world languages Overview
The objective of world language instruction at The Park School is to promote global cultural awareness and skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in the target language. The overall goal is to develop competency toward attaining mastery in a second language.
The department focuses its instruction on the development of global citizens by fostering verbal communication skills and cross-cultural understandings. This is accomplished through the development of effective oral and written communication, building a curiosity regarding the world outside of one’s own community, and promoting critical thinking through investigation and project-based experiences.
Another goal of the World Language Department is to encourage students to work cooperatively with others, both in class and cross-curricularly, to improve interpersonal skills in an effort to imitate real-life work settings.
Through these elective courses, the English department is not only able to respect student voice, but it is also able to reinforce the school’s commitment to its students’ socio-emotional development by honoring diversity in its choices of texts, authors, and course offerings.
Multicultural literature selections expose students to a range of points of view and seek to eliminate the marginalization or invisibility of certain perspectives. We seek to create safe atmospheres in our classrooms where students can capitalize on opportunities to discuss diverse points of view.
courses offered
Novice Level French or spanish
Novice Level French/Spanish emphasizes the fundamentals of oral and written communication. Vocabulary development and grammar usage are strengthened through daily reading and writing assignments, as well as through listening and speaking activities. At the completion of Novice Level studies, students will be able to express themselves in both written and oral forms with comparative ease in structured situations. Culture and geography are interwoven into the curriculum to enhance the acquisition and development of language skills. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussion, and to take advantage of the classroom opportunities to strengthen their speaking skills in the language.
Intermediate French A or spanish a
Intermediate French A/Spanish A is a course that addresses students who have successfully completed the Novice Level. Topics, which were introduced in the Novice Level, are looked at in more depth. The goal at this level is to further develop the skills necessary for more authentic speaking and a greater comprehension of the various areas of the French/Spanish-speaking world. Grammar skills will be given a greater role at this level. Students will continue to learn new verb tenses and advanced grammatical concepts throughout the year. We will continue to develop a broader vocabulary base, and learn to give more detailed descriptions. The writing process focuses on how tenses and moods of verbs work together, as well as learning to use transitioning and organizers for more mature, in-depth writing.
Intermediate French B or Spanish B
Students at this level of French/Spanish have had the basic foundations of advanced grammar and will spend the year refining usage, and learning to use the language in authentic tasks. The grammar and vocabulary units will be interspersed with thematic survey units. Students entering this level of language will each choose a francophone country at the beginning of the year and will study all thematic units through the lens of his or her individual country. These units may include the following topics which are incorporated into the curriculum along with expansion of previously introduced vocabulary and grammatical topics of study: France-geography and general economy, daily life, technology and the future, and the media.
Advanced French A or spanish a
Advanced French A/Spanish A is designed to challenge students who have completed a minimum level of Intermediate French B/Spanish B. This course is developed around a series of thematic units that include film, literature and authentic resources in the target language. The focus is on the development of speaking and listening comprehension skills. Film, literature, global issues, and authentic resources in the target language are used as a springboard for thematic vocabulary development and cultural awareness.
Students once again choose a francophone country at the beginning of the year through which to examine, discuss, compare, and contrast cultures of the francophone world and the United States. Students use journals to record impressions and points of interest throughout the unit and must complete a short essay at the end of each unit, as well as an oral presentation. Additional grammar topics are derived from the strengths and weaknesses that appear in the students' written and oral work, and grammar lessons are individualized to address those needs.
Advanced French B or spanish b
Advanced French B/Spanish B is designed to challenge students who have completed a minimum level of Advanced French A/Spanish A. This course is developed around themes such as history, art, government and politics, and social justice issues. This course may be taken as a prerequisite or in place of AP French. The focus of Advanced French B/Spanish B is still on the development of speaking and listening, and reading comprehension skills, with a renewed focus on presentational writing and speaking.
AP French or Spanish
This is a college level French/Spanish Course designed to prepare students for the AP French/Spanish Language and Culture Examination. The course will be conducted similarly to the Advanced French/Spanish A and B and will be taught through the lens of the 6 AP Themes: Contemporary Life, Beauty & Aesthetics, Global Challenges, Personal & Public Identities, Family & Community, Science & Technology. Students will decide whether or not they will be taking this course for AP credit by the end of the first quarter of the academic year. If a student chooses to take the course for AP credit, the AP Exam must be taken by the student.
*AP French/Spanish is a rigorous course and students should be ready to give sufficient time and focus to preparing for the AP French/Spanish Language examination which is given each year in May. The addition of an AP language lab into the schedule allows for extended time to practice skills needed to fulfill the requirements for a rigorous AP course.
