Modern Language and Classics

Modern Languages and Classics

French, Spanish, Chinese, and Latin are offered in the Middle School. French, Spanish, and Chinese begin in fifth grade. Latin may be added to a student’s program in eighth grade by those who can handle a heavier academic load and who have permission of the Foreign Languages Department.

The materials used in teaching French, Spanish, and Chinese are designed to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The first years focus on sounds, vocabulary and development of simple communicative structures. Plays, songs, films, conversations, and interactive technology-based projects stimulate interest in the language and the culture. In seventh and eighth grades, more emphasis is placed on syntax and grammar. The students are exposed to a variety of texts and authentic sources in order to increase their vocabulary and fluency.

Eighth-grade Latin provides an introduction to Latin vocabulary, morphology, and syntax. The study of Latin vocabulary is combined with the recognition of Latin roots in English words. Emphasis is placed on grammatical terminology which is common to English and Latin. Students learn about Greek and Roman mythology and about Roman life and society by reading texts in Latin.

Chinese – 5

This course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Chinese and aims to lay the groundwork for the study of modern Mandarin Chinese. The course begins with basic training in pronunciation and intonation while introducing principles for Chinese character formation. Instruction seeks to integrate all four language skills in a balanced and mutually supportive manner. Cultural components, such as customs, traditions, and legendary stories, will be included with the language learning. Computer programs will be used in the four skills training. Classic Chinese children’s songs and poems are also incorporated into the study of the following themes: greetings, numbers and the calendar, names and nationalities, family and friends, foods and fruits, professions, animals, and introductory grammar patterns.

Text/Workbook:

Far East Chinese for Youth, Level 1, The Far East Book Co., Ltd

Chinese- 6 

This course is a continuation of Chinese 5. Students will build on the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing developed in the first-year Chinese class. Besides the textbook, authentic materials, such as advertisements from Chinese newspapers, will be included. Cultural components will be conjoined with the language learning. Students will gain an increased vocabulary and a greater understanding of more complex grammatical structures. Both conversational and compositional presentation styles at the lower intermediate level will be emphasized. This year’s topics include, school and activities, time, colors and shapes, seasons and weather, transportation, shopping and Chinese foods and restaurants. Field trips to museums and exhibitions will be organized to enhance students’ understanding of Chinese language, culture, and history.

Textbook/Workbook:

Far East Chinese for Youth, Level 2, The Far East Book Co., Ltd

Chinese – 7 

The 7th grade Chinese curriculum is designed to consolidate and expand the students’ four language skills developed from the previous two years of learning. Rigorous practice of spoken and written Chinese in a wide range of situations of daily life will be conducted. Grammatical constructions previously introduced will be reinforced with increasing sophistication in terms of style and usage. Both pedagogically prepared texts and authentic materials, such as short articles from Chinese newspapers and video clips from Chinese television, will be incorporated. Knowledge of Chinese characters is deepened with attention to the pictorial aspect of the writing system and its links to Chinese culture. Ancient Chinese poems and stories from Chinese legends and history are included to enhance students’ understanding of the language and culture.  This year’s topics include a Chinese town, asking one’s way, houses, Chinese New Year, cooking and banquets, school calendar and school subjects, beautiful China, and making plans for a trip.

Textbook/Workbook:

Far East Chinese for Youth, Level 3, The Far East Book Co., Ltd

Chinese – 8 

In the 8th grade the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing are expanded with the acquisition of additional grammatical structures and vocabulary, and an emphasis on longer, more complex sentences. Lesson topics include Chinese festivals, Western medicine and Chinese medicine, driving and environmental protection, Chinese literature and paintings, and work and study in China.Customs and traditions will be explored. The Middle School Chinese curriculum will conclude with a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of the language, in preparation for more advanced study of the language in the upper grades.

Textbook/Workbook:

Far East Chinese for Youth, Level 4, The Far East Book Co., Ltd

French – 5

The 5th grade begins the year with the video method French in Action. In each lesson, students are exposed to a vast amount of language used in true-to-life situations as they follow the story of French students in Paris. Context and the use of explanatory images ensure at least a basic comprehension of what they see and hear. Students are motivated by the fact that the communication they are asked to emulate is authentic. In addition to French in Action, we use French is Fun and Louis Souris et ses amis. Louis Souris et ses amis emphasizes sound imitation and the acquisition of vocabulary and basic structures used. In class there is much simple back and forth communication between teacher and students. Students watch animated movies with French dialogue, play games, and sing songs. There is a project on francophone countries and another on body parts that culminates in a “Monsters” exhibition.

Texts:

French in Action,  Yale Press

French is Fun,  Amsco

Louis Souris et ses Amis, livre I , Longman

French – 6

Continuing on the previous year, students continue to develop their interpersonal and presentational skills through authentic materials and activities while learning new and more complex grammar and vocabulary. The students utilize skits, games, and literature to develop both conventions. The material is always presented in the context of real-world situations to create connections between content and application. In addition, the students hone their writing skills through the use of compositions and journals. Building on the technological and cultural skills they developed in fifth grade, the students also work on long term projects that stress practice on presentational expertise. 

