese originated characters.
Students continue to develop keyboarding skills in Japanese. They also
continue to learn the Japanese culture through audio-visual materials,
research projects, group presentations, Japanese calligraphy, a field
trip to Little Tokyo, and other cultural events.
Prerequisite: Japanese I
Japanese III
Grade 10
Students learn the Japanese language at the lower intermediate level.
Students continue to learn more conjugation of adjectives and verbs.
Students engage in more conversations with natural speed. The informal
style and the dictionary form are introduced. Students are exposed
to more reading and writing in the combination of Hiragana, Katakana,
and
Kanji. They will be able to recognize about 200 Kanji characters. Students
continue to develop effective keyboarding skills in Japanese by using
all three types of Japanese alphabets. They also continue to learn
the Japanese culture in depth through audio-visual materials, research
projects,
group presentations, Japanese calligraphy, a field trip to Little Tokyo,
and other cultural events.
Prerequisite: Japanese II
Japanese IV
Grade 11
Students learn the Japanese language at the intermediate level. Students
continue to learn more grammatical rules and a variety of different
functional expressions in different situations for both formal and
informal use.
They are exposed to more complex reading and writing in the combination
of Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Listening and speaking activities
are practiced with the natural speed. Students will be able to recognize
about 300 Kanji characters. Students continue to develop effective
keyboarding
skills in Japanese by using all three types of Japanese alphabets.
They also continue to learn the Japanese culture in depth through audio-visual
materials, research projects, group presentations, Japanese calligraphy,
a field trip to Little Tokyo, and other cultural events.
Prerequisite: Japanese III
Advanced Placement Japanese
Grade 12
As the AP Japanese test will be administered for the first time in
May 2007, this new course prepares students for this new AP Japanese
test.
Students learn the Japanese language at the upper intermediate level
(college: intermediate level). In order to prepare them for the AP
test, a variety of topics are covered in this course. Along with the
textbooks,
authentic materials such as Japanese newspaper, magazines, websites,
television shows and movies are often used for reading, writing, and
discussions. Dialogues and conversations from real-life situations
are used for listening and speaking practices. Students will be able
to recognize
about 500 kanji characters. They develop an expanded ability to communicate
in culturally appropriate manners and in widen contexts. Students are
required to have completed the pre-course summer assignment when this
course begins in September.
Prerequisite: Japanese IV and Pre-course Summer Assignment
Spanish I
Grades 8 & 9
Review Text in Spanish First Year published by AMSCO and the companion
workbook Spanish First Year are the featured texts in this first year
high school course program. Spanish 1 offers a balance of proficiency
and grammar. Emphasis is on vocabulary acquisition, speaking, listening
comprehension and grammar. In addition there is a strong cultural component
that includes coverage of both Spanish and Latin American cultures. The
PBS video series Destinos is introduced to reinforce both language acquisition
and familiarity with different cultures.
Spanish II
Grades 9 & 10
Review Text in Spanish Two Years published by AMSCO along with the companion
Workbook in Spanish Two Years are the featured texts in this second year
high school course program. This course boosts student confidence and
retention by providing effective strategies for further development of
Spanish language proficiency and grammar. Students continue with the
PBS video series Destinos to reinforce both language acquisition and
familiarity with different cultures. Students are introduced to literary
readings, discussions and essay writing.
Prerequisite: Spanish I
Spanish III
Grades 10–12
¡ Expresate! published by Holt along with the companion workbook Cuaderno
de Actividades are the featured texts in this third year high school
course program. This course builds on the grammar and language acquisition
of Spanish 1 and 2, again providing effective strategies for developing
listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Students continue with
the PBS video series Destinos to reinforce both language proficiency
and familiarity with different Spanish speaking cultures. Students continue
to develop and retain expressions, concepts, grammatical structures and
tenses, and begin short literary readings and cultural explorations,
discussions, and essay writings. This course fulfills the state requirement
of three years of high school Spanish and prepares students for Spanish
IV.
Prerequisite: Spanish II
Spanish IV
Grades 11 & 12
Nuevas Vistas published by Harcourt along with the companion workbook
Cuaderno de Practica are the featured texts for Spanish 4, a course that
is offered as a final preparation for the formal AP Spanish Language.
The class prepares students for the rigors of the advanced placement
test, without the restrictions of following a curriculum based of the
AP test. There is a strong emphasis on grammar and the spoken language
as well as a cultural component. Students continue with the PBS video
series Destinos to reinforce both language proficiency and familiarity
with different Spanish speaking cultures. We continue to review and cement
expressions, concepts, grammatical structures and tenses. In addition
there are literary readings, cultural explorations and essay writing.
Prerequisite: Spanish III
Advanced Placement Spanish Language
Grade 12
The AP Spanish language course covers the equivalent of a college level
course in advanced Spanish writing and conversation. Nuevas Vistas
Curso Dos is the featured text for this class. It encompasses aural/oral
skills, reading comprehension, grammar, and composition. Students have
the following objectives: (1) the ability to comprehend formal and
informal spoken Spanish; (2) the acquisition of vocabulary and a grasp
of structure to all the easy, accurate reading of newspaper and magazine
articles, as well as of modern literature in Spanish; (3) the ability
to compose expository passages; and (4) the ability to express ideas
orally with accuracy and fluency. Course content reflects intellectual
interests shared by the students and teacher, the arts, history, current
events, literature, etc. Materials include recordings, films, newspapers
and magazines as well as the text. Extensive training in the organization
and writing of compositions is an integral part of the AP Spanish language
course.
Prerequisite: Spanish IV
