French I
	This is an introductory French course primarily for students new to the school in grades 8 and 9 with little or no prior knowledge of French or whose background in the language is at the beginner level. Students move quickly through the first level textbook, which includes acquisition of everyday vocabulary, elementary grammar and verb forms. The constant use of DVDs, videocassettes, CDs, and French news broadcasts immerse students in the language and culture of everyday France and francophone countries. Text: Valette and Valette, Discovering French Bleu-Nouveau, McDougall Littell, 2004.

	French II
	This is an intermediate course in French language and culture that emphasizes speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. The goal of this course is to provide students with a stimulating and culturally rich set of tools for the acquisition of French. Through a completely integrated film-based course with videos and audio CDs, students will learn how to communicate orally and in writing with good pronunciation, intonation, and grammatical accuracy. Critical thinking is encouraged through course readings and the study of language in context. Authentic documents, readings, and other exploratory activities help students make connections between their study of French, other disciplinary areas, and their own lives. Students also become familiar with keyboarding skills, and they watch several French films. The film, Le Chemin du retour, is presented as the foundation for the grammatical structural content of the textbook Débuts. The student audio program is correlated to the vocabulary sections of the textbook. Materials: Débuts: text with DVD, workbook and lab manual and audio CD program, 2007. Films: Le Chemin du retour, La Boum.

	French II Honors
	Conducted entirely in the target language, French II Honors stresses both oral and written communication. The course develops all four language skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) as well as an appreciation of Francophone culture through a completely integrated film-based course with videos, CDs, textbooks, and workbooks. Authentic documents and research projects using the Internet help combine the study of the French language with the development of a better understanding of francophone cultures. Interactive cultural tools and sources may be provided through short film clips and news from the international French channel TV5 monde, as well as through other French websites. Critical thinking is encouraged through the course readings and the study of language in context. Materials: Débuts: text with DVD, workbook and lab manual and audio CD program, 2007. Films: Le Chemin du retour, La Boum, La Belle et La Bête

	French III
	An intermediate course thoroughly developing the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Each skill is equally encouraged, developed, and reinforced.  Students progress from sentence-level speech while acquiring more advanced grammatical structures and verb tenses.  The program includes cultural samples that reflect essential literary, historical, artistic, musical, and modern themes from the French-speaking world.  Readings include a film script by Louis Malle, short stories, and current events.  Students watch and analyze daily news. Classes are conducted entirely in French. Materials: Débuts: text with CD, workbook and lab manual and audio CD program. Films: Le Chemin du retour.  Au revoir les enfants Text:  Valette and Valette, Discovering French Rouge, DC Heath, 1998.

	French III Honors
	French III Honors is an upper-level course designed not only to review but also to refine and expand the four basic language skills already acquired in French I and French II: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Each skill is equally encouraged, developed, and reinforced. Students encounter their first original texts of French literature in several genres: the short story, the fable, the poem, and the novel. They critically view two French films, analyze current French news video clips, and actively participate in the study of various elements of French society and culture. Classes are conducted entirely in French. Text: Valette, Jean-Paul and Rebecca Valette: Discovering French Rouge-Nouveau (text and workbook) McDougal Littell, 2004. St. Exupéry, Le Petit Prince. Louis Malle, Au Revoir les Enfants (text & DVD).

	French IV
	In this course, the students have the opportunity to build upon their language skills, and develop their cultural competency. The text focuses on presenting a context that develops and strengthens a student’s speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Through the use of authentic short-subject films by award-winning Francophone filmmakers, the students are presented with the basic vocabulary from which to explore the themes and concepts of each lesson. There is a priority placed on interactive activities that further cultivate active verbal participation. Students are exposed to a variety of input throughout the Francophone world including music, art, and web-based resources. The textbook incorporates authentic documents that encourage reflection on issues regarding history, education, traditions, cultural identity, and the arts.