Text/Workbook:

Les Loustics 2 (French method with online activities)

French – 7 

French in the 7th grade continues the work of previous years, emphasizing the communicative approach. New words are put into a situational context and used in short sentences, short conversations and, later, short narratives. The exercises encourage students to use and to have fun with the target language. Grammar is presented as a means to improve students’ skill in communication in French. The web-based textbookD’Accord 1 provides contexts from everyday life that help students understand the relevance of their language study. Songs, games, and films will also be used to reinforce material, acquire new vocabulary and grammar, and improve aural and speaking skills. Students also profit from the immediacy of the Internet to access authentic French documents. They work on several projects using the iMovie, Strip Design and Explain Everything apps on the iPad.
 

Textbook/Workbook:

New books: Adomania 1 ( French method with online activites)

             D’Accord 1

Zorro- Johnston McCulley

Frissons

French 7 (Novice Level)

French 7 welcomes students beginning their immersion into French language and culture. Students acquire the basic vocabulary and grammatical structures that allow them to communicate meaningfully about themselves in French. As they gradually gain exposure to culture through informational videos and texts, learners begin to understand their own experiences in the U.S. in relation to everyday life, customs and trends in the French-speaking world. This interactive class helps students establish language-specific study habits and challenges them to engage in interpretive, interpersonal and presentational activities that prompt them to make the language their own. Materials from the web-based textbook D’accord 1 are complemented by a host of online resources and games, while its Supersite activities (to be completed on the iPad) expand the opportunities for students to practice with the material and measure their progress on their own.

Materials: D’Accord 1 (VHL)

Readings: Les Aventures d’Isabelle; La Terre est ronde

French – 8

In the 8th grade, the communicative method continues, with a general review of the basic material learned in previous levels of French. The interactive classroom encourages students to use and to have fun in the target language as they work on developing the complexity of their spoken and written French. Students will be working with numerous authentic resources to improve their proficiency in and their knowledge of contemporary and idiomatic usage of French. In addition to using the web-based textbook series D’Accord, students will read Tintin en Amérique and do a project on the French regions. They will be exposed to French cinema, and will complete an in-depth study of at least one film.

Textbook/Workbook:

D’Accord 1 and 2, Vista Higher Learning

Enigme en Périgord by Lidia Parodi and Tintin en Amérique by Hergé.

Latin – 8

8th-grade Latin provides an introduction to Latin vocabulary, morphology, and syntax.  The text for the course is Keller and Russell’s Learn to Read Latin.  In the first year, students complete six chapters.  The material covered includes:

· three noun declensions

· basic noun syntax

· first-second-declension and third-declension adjectives

· all four verb conjugations in all tenses of the indicative, active and passive voices

· subordinate clauses, including conditional sentences

The study of Latin vocabulary is accompanied by the discovery of Latin roots in English words.  Students also learn techniques for efficient and accurate memorization of vocabulary and morphology.  Emphasis is placed on grammatical terminology common to English and Latin and on learning to read Latin in Latin word order.  Through readings in the text, students begin to learn about Greek and Roman mythology and about aspects of Roman life and society.

Textbook/Workbook:

Learn to Read Latin (Yale University Press)

Spanish – 5

This course stresses communication through an interactive approach to teaching with the aid of a variety of authentic materials. Following the organic progression of language acquisition, the students learn through auditory and verbal methods, such as songs, poems, tongue twisters, dances and games. They also read children’s stories and watch video clips in the target language to enhance oral and written competence at all stages of their instruction. In addition, students work on several long term technology-based and analog projects that bridge presentational, interpersonal, and cultural skills.

Text/Workbook:
Spanish is Fun, Amsco School Publications, Inc.

Spanish – 6

Continuing on the previous year, students continue to develop their interpersonal and presentational skills through authentic materials and activities while learning new and more complex grammar and vocabulary. The students utilize skits, games, and literature to develop both conventions. The material is always presented in the context of real-world situations to create connections between content and application. In addition, the students hone their writing skills through the use of compositions and journals. Building on the technological and cultural skills they developed in fifth grade, the students also work on long term projects that stress practice on presentational expertise. 

Text/Workbook:

Spanish – 7

7th grade Spanish continues to focus on the development and improvement of the four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. During the first and second trimesters, there is a great deal of emphasis on learning new grammatical concepts, vocabulary, and cultural topics. We use the Vista Higher Learning Descubre 1 program, in which the students can find a wide variety of learning resources. Teachers utilize audio-visual devices to present and practice new topics. For selected units, students are expected to showcase their work through technology-based presentations. During the second and third terms, we emphasize reading and writing skills through age-appropriate readers. Students answer reading comprehension questions, build their own glossaries of new words, and learn how to use new vocabulary and idioms in context.

Texts/Resources:

Descubre 1, Vista Higher Learning

Readers: Hacia América, el viaje, Hacia América : Una Nueva Vida and Lunas Uno en la Patagonia, by Flavia Puppo

Spanish – 8 

The main emphasis of this course is to improve and refine students’ communication skills in Spanish. We study all verb tenses in the indicative and subjunctive moods, as well as many new grammatical structures and idiomatic expressions. Writing activities become more substantial, striving for better accuracy. Teachers utilize audio-visual devices to present and practice the new material and for some units the students present their work creating technology-based projects. After the winter break, we put greater emphasis on the development of reading skills through age-appropriate literature. Students are expected to participate in class discussions entirely in Spanish.

Text/Workbook: 

Descubre 2, Vista Higher Learning