Upper School Course of Study: Foreign Languages
  >> French | Spanish

COURSE OF STUDY 2009-10

(All courses are not offered every year.)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

FRENCH

French I (full year) (course number 407)
French I begins the process of learning French as a second language in the Upper School. It is designed to give students the vocabulary and grammar of French and begin their adventure into the richness of the Francophone world. Using the Bon Voyage 1 textbook, French I students learn how to converse in basic terms about needs, discuss events and services, and conduct both formal and informal conversations.  During the third quarter, students take the National French Examination. 

French II (full year) (course number 408)
Using the Bon Voyage 2 textbook, students communicate in real-life situations using necessary vocabulary and structures.  In various situations, such as the train station, the bank, the airport and the hotel, students are faced with cultural realities in the French-speaking world.  The cinematic aspect of the course focuses on the award-winning movie “Sugar Cane Alley” set in Martinique.  Students have regular access to computers and complete regular technology-based tasks.  During the third quarter, students take the National French Examination. 

French III (full year) (course number 409)
Using the Imaginez textbook, short films and website, students continue to build their linguistic and cultural foundations.  Communicative competency is developed through thematically linked structures. Subjects studied include: living in the community, town life, the media, the value of ideas, changes in society, generation differences, science and technology, leisure time, work perspectives and natural resources. The classic French movie “Small Change” serves as the cinematic key element in this course.  During the third quarter, students take the National French Examination. 
 
French IV (full year) (course number 410)
French IV continues to advance student proficiency in all language skills. The fourth year is the year in which students take part in a two week exchange with a lycée in France.  Using the Histoire du temps textbook, connections are made with other disciplines. Students develop their manipulation of language and hone their higher level thinking skills through the judicious mix of cultural, literary and historical texts. During all units, grammar is reviewed and introduced.  The recent award-winning movie “The Chorus” enables students to consider comparison of cultures and school through the eyes of the students in the film.  During the third quarter, students take the National French Examination. 

Advanced Placement French Language (with permission) (full year) (course number 411)
In this class students prepare to take the AP French Language exam at the end of the year.  Students develop a thorough understanding of French and its complexity. Varied class activities based on authentic material allow students to improve on their knowledge for the challenge of the written and oral examinations.  During the third quarter, students take the National French Examination. 

FRENCH

Spanish I (full year) (course number 401)
Spanish I lays the groundwork for successful second language acquisition. Classroom activities and text exercises are designed to span all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students in this course begin communicating in Spanish. The student learns basic and intermediate vocabulary terms at this level, as well as verb conjugations in the present and past tenses. The students write an autobiography with the vocabulary acquired, search the Internet for information using sites in Spanish, watch videos, and create original projects that reflect their knowledge of the Spanish language and culture.  During the third quarter, students take the National Spanish Examination. 
 
Spanish II (full year) (course number 402)
This course emphasizes practical communication and encourages students to express their own ideas. The grammar and vocabulary in this course are taught within the thematic context in each chapter of the textbook (i.e. different real-life situations). In addition, the students write and illustrate their own children’s story, watch videos, perform skits, and write their autobiography using the vocabulary learned in each chapter of the textbook. Another aspect taught is the study of Hispanic culture through reading assignments, research, and videos. During the third quarter, students take the National Spanish Examination.

Spanish II Honors (with permission) (full year) (course number 403)
This course emphasizes vocabulary and the more complex grammar structures that allow students to perform some daily practical tasks. These include: making phone calls, leaving a message on an answering machine, planning a trip using air and train transportation, going to a doctor’s office, asking for driving directions and shopping for food and apparel. Class activities include searching the Internet for information using websites in Spanish, doing oral presentations, and preparing a travel brochure in Spanish. During the third quarter, students take the National Spanish Examination.

Spanish III (full year) (course number 404)

Students complete and review the study of basic grammar from Spanish II and then quickly move on to new grammar material. This includes: the imperfect and preterite tenses, new forms of the subjunctive, the future and conditional tenses, expressions with “hacer,” etc. The development of sophisticated conversation is enhanced by continued practice with more advanced grammar, composition, and vocabulary. Students are expected to give oral presentations, in Spanish, throughout the course of the year on selected cultural topics.  Additionally, students take the National Spanish Examinations once during the fall semester as practice for the examination that is administered during the spring semester.

Spanish III Honors (with permission) (full year) (course number 422)
Spanish III Honors covers much of the same material as Spanish III, but in greater depth and at an accelerated pace to meet increased standards of achievement and understanding. Honors students also read a variety of works on Hispanic and Spanish culture, history, and art, and investigate four different literary genres of Spanish literature: narrative, poetry, drama, and the essay. Students analyze each of these genres by reading excerpts by authors such as Emilia Pardo Bazán, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Pablo Neruda, Miguel de Cervantes and many others. The text discusses “el panorama histórico y categorías fundamentales” before each section and touches upon the significance of art and aesthetics in literature. This course provides the foundation for entrance into Spanish IV or the Advanced Placement (AP) program in Spanish. Additionally, students take the National Spanish Examinations once during the fall semester as practice for the examination that is administered during the spring semester.

Spanish IV (full year) (course number 405)
This course is designed for fourth year Upper School Spanish students who wish to continue with the language at an advanced level. It is a course that requires some accelerated review of grammar and vocabulary from Spanish III, and it introduces students to more complicated structures and usages of the target language, such as the “pluscuamperfecto” and moods of the “subjuntivo,”  that are set in various thematic contexts. Students are exposed to longer, more challenging reading assignments, magazine articles, Internet research, videos on different aspects of Spanish history, culture and language, short stories, and current events. They also read short literary selections from various periods so that they may be exposed to different styles and genres of classical and modern Spanish literature from several great writers. It is through an examination of Spanish literature that the students further appreciate the richness, variety, and complexity of the Spanish people, their history, and their intellect. Students improve their proficiency and satisfy their intellectual curiosity about Spanish language, literature and culture, in preparation for Advanced Placement Spanish Language. Students should be prepared to take AP exam practice tests throughout the school year. The language of the classroom is Spanish.  During the third quarter, students take the National Spanish Examination. 

Advanced Placement Spanish Language (with permission) (full year) (course number 406)
AP Spanish Language is intended for students who wish to develop proficiency and integrate their language skills using authentic materials and sources.  This course focuses on speaking and writing in Spanish at an advanced level in preparation for the AP exam in May.  The course content reflects a wide variety of academic and cultural topics, including arts, history, current events, literature, culture, and sports. The materials used include the use of authentic sources in the form of radio and TV recordings, films, newspapers, literary texts, and magazines.  The language of the classroom is Spanish.  During the third quarter, students take the National Spanish Examination.

Advanced Placement Spanish Literature (with permission) (full year) (course number 423)

AP Spanish Literature is designed for students who have already taken the Spanish AP Language examination and want to explore the language in its literary form at an advanced level. It is a course that requires an accelerated review of grammar and vocabulary from earlier courses in Spanish, and it introduces students to more complicated structures and usages from the target language that are set in various thematic contexts. Students are exposed to longer, more challenging reading assignments, magazine articles, Internet research, videos on different aspects of Spanish history, culture and language, short stories, and current events. The students also read short literary selections by many great writers from various periods so that they may be exposed to different styles and genres, ranging from medieval epic poetry to the Golden Age to the magical realism of modern Spanish literature. The students’ literary experience includes an in-depth analysis of the AP College Board Reading List and culminates in the AP Spanish Literature exam in May. It is through this extensive examination of Spanish literature that the students further appreciate the richness, variety, and complexity of the Spanish people, their history, and their intellect. The language of the classroom is Spanish.  During the third quarter, students take the National Spanish Examination. 

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ELECTIVES

Advanced French Literature (with permission) (semester elective) (course number 437)
This Advanced Literaure course aims to have students become proficient in the fundamental language skills that enable students to read and understand prose and verse of moderate difficulty and mature content, as well as to formulate and express critical opinions in correct oral and written French. In addition, students will develop the ability to read and analyze critically and to discuss perceptively representative works of French Literature. All class activities and assignments are conducted exclusively in the French language. They include detailed reading and discussion of texts, paying close attention to character and theme, structure and style and to how these elements contribute to overall interpretation. Students will learn techniques of critical analysis; they will develop a vocabulary of literary terms and expressions to express their understanding of poetry, plays and novels. Regular class and home work will include the following: reading of assigned texts; preparing character outlines and analysis of themes, structure and style to prepare for class discussion, answering of questions, and essay writing and oral presentations on a subject related to the literature studied. Final Assessment will be conducted through a project written in French.

World Culture Awareness in the Francophone World (semester elective) (course number 430)
The World Culture Awareness course provides students with the tools to develop a global understanding of other cultures as preparation for the challenges of College and later life. Students’ investigations will be based around a single essential question: ‘What is my place in the world?’ The course covers cultural diversity, linguistic diversity, families, and political systems. Through the use of articles, editorials and movies from the French-speaking worlds, students develop skills to help them consider, reflect, discuss, understand, examine, compare and build arguments. At the end of each unit, students complete a reflective project which requires them to read newspaper articles and documents, watch documentaries and movies, and meet individuals from other cultures. The curriculum incorporates elements from history, current events, literature, music and art, thus enabling students to gain a greater insight into world issues. This course does not apply to the three-year Foreign Language requirement for graduation, but it is strongly recommended for students who qualify for a language waiver or for those students who only study Spanish.

World Culture Awareness in the Spanish-speaking World (semester elective) (course number 431)
This course is similar to World Culture Awareness in the Francophone World, except that students in this class explore the cultures of Spanish-speaking worlds

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