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The goal of the foreign language department is to develop in students a working knowledge of at least one foreign language, with emphasis on the more practical communications skills. An informed and unbiased cultural appreciation is also an important goal of the program. To satisfy Portledge graduation requirements, students must successfully complete at least two years of one foreign language in the Upper School. Yet, all students are encouraged to continue their study of foreign language after fulfilling the requirement.; able students normally progress to the Advanced Placement level. After completion of a Level III course in French or Spanish, students may be placed in one of two tracks. The A-Level track (IVA and VAP) culminates in students sitting for the AP Language exam, whereas the Conversation and Culture track (IV/V) focuses on comprehension and oral expression, placing less emphasis on the use of complex structures in writing. Each of these tracks offers students the opportunity to gain fluency in the foreign language and familiarity with foreign cultures, while following a curriculum that alternates year-to-year so that no student covers the same material twice.
French II: In this course, students work to increase their competency in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. They continue their study of grammar and vocabulary and practice their skills in a variety of ways, including conversations in class, activities with audio-visual materials (including selections from feature films), oral presentations, and simple writing assignments.
French III: This course builds on the content of French II by providing further grammar study, extensive vocabulary acquisition, and more opportunities for students to gain fluency when expressing themselves in French. By studying various aspects of French-speaking societies in-depth, students begin to make subtle comparisons with their own culture and experience. In this course, we continue our exploration of Francophone literature and cinema.
French Conversation and Culture: This course offers practice at an intermediate level. Students will gain confidence using the language by drilling basic grammar concepts and learning new vocabulary. While students continue to work on all four language skills, the emphasis is on oral communication. The class explores various cultural themes through short reading selections, songs, poems, and movies. Each student is encouraged to investigate those aspects of the francophone world that correspond to his or her personal interests. An open exchange of ideas and information is a key element of the course; students will be responsible for at least one oral presentation per quarter.
French IVA: This course allows students who have reached the intermediate level to practice and develop all four language skills. Students will benefit not only from an intensive review of structures with which they are already familiar, but they will also be introduced to more advanced grammar points. Students are required to prepare topics for oral presentation. Students must also write personal essays throughout the year and learn the French approach to literary analysis (the explication de texte). The texts we study include fiction and non-fiction as well as feature-films.
French V AP: This course is the second year of the two-year sequence of preparation for the Advanced Placement Language examination. As in French IV-A, students will continue to work with advanced grammar structures. Class activities and writing assignments are once again built around the in-depth study of at least one full-length novel or play and/or one classic feature-film, in addition to the shorter reading selections that we explore throughout the year.
Spanish I: This is a beginning course for the acquisition of basic vocabulary, grammar, and idioms. An introduction to the geography and culture of Spanish-speaking countries gives depth to the program.
Spanish II: In this course, students work to increase their competency in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. They will work to increase their vocabulary and to better master Spanish grammar, including both simple and compound verb tenses. Conversation in class, short writing assignments, and visuals on Hispanic culture provide enrichment.
Spanish III: Spanish III builds on the content of Spanish II by providing advanced grammar study, extensive vocabulary building, and readings from various sources with discussions and writing assignments based on the readings. Students are given the opportunity to speak more extensively, to develop stronger speaking skills.
Spanish Conversation and Culture: This course offers practice at an intermediate level. Students will gain confidence using the language by drilling basic grammar concepts and learning new vocabulary. While students continue to work on all four language skills, the emphasis is on oral communication. The class explores various cultural themes through short reading selections, songs, poems, and movies. Each student is encouraged to investigate those aspects of the Spanish-speaking world that correspond to his or her personal interests. An open exchange of ideas and information is a key element of the course; students will be responsible for at least one oral presentation per quarter.
Spanish IV-A: This course allows students who have reached the intermediate level to practice and develop all four language skills. Students will benefit not only from an intensive review of structures with which they are already familiar, but they will also be introduced to more advanced grammar points. In addition, the course provides insights into the cultural history of Spain and Latin America (with particular emphasis on Argentina, Mexico, and Cuba) through the study of works by selected writers, film-makers, and visual artists. Students are required to prepare topics for oral presentation. They must also write personal essays throughout the year and complete a research project. By the end of the year, students will be well prepared to move on to an AP level course in Spanish.
Spanish V-AP: This course is the second year of the two-year sequence of preparation for the Advanced Placement Language examination. Students practice advanced grammar and the techniques for fluent conversation. Complete literary works are analyzed and discussed in Spanish, and essays are written.
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