	French IV Honors
	This is an advanced, upper level French course, conducted entirely in French and leading to AP in grade twelve. Emphasis is placed on developing fluency in both speaking and writing through oral presentations, dialogues, and compositions. The course includes a thorough review of grammar, several unabridged pieces of literature: (Bizet’s Carmen, Lucie Aubrac’s La Résistance expliquée à mes petits-enfants), Barbara Barnett’s Visages de la Shoah: Marcel Jabelot, Gisèle Pineau’s Un Papillon dans la cité, cultural units on ‘France and World War II’ as well as ‘French Impressionism.’ Students will study Mme Barnett’s two documentaries Visages de la Shoah and La France Divisée. Other films include Le Dernier Métro, Café des Rêves, and A la Folie-pas du tout! Students generally take the SAT Subject Test in May or June. Text: Blume and Stein, Amsco III workbook.

	French V Advanced Placement
	The AP Language and Culture course is an opportunity for students to incorporate the fundamentals of the French language that they have been exposed to in previous years. The text Allons au-delà: La langue et les cultures du monde francophone is a theme based literature analogy that gives students the opportunity to integrate language, content, and culture into their own expression. This course is structured around 6 themes: Global Challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary Life, Personal and Public Identities, Family and Communities, and Beauty and Aesthetics. The text Imaginez features an integrated video program by Francophone filmmakers that enables students to reinforce their listening comprehension and speaking skills. In addition the students will read Voltaire’s Candide and learn formal poetic analysis with emphasis on the Fables of La Fontaine. Students write compositions, create podcasts, and discuss current cultural topics in the French speaking world. French web sites are used as resources to access news broadcasts, interviews, and human interest stories. Those enrolled in this college level program will take the AP exam in May. Texts: Allons au-dela : La langue et les cultures du monde francophone. Pearson 2012. Imaginez, Vista Higher Learning, 2008.

	Spanish I
	This is a beginning Spanish course primarily for students new to the School in grades 8 and 9 with no prior knowledge of Spanish or whose background in the language is at the beginner level. The course is designed to have students acquire linguistic proficiency and cultural sensitivity toward the Spanish-speaking world by interweaving language and culture. Each lesson includes videos and a CD program where the sounds of native speakers and images of their countries are shown. Authentic documents, such as weather reports on the Internet, films, magazines, and music compliment this course and prepare the student to communicate with a degree of fluency. The present tense and many basic grammatical concepts are presented. Texts: Ven Conmigo: Level I. Text, Grammar and Vocabulary Workbook and Practice and Activity Workbook. Cuaderno I. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000.

	Spanish II
	Spanish II uses the innovative culture-based video programDestinos. Using video episodes that tell an engaging story of finding and reuniting the missing members of the Castillo-Saavedra family, the student will practice and develop proficiency in all basic language skills: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. This course allows beginning language students to hear Spanish and experience its cultural diversity while following a compelling story full of human emotions. In addition, the course emphasizes the Hispanic cultures of the world. The course will also make use of internet (news clips, video clips, and articles) to expose the students to real Spanish in the real world. Evaluation involves weekly written and oral quizzes.  Texts: Destinos. Text and Workbook, CD and DVD series, Van Patten, Marks and Teschner, McGraw-Hill, 1992.

	Spanish II Honors
	Spanish II is an intermediate course in Spanish language and culture based on the video series, Destinos. Using video episodes that tell an engaging story of finding and reuniting the missing members of the Castillo-Savaadra family, the student will practice and develop proficiency in all basic language skills: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. In addition the course emphasizes the Hispanic cultures of the world. Evaluation involves weekly written and oral quizzes. Films and documentaries from Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico, and Mexico will present additional cultural units. Students will be exposed to television shows, soap operas, and commercials for additional language practice. Texts: Destinos: Text and Workbook, CD and DVD series, VanPatten, Marks and Teschner, McGraw-Hill, 1992.

	Spanish III
	This class continues and concludes the Destinos story. Using the DVD series, the text, workbook, and audio program, the students will build proficiency skills in speaking, reading, listening to and writing Spanish. Significant emphasis will be placed on Hispanic cultures, especially Mexico, and students will study current event topics such as immigration, human rights abuses, indigenous movements, and political change in Latin America. Evaluation will include both written and oral quizzes and tests. Additional cultural units based on feature films will also be included. Students will be introduced to a wide range of Spanish language media including TV news reports, feature shows, Internet web sites, and online newspapers and magazines. Involvement will be interactive and will stress reading, listening and responding, summarizing, and presentational speaking. Texts: Destinos: Text and Workbook, CD and DVD series, VanPatten, Marks and Teschner, McGraw-Hill, 1992.

	Spanish III Honors
	This course focuses on improving students’ proficiency through writing, reading, listening, and speaking at the intermediate level. There is a strong emphasis on Latin American and Spanish culture and literature, as well as a regular look into Latin American and Spanish current events. For that purpose, extensive use of the internet (news clips, video clips, and articles) that exposes the students to real Spanish in the real world is a critical component to the course. At the same time advanced grammar topics are reinforced - e.g. most of the verb tenses in Spanish are covered this year. Students apply these concepts through informal class discussions and written papers. Texts: Conexiones, Textbook and workbook, Prentice Hall, 2002.La Dama del Alba, Alejandro Casona. Album, Cuentos del mundo hispánico, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005

	Spanish IV
	A close study of grammar and culture are offered in this intermediate course.  Oral and written proficiency are developed through readings and discussion of Short Stories and poetry, current events extracted from Internet sites, and a study of paintings by Spanish and Latin American artists. The program includes units on current topics such as travelling, personal relationships, health and well-being, the environment, and the power of television. CD-ROM and video programs complete the course along with the novel La Catrina. Texts: Enfoques, Textbook, workbook, CD Rom, videos and short films. La catrina: Novel, Workbook and Video series. Spanish SAT Subject Text.

	Spanish IV Honors
	The Spanish IV Honors program covers the contextual study of Spanish grammar and vocabulary through complex readings, formal essays, projects and class discussion. The students continue with the study of Latin American cultures via discussion of the history, religion, economics, and art. The study of literature includes works by Spanish authors (Alejandro Casona and Federico Garcia Lorca) and Latin-American authors (Juan Rulfo, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Julia Alvarez.) This course prepares the students for the SAT Subject Test at the end of the year. Texts: Pasajes. Textbook and Workbook, Random House, New York, 1987. REPASO A complete Review Workbook for Grammar, Communication, and Culture.  Bodas de Sangre, Federico Garcia Lorca. Poemas, Pablo Neruda.En el Tiempo de las Mariposas, Julia Alvarez. Como Agua para Chocolate, Laura Esquivel.

	Spanish V
	Spanish V offers a panorama of the history, cultures, and societies of Spanish speaking nations, such as Spain, Cuba, Uruguay, and Argentina. Students are encouraged to participate actively in class discussions using the target language. One of the goals of this course is to review the grammar and vocabulary needed to discuss current topics. CDs, DVDs, short stories and different projects help students improve their listening, reading, writing and speaking skills.  Texts: Pasajes. Textbook and Workbook. Random House, New York, 1987. Literary works: Esperanza Renace, Tristana and Bodas de Sangre.

	Spanish V Advanced Placement
	The goal of Spanish V-AP is to provide the advanced student with multiple opportunities to experience the Spanish language, its cultures, films, current events, and literary works while improving all basic language skills. The course is taught entirely in Spanish, and students are expected to adhere to the commitment to communicate exclusively in Spanish. Regular reading and writing assignments based on Spanish literature will be a major emphasis. Through the critical reading of classic works of literature such as El Lazarillo de Tormes, Don Quijote de la Mancha, La Casa de Bernarda Alba, Crónica de una muerte anunciada, Los Niños tontos, and many other selections and shorter works from the anthology, Momentos cumbres de las literaturas hispánicas, the student will develop a high level of reading comprehension and will appreciate the diversity of Hispanic literary expression. The contextual focus of these readings and films will be the themes of ‘el viaje’ and ‘la niñez.’ The course will also highlight the historical contexts of the major literary works studied as well as their links to contemporary Hispanic societies. Another major component of this course will be the current events of Spanish speaking countries as presented in Spanish language TV news and newspapers. Students will learn to understand and interpret the issues facing these countries and their impact on US foreign policy. A review of major structures will also be presented as well as fluency and vocabulary building exercises to prepare the student for the Spanish Language AP. Films include: Lengua de Mariposa, El Bola, Laberinto del fauno, Al otro lado, Fresa y chocolate, Mar Adentro and La Casa de Bernarda Alba.