Modern Language

The Modern Language Department provides students with the tools to communicate in a second language in the global community. To achieve this goal, students are taught using increasingly more of the target language in the classroom. By the third year, the majority of classroom instruction is conducted in the target language. Emphasis is placed on student production, both oral and written, as well as the development of listening skills and reading comprehension. All classes expose students to the varied cultures of the people who speak the language they are learning, and they are taught to respect and appreciate cultural differences.
Entering freshman students are placed in Level I of the language unless they have successfully taken the placement examination in the spring of eighth grade. Entering freshman students who take the placement exam are placed in a class that matches the student’s ability in the target language.

Level Advancement Policy for Modern Language 2008-2009

Level I moving to II:

All students in Level I must enroll in the Level II course the following year. Two years of the same language are required for graduation. Students with a C are encouraged to take summer school. Students with a D or F are required to take summer school.

Spanish I students with an A with teacher approval will be invited to take the II Honors challenge exam in February 13, 2008. This exam has listening, reading and writing components. Placement in Spanish II Honors is based on these test results.

French I students will be placed in French II or II H according to their performance in class.

Spanish Level I ACC, moving on:

Students who earn a B+ or better are automatically approved for Spanish II Honors

Spanish I Accelerated students with a B or lower are eligible to take the Spanish II honors challenge exam February 13, 2008. This exam has listening, reading and writing components. Placement in Spanish II Honors is based on these test results.

All I ACC students are eligible to move to college prep Spanish II if they wish to do so.

Mandarin 1 ACC moving on:

Mandarin I ACC students will be placed in Level II or III according to their performance in class.

For Level II moving to III:

Level III is recommended to students wanting to strengthen their language abilities. It is a significantly more difficult course than Level II. In regards to college: Level III is a recommended course by the UC system and other highly selective colleges. However, a high overall GPA is the most important factor in highly selective college admission. Students who cannot advance to Level III in Modern Language are encouraged to do well in math and science, so that they can exceed in two of the three University of California recommended academic areas.

Prerequisite grade to advance to Level III = B-

Students who fail to earn the prerequisite B- at the first semester will not be eligible to register for Level III during spring registration. If a student does not make the prerequisite grade (B-) the first semester, but does make the required grade (B-) the second semester, the student may advance without taking summer school IF they have approval from their Level II teacher. Level II teacher will base approval on homework and class participation grades. By DAY 1 of finals week, students in this situation MUST EMAIL department chair and their Level II teacher to petition for advancement.

If a student becomes ineligible to advance based upon their second semester grade, they must take a full year of the Level II in summer school. An average summer school course grade of “B” for summer or better will equal department approval to take Level III the following year.

Students in the college prep Level II who wish to challenge into the Level III Honors Level must:

earn an A both semesters in the college preparatory Level II modern language class,
talk to their teacher about the possibility of an honors class and obtain the teacher’s approval,
notify the department chair of their wish to challenge by February 28th.
take a challenge test (oral interview and essay test) in March.

Honors placement will be based upon the teacher’s recommendation and the test results.

For Level II Honors moving on:

Students who earn a B or better both semesters are approved to advance to Level III Honors but have the option of choosing college prep Level III.

Students who earn a B- or lower are eligible for college prep Level III.

For Level III moving to Level IV:

Level IV is a comprehensive course requiring mastery of Level I-III courses. Students will come out of the course with a well-rounded proficiency in the specific language. In regards to college: students will be rewarded for going above and beyond the University of California recommendations in an academic area, but overall GPA remains the most important admissions factor.

Prerequisite grade to advance: C+ and teacher approval

Students who fail to earn the prerequisite C+ at the first semester will not be eligible to register for Level IV during spring registration. If a student does not make the prerequisite grade (C+) the first semester, but does make the required grade (C+) the second semester, the student may advance without taking summer school IF they have approval from their level III teacher. Teacher will base approval on homework and class participation grades. By DAY 1 of finals week, students in this situation MUST EMAIL department chair and their Level III teacher to petition for advancement.

If a student becomes ineligible to advance based upon their second semester grade (C or lower) will need to enroll in a summer school course equivalent of Spanish/French III (for example at a community college.) A grade of C+ or better in the summer school course will earn department approval to take Level IV. Summer school course description must accompany transcript. Department chair must approve the course as an equivalent.

Students in the college prep Level III who wish to challenge into Level IV AP must:

earn an A both semesters in the college preparatory Level III modern language class,
talk to their teacher about the possibility of an honors class and obtain the teacher’s approval,
notify the department chair of their wish to challenge by February 28th.
take a challenge test (oral interview and essay test) in March.

Honors placement will be based upon the teacher’s recommendation and the test results.

For Level III Honors moving on:

Students who earn a B or better both semesters are approved to advance to Level IV AP but have the option of choosing college prep Level IV.

Students who earn a B- or lower are eligible for college prep Level IV.

For Spanish IV and IV AP to advance to Spanish V:

Spanish V is an advanced level conversational course. Students will come out of the course able to discuss Latin America and their everyday lives. In regards to college: students will be rewarded for going above and beyond the University of California recommendations in an academic area, but overall GPA remains the most important admissions factor.

Prerequisite grade to advance B both semesters

Courses

French I - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

The intent of this course is to enable students to communicate using simple sentence structures in the present tense. This communication will be developed and enhanced through lectures, oral and written practice, small group activities, visual and technological aids. Instruction in basic grammar, vocabulary, and oral expression lays the framework for continuing in the language. In addition, the course will give students an appreciation for the differences and similarities with French culture. Instruction is in French whenever possible.

No prerequisite: Students choosing to study French will be placed in this course unless they take the Class of 2012 Placement Test on April 19, 2008.

French II - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

The intent of this course is to enable students to continue to build on oral and written communication learned in the first level. Communication will be developed and enhanced through greater use of French in the classroom, cooperative learning activities, listening and writing exercises, oral presentations and multi-media activities and guest speakers. In addition, students will explore practical venues for their future use of French.

Prerequisite: French I or one or more French courses in junior high school or the equivalent for a native speaker, successful completion of the French placement exam on April 19, 2008 and department approval

French II Honors - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

This course will begin to prepare students for eventual placement in French IV AP. Moving at a faster pace, grammar concepts and vocabulary will be covered in greater depth than in French II. Communication will be developed and enhanced through greater use of French in the classroom. In this intensive course, students will be expected to produce complex writing and oral communication. Students will learn through cooperative learning activities, listening and writing exercises, oral presentations and multi-media activities. Additionally, the course will give the students an appreciation for cultural differences and similarities, using various forms of media, guest speakers, and readings.

Prerequisite: French I with A- both semesters and department approval. Refer to the overview at the beginning of the section for additional qualifications.

French III - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

French III is a recommended course by the UC system and other highly selected colleges. It is a significantly more difficult course than French II. This is an advanced course that develops the students’ ability to comprehend and use French in both oral and written form. The majority of the class will be conducted, both by the teacher and students, in French. The goal of the course is to enable the students to communicate using new and previously learned verb structures, grammar, and vocabulary. Grammar, vocabulary and oral expression are studied in greater depth in an effort to expand and enhance the students’ knowledge of French and French cultures. The course will continue to give students an appreciation for the differences and similarities between the United States and French cultures through various media, including readings, guest speakers, and research projects.

Prerequisite: French II with B- second semester. Refer to the overview at the beginning of the section for additional qualifications.

French III Honors - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

This is an advanced course which develops the students’ ability to comprehend and use French in both oral and written form. The majority of the class will be conducted, both by the teacher and students in French. The goal of the course is to enable the students to communicate using new and previously learned verb structures, grammar, and vocabulary. Grammar, vocabulary and oral expression are studied in greater depth in an effort to expand and enhance the students’ knowledge of French and French cultures. The course will continue to give students an appreciation for the differences and similarities between the United States and French cultures.

Prerequisite: French II Honors with B both semesters. French II students should refer to the overview at the beginning of the section for qualifications.

French IV - Grades 10-12 - Year-long course

French IV is a fourth-year course for students who possess a good knowledge of the basics of French grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Students will concentrate on improving their communication skills through the study of films, videos, and readings in addition to the assigned texts. Emphasis will be placed on building conversational skills in French. Classes will be conducted entirely in the French language.

Prerequisite: French III with C+ both semesters and teacher approval

French IV AP - Grades 10-12 - Year-long course

The goal of this course is to refine students’ ability to communicate effectively in French in the four skill areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. By the end of the course, the student will be able to narrate in various tenses, describe, give an opinion, and defend it in French. The students will develop listening skills through classroom conversation and the use of audio and videocassettes. This will enable students to understand people whose native language is French (and who do not necessarily speak slowly). The students’ reading skills will improve as many different kinds of reading materials are analyzed, including poetry and plays from various Francophone authors. Writing practices will allow concentration on idiomatic French in order to produce organized essays using the AP guidelines.
Students enrolled in this course are required to take the AP examination in May. No final exam is administered in this course in the spring semester.

Prerequisite: French III Honors with B both semesters. French III students should refer to the overview at the beginning of the section for qualifications

Mandarin I Grades 9-12 Year-long course

This course will introduce the student to the study of Mandarin Chinese. It is designed for true beginners in the language. The goals of this course are to introduce students to basic pronunciation, sentence structures, reading and writing of modern Chinese, and a general understanding of cultural practices in the Chinese-speaking world

No prerequisite: Students choosing to study Mandarin will be placed in this course unless they take the Class of 2012 Placement Test on April 19, 2008. Enrollment is open to incoming freshmen as well as sophomores and juniors wishing to add a second language as an elective.

Mandarin II Grades 9-12 Year-long course

The intent of this course is to enable students to continue to build on oral and written communication learned in the first level. Communication will be developed and enhanced through greater use of Mandarin in the classroom, cooperative learning activities, listening and writing exercises, oral presentations and multi-media activities and guest speakers. In addition, students will explore practical venues for their future use of the language.

Prerequisite: Mandarin I or either one or more Mandarin courses in junior high school or the equivalent for a native speaker, both combined with successful completion of the Mandarin placement exam in April and department approval.

Mandarin III Grades 9-12 Year-long course

This is an advanced course that develops the students’ ability to comprehend and use Mandarin in both oral and written form. The majority of the class will be conducted, both by the teacher and students, in Mandarin. The goal of the course is to enable the students to communicate using new and previously learned verb structures, grammar, and vocabulary. Grammar, vocabulary and oral expression are studied in greater depth in an effort to expand and enhance the students’ knowledge of Mandarin and Chinese cultures. The course will continue to give students an appreciation for the differences and similarities between the United States and Chinese cultures through various media, including readings, guest speakers, and research projects.

Prerequisite: Mandarin II with "B-" or the equivalent for a native speaker combined with successful completion of the placement exam in April and department approval.

Spanish I - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

No prerequisite: Students choosing to study Spanish will be placed in this unless they take the Class of 2012 placement test on April 19, 2008.

Spanish I Accelerated - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

Spanish I Accelerated is designed for students who have had one or more Spanish courses in junior high school, but still need to master some topics in the Spanish I curriculum. Because these students can ask and answer questions in Spanish, they will cover Spanish I class material at an accelerated pace. In addition, they will acquire the following: expanded vocabulary, increased reading proficiency, improved oral expression, increased aural proficiency, and the ability to write short compositions. In addition, the course will give students an appreciation for the differences and similarities within the Hispanic culture. Students who do well in this course will continue to Spanish II Honors.

Prerequisite: One or more Spanish courses in junior high school or the equivalent for a native speaker, successful completion of the Spanish I placement exam on April 19, 2008 and department approval.

Spanish II - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

The intent of this course is to enable students to continue to build on oral and written communication learned in the first level. Communication will be developed and enhanced through greater use of Spanish in the classroom, cooperative learning activities, listening and writing exercises, oral presentations and multi-media activities and guest speakers. In addition, students will explore practical venues for their future use of Spanish.

Prerequisite: Spanish I or one or more Spanish courses in junior high school or the equivalent for a native speaker AND successful completion of the Spanish I placement exam on April 19, 2008 and department approval

Spanish II Honors - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

This course will begin to prepare students for eventual placement in Spanish IV AP. Moving at a fast pace, grammar concepts and vocabulary will be covered in greater depth than in Spanish II. Communication will be developed and enhanced through greater use of Spanish in the classroom. In this intensive course students will be expected to produce complex writing and oral communication. Students will learn through cooperative learning activities, listening and writing exercises, oral presentations, and multi-media activities. Additionally, the course will give students an appreciation for cultural differences and similarities, using various forms of media, guest speakers, and readings.

Prerequisite: Spanish I with A both semesters, department approval, AND successful completion of challenge exam on February 13, 2008 OR Spanish I Accelerated with a B+ both semesters and teacher approval.

Spanish III - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

Spanish III is a recommended course by the UC system and other highly selected colleges. It is a significantly more difficult course than Spanish II. This is an advanced course which develops the students’ ability to comprehend and use Spanish in both oral and written form. The majority of the class will be conducted, both by the teacher and students, in Spanish. The goal of the course is to enable the students to communicate using new and previously learned verb structures, grammar, and vocabulary. Grammar, vocabulary and oral expression are studied in greater depth in an effort to expand and enhance the students’ knowledge of Spanish and Hispanic cultures. The course will continue to give students an appreciation for cultural differences and similarities with an emphasis on the arts and ethnic diversity.

Prerequisite: Spanish II with B- second semester and teacher approval. Refer to the overview at the beginning of the section for additional qualifications.

Spanish III Honors - Grades 9-12 - Year-long course

This course will continue to prepare students for placement in Spanish IV AP. This is an advanced course which develops the students’ ability to comprehend and use Spanish in both oral and written form. The entire class will be conducted, both by the teacher and students, in Spanish. Grammar