World Languages

Some sort of introduction.

Spanish A

Spring semester only.

Open only to 7th grade students.

Spanish A offers instruction in basic vocabulary and structure necessary for comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing the language.  In this first year students will learn the alphabet and the sound of the letters, greetings and goodbyes in Spanish.  In grammar, they will learn subject pronouns, present tense of some regular and irregular verbs, feminine and masculine words and adjectives.  They will also learn vocabulary such as numbers, time, classes at school, etc.  Students also learn about traditions and customs of Spanish speaking countries through discussions, videos, songs and games.

Students may begin Spanish in 7th grade or in high school.  Those who begin in 7th grade and continue in 8th grade (if successfully completed with a grade of B-or better) have the opportunity to enroll in Spanish II in 9th grade.  Grades 7 and 8 equal one year of high school study.

Text:    Bienvenidos, Schmidt/Woodford

Mandarin A

Spring semester only.

Open only to 7th grade students.

Note:  This class is made available to any interested student through the Mandarin grant.

Mandarin A is an introductory course to the basic vocabulary necessary for speaking, reading and writing Chinese.  Students will learn about 70 traditional Chinese characters plus the pinyin romanization system.  They will also learn numbers from 1 – 100.  Chinese customs and traditions are a very important part of the curriculum.  Students will explore the art of brush painting, martial arts, and holiday celebrations in this class.

Text:    Ni Hao!  An Introduction to Chinese, Chinasoft

Students may begin Mandarin in 7th grade or in high school.  Those who begin in 7th grade and continue in 8th grade (if successfully completed with a grade of B- or better) have the opportunity to enroll in Mandarin II in 9th grade.  Grades 7 and 8 equal one year of high school study.

French A

Spring semester only.

Open only to 7th grade students.

Students learn the introductory vocabulary and structures necessary for understanding, speaking, reading, and writing French.  They also learn about traditions and customs throughout the French speaking world, through discussions, movies, songs and games.  Instruction is organized around three major themes:

Text:    Discovering French Bleu, McDougal Little

Students may begin French in 7th grade or in high school.  Those who begin in 7th grade and continue in 8th grade (if successfully completed with a grade of B- or better) have the opportunity to enroll in French II in 9th grade.  Grades 7 and 8 equal one year of high school study.

French BC

Prerequisite:  Completion of French A with a final grade of “B-” or better or appropriate previous study of French.  Semester I grade of C- or better is required to continue in this course in Semester II.

Students continue to learn the introductory vocabulary and structures necessary for understanding, speaking, reading, and writing French.  While most of the material will be in the present tense, past and future tenses will be introduced.  They also continue to learn about traditions and customs throughout the French speaking world.  Instruction is organized around five major themes:

Text:    Discovering French Bleu, McDougal Little

Students who successfully complete this course with a grade of C- or better will be prepared to enroll in French II at the High School.

Mandarin BC

Prerequisite:  Completion of Mandarin A with a final grade of “B-” or better.  Semester I grade of C- or better is required to continue in this course in Semester II.

Mandarin BC builds on the fundamentals learned in Mandarin A.  Speaking, listening, traditional character writing (180-200 characters), and pinyin romanization are equally emphasized in the curriculum.  In addition to the textbook, cultural activities such as, calligraphy, music and story telling are all integral parts of this class.

Students who successfully complete this course with a grade of C- or better will be prepared to enroll in Mandarin II at the High School.

Text:    Ni Hao!  An Introduction to Chinese, Chinasoft

Spanish BC

Prerequisite:  Completion of Spanish A with a final grade of “B-” or better or appropriate previous study of Spanish. Semester I grade of C- or better is required to continue in this course in Semester II.

Students continue to build on the basic concepts learned in Spanish A.  This course will emphasize active involvement of the student in all areas of communication (listening, speaking, reading and writing).  In this course, students are expected to use their communications skills in and out of class.  Students will continue learning the conjugation of verbs in present tense, in present progressive and near future.  They will learn new vocabulary related to family, sports, travel, health, weather, travel, etc. Students will also learn about traditions and customs of Spanish-speaking cultures through discussions, videos, songs and games.  The Spanish A and BC courses are the equivalent of the first year of high school Spanish (Spanish I) if successfully completed with a grade of “C-” or better.

Students who successfully complete this course with a grade of C- or better will be prepared to enroll in Spanish II at the High School

Text:    Bienvenidos, Schmidt/Woodford