World Languages

World Languages

Students in Wooster’s World Language courses focus on increasing proficiency with regard to the four skills of the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Speaking skills improve through the consistent use of language in and out of the classroom. As the level of language knowledge increases, students are increasingly expected to participate aurally, orally, and in written form in Spanish. Wooster also utilizes a selfguided program provided by Rosetta Stone to both enhance and support language learners. Students can learn at their own pace and review previous units, the parts of which help students build onto the next.

Under normal conditions, if a student passes, progress to the next level of the language is automatic. However, a grade of 2 or a poor performance on the final exam may indicate a weak foundation that could impede progress and success at the next level. Therefore, at year’s end, the Department will evaluate appropriate placement for the following school year for those students earning such grades. One potential outcome of that evaluation is required summer work in the language and a re-exam in order for the student to be permitted to enroll in the next level of the language.

Spanish 5 3.0 credits AY 5

In Spanish 5, students will begin making cultural connections and learning how to speak and create simple sentences in the target language. Students will begin their foundation in interpretive communication (reading, viewing, listening); interpersonal communication, and presentational communication (writing, speaking). Students will also be introduced to Spanish-speaking countries to begin the relationship between language and culture. Many group and pair activities help students practice simple communication in Spanish. Songs, skits, and cultural events enrich the formal study of world languages and make it fun as well as informative. Using the Rosetta Stone program, which is paired with traditional classroom teaching, students can review and practice vocabulary and grammar both at school and at home in a self-paced manner.

Spanish 6 3.0 credits AY 6

In Spanish 6, students will continue their studies in the target language through the introduction of ACTFL. Students will further expand their learning in interpretive communication (reading, viewing, listening); interpersonal communication, and presentational communication (writing, speaking). Students will take their previously acquired knowledge of Spanish-speaking countries and create presentations in the target language. Songs, skits, and cultural events will be a continued practice at this level to guide students in simple conversational Spanish. The Rosetta Stone program will be a useful tool to guide students both at school and at home in a self-paced manner to prepare them for 7th grade Spanish.

Spanish 7 3.0 credits AY 7

In Spanish 7, students are expected to follow the guidelines established by ACTFL to continue to grow in the Spanish classroom. Students are expected to communicate in the language with emphasis on interpretive communication (reading, viewing, listening) and presentational communication (writing, speaking), whenever possible. Students continue to develop their aural and oral skills through presentational communication (writing, speaking), focusing on the phonetics of the language to aid in spelling and pronunciation. Students also continue to gain cultural knowledge of Spanish-speaking regions and accentuate the relationship between language and culture. Finally, the Rosetta Stone program allows for students to review grammar and vocabulary learned in previous units, strengthening a comprehensive set of skills that will prepare them for 8th grade Spanish.

Spanish 8 3.0 credits AY 8

In Spanish 8, students continue their studies at the novice level, and aim to establish proficiency in the areas of interpretive communication (reading, viewing, listening); interpersonal communication (writing, speaking); and presentational communication (writing, speaking), as well as building cultural awareness. Students refer to guidelines established by ACTFL, which are a description of what individuals can do in speaking, writing, listening, and reading in real-world situations in a spontaneous context. Students in Spanish 8 will be expected to advance from the novice-low through the novice-mid or novice-high levels. Successful completion of Spanish 8 leads to placement in Spanish II in Upper School. While the Rosetta Stone program is less of a pillar within Spanish 8, students have access to it for review of past material or units that are particularly challenging. In addition, students that are new to Wooster School can use Rosetta Stone to fill in gaps in their knowledge.

College Preparation: Language & Culture (CPLC) 3.0 credits AY 8

CPLC is a mandatory course for all International Students at Wooster. The course focuses primarily on the development of students’ language skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and is leveled according to ability. Additionally, the course focuses on editing writing for outside academic classes. American history and culture are also covered, particularly as they are relevant to attending college in the United States.

Spanish I and Spanish II 3.0 credits AY 6-8

Occasionally, students come to our Middle School with advanced Spanish language skills. In instances like this, we have students take a placement test to ascertain if they would be better served in a higher level course, which sometimes is beyond the scope of the Middle School curriculum. In some instances, this may mean attempting to schedule that student in an Upper School course such as Spanish I or Spanish II. Important to note is that, in doing this, there are sometimes impacts on the student’s other Middle School curriculum.