World Language

Completing three years of language study is required as part of the diverse curriculum in Middle School. Students entering in Grade 6 select to study Chinese, French, or Spanish. It is our philosophy that students will grow in their appreciation and mastery of a language if they remain in the same language for three years. Students may not add or drop a language after the first day of school but movement, while not recommended, is possible if the schedule permits following the Grade 6 year only. Regardless of the language choice, students finishing three years of study in Middle School should be ready for a Level II or Level III course in Grade 9. Teachers make a recommendation for the next level based on academic readiness, current mastery in the language course, evidence of executive functioning skills (i.e., planning, time management, and ability to work independently), interest, and motivation.

The first two introductory years of language study are described as Novice 1A and B, while the third year moves to a Novice 2 level.

Novice 1A level courses run in response to interest, therefore, a course with fewer than five students may not run. New students in Grades 7 and 8 with previous language experience will take a skills assessment to establish their language placement. Those with no previous experience will enter an introductory course.

As part of our transition planning for Middle School, we make every effort to place students in the “right fit” World Language classes each year. Placement is determined by a number of important developmental criteria instead of by grade level alone. We work hard to place students in a course that will challenge and inspire them as well as promote their success. Placement is based on the following criteria, each considered equally:

• Academic readiness • Standardized testing scores • Past mastery within the content area • Performance in the first and second trimester • Executive functioning skills as observed by teachers in all three trimesters • Consistency of homework completion • Ability to work independently • Ability to self-monitor • A demonstrated interest and motivation in all three trimesters

A profile is created for each student using the criteria above to determine the most appropriate placement. The same criteria is used in subsequent years throughout Middle School to confirm the appropriate placement for your child.

World Language courses meet five times in the eight-day cycle.

Novice 1A Chinese, French, and Spanish

Students fully engage their hearts, hands and minds in the Novice 1A course. With an incorporation of project-based learning, students develop an appreciation for people and cultures through active roleplay, songs, and recreation of cultural traditions helping them to broaden their understanding of varying perspectives, practices, and values from other parts of the world. Language study is engaging and meaningful when students learn the skills needed to communicate in the target language by engaging in miming, drawing, singing, improvising a scene, collaborating with peers and playing a variety of games. Simultaneously, students work to build the foundation for reading, writing, speaking and

In Novice 1A courses, students build their introductory linguistic skills through short stories. In Novice 1A Chinese, students will learn how to recognize and draw Chinese characters by understanding how they were developed through images and activities. In Spanish and French, stories promote learning within a communicative context and allow students to use text evidence to support their answers to comprehension questions. By emphasizing, expanding or promoting lexical terms, grammatical patterns and/or recognizing characters, the stories prepare students to be successful at the next level. They develop their writing skills through simple compositions or guided narratives, partake in interactive guided and unrehearsed conversations in the target language, and are expected to participate in diverse class activities.

Novice 1B Chinese, French, and Spanish

Novice 1B Chinese, French, and Spanish world language courses allow students to further immerse themselves in the language and culture as they expand their communication skills. With a continued focus on the development of listening, speaking, reading and writing, students expand their vocabulary in the target language and are prepared to have a conversational dialogue with a peer or practice at home with a family member. Students grow in their appreciation for the culture by collaborating with a peer on a research project, watching movies, singing songs, or preparing food, crafts, or art work that are common in the culture.

Spanish 2

In accordance with right fit placement, following a Spanish Novice 1B course, students may be ready to enroll in the Senior School Level 2 course in lieu of Novice 2. This second-level class focuses on more complex grammatical structures and intensifies vocabulary acquisition. Students are required to perform role-plays and interviews, write mediumlength narratives and dialogues, and effectively communicate on culturally relevant topics. Several full-length movies and other authentic audiovisual aides are also presented. Materials for this class include a textbook and workbooks, as well as computer software and audio-visual components. In addition, students read the short annotated novel, La chica de los zapatos verdes.

Novice 2 Chinese, French, and Spanish

In Novice 2 Chinese, French, and Spanish courses in Middle School, students end their threeyear sequence of focused study and are able to understand and communicate in the target language using more complex sentence structures. Students engage their hands and minds by participating in interactive exercises, short plays, videos, short stories, or reading novels, helping them to build a fundamental capability of oral communication through real-life situations that explore new cultural, lexical and grammatical themes. They develop their writing skills through more elaborate compositions or guided narratives, partake in guided and unrehearsed conversations with peers in the target language. Finally, students engage their hearts by developing cultural sensitivity and global awareness while they are introduced to Hispanophone, Francophone, and Chinese cultures. They expand their horizons through exploring real estate (houses and their architectures), fashion, neighborhoods, hobbies, weather, food and travel in the region. A community of respect is elevated as students acquaint themselves with a variety of perspectives on society as they practice their four linguistic competencies: reading and listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills.