World Language

We challenge students to think logically, critically, creatively and reflectively.  

We provide a challenging, college preparatory World Language Program with communication as its mail goal. The department’s standards and philosophy encompass those of the National Standard for Foreign Languages and the proficiency guidelines set out by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

We place students at the center of the learning process by using instructional methods that focus on creative projects, role-playing, presentations, individual online work, dialogues and discussions. Students develop their individual voices in the language and gain an understanding and appreciation of the culture in a creative and stimulating atmosphere.

The World Language Department’s mission is to see each student develop the ability to:

  • Establish linguistic awareness
  • Gain an understanding of how to study language
  • Express themselves creatively in their speaking and writing
  • Explore the target culture and authentic interactions with native speakers
  • Connect with the target culture and develop a love of learning the language
  • Prepare for university language and literature courses
  • Identify areas of interest for further study

Click on any course name below to learn more.

Hebrew Core Courses

Open to: 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite(s): Students are assigned to the correct level based on the Hebrew course matching assessment or their last Hebrew program text book.

These courses introduce English-speaking students to Modern Hebrew and develop their proficiency in reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Our goal is to have each student achieve mastery of these skills as they explore the richness of the language that has kept Jews together for thousands of years. Lessons include such class activities as listening to conversations and songs, role-playing, creative writing (skits, stories, greeting cards, and advertisements), oral presentations, and debates.

Levels one through three are a general introduction to Hebrew grammar and basic vocabulary. In these levels, an extra teacher is present to support students with documented learning needs. This push-in model is designed to integrate the individual processing and learning needs of the students. Levels four through seven explore themes thoroughly and expand vocabulary and grammar within that theme.

To learn more about the curriculum, click here. 

Prerequisite(s): Department Approval

This course will further develop speaking, writing, reading and listening comprehension skills. A thematic approach will be used. Students will present and debate their topic of study on a regular basis, engage in communicating with native Hebrew presenters and speakers, and read a couple of novels matched with their individual reading level and area of interest. Students will gain a deeper understanding of Israeli culture through contemporary literature and media content.

Open to: 9 (by course matching assessment), 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite(s): Hebrew VI

This course will introduce students to contemporary Israeli literature. Students will explore a variety of themes, language structure, and the influence of traditional Jewish texts (from the Bible through the Talmud and later Jewish writings) on contemporary literature. A thematic approach will be used. Students will study poems and short stories by various writers. Students will be reading a number of novels throughout the year.

Spanish Core Courses

Open to: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spanish I is an introduction to Spanish and focuses on the four key areas of foreign language study: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The term begins with learning how to speak common phrases and questions, and students are encouraged to communicate without the fear of mispronunciation. Basic grammatical rules and sentence structures are presented, such as pronouns, articles, how to use adjectives, and how to make nouns plural. Students learn how to conjugate regular and irregular verbs in the present tense, and the preterit tense is introduced. Reading comprehension is developed through collaborative student-led discussions of Pobre Ana, or similar short novels. New vocabulary is reviewed through reading, writing and speaking.

Open to: 9 (by course matching assessment), 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite(s): Spanish I

Spanish II continues the study of Spanish by expanding meaningful expression in both speaking and writing. Each class consists of a new vocabulary theme and grammar concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural presentations, and interactive activities that reinforce vocabulary and grammar. The course has a strong emphasis on providing context and conversational examples for the language concepts presented in Spanish I. Students read Esperanza (or other similar at level readings) as their first short novel and have discussions about each chapter followed by comprehension questions.

Open to: 9 (by course matching assessment), 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite(s): Spanish II

The main goals of this course are to strengthen students’ ability to communicate authentically in Spanish and to expose students to the culture of the hispanic world. Students will read short stories, listen to songs and podcasts, and watch TV and film. Vocabulary reinforcement, conversational exercises and writing assignments will follow in order to give students opportunities to develop their communication skills. In addition, students will further their study of verb tenses and grammatical structures begun in Spanish I and II.  There will be an emphasis on mastering the preterit and imperfect tenses. 

Open to: 9 (by course matching assessment), 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite(s): Spanish III

This course is open to students who have a strong foundation in the Spanish language and provides students the opportunities to communicate using more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary.  Students will review the present and past tenses and broaden their understanding of other advanced structures, while at the same time developing their reading and writing skills. Class discussions and presentations will be based on a variety of readings and audiovisual materials related to the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. 

Prerequisite(s): Spanish IV and Department Approval

This course is open to advanced students of Spanish who have advanced grammatical and comprehension skills. Intensive work on all four language skills are developed around topics of cultural, historical, and literary relevance to the Spanish-speaking world. The goal of the AP Language class is to communicate fluently in Spanish and demonstrate an understanding of the cultures of the Spanish speaking world, while it also offers training in all areas of the AP exam. This is achieved through daily conversation, regular writing, and exposure to authentic readings, audio and films. 

Prerequisite(s): AP Spanish Language and Culture

This course will introduce students to advanced cultural materials from the Spanish-speaking world. Through literature, film, art, and the development of academic projects, students will develop sophisticated language skills, while exploring and discussing the history and culture of the Hispanic world. In addition, students will strengthen their conversational skills and their grammatical accuracy through constant immersive contexts and relevant communicative situations.

Click here to view the complete Curriculum Map