World Languages

Grade 6 (FLES Bridge)

Students will participate in the French or Spanish programs as a continuation of their elementary FLES program. They will meet for one period during a four-day cycle. Students will begin to develop skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing through the use of ancillary materials and cultural activities.

Grade 7

While we encourage students to remain with the language they have studied through elementary school, students may indicate a preference to study Latin, French or Spanish in seventh grade. The language studied in seventh grade will continue in eighth grade.

Students who choose Latin will be studying the language for the first time. Students who move from French to Spanish or from Spanish to French will be mixed with students who have studied the language previously. The content learned in the 7th grade curriculum builds on the vocabulary and phrases learned in the FLES program. 7th grade will begin more formal instruction of the language that will focus on structure and communication.

French/Spanish

The seventh grade curriculum allows students the opportunity to further develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills while broadening their understanding of the target cultures. Students will interact with the language on a daily basis through the use of text, audio, video, computer, music and games. Students will be evaluated based on their ability to interpret and produce language via skits, written assessment, conversations, reading comprehension, projects, daily homework, and class participation. Foreign language classes meet daily, reflecting an increase in frequency from the sixth grade program.

Latin

Seventh grade Latin introduces the students to the fundamentals of Latin grammar and syntax while they read a continuous story about a Roman family. Latin vocabulary words, and their English derivatives, are a regular feature of each chapter. Being able to read original Latin is the ultimate goal of the program; yet along the way students learn to analyze and understand the English language with clarity and precision. Additionally, students study Mythology, Social studies, Engineering, daily life, and the Roman Republic. They discover the enormous influence the Romans have had on modern literature and civilization.

Grade 8

Students continue their studies in French, Latin and Spanish during their eighth grade year. In modern language courses, students are expected to communicate primarily in the foreign language with a minimum of English while exploring the culture where the target language is spoken. Listening, reading and writing are also emphasized. Latin students continue to perfect their grammar and syntax skills, while reading stories in Latin. Roman culture, word derivatives and the mythology of heroes continue to be part of the curriculum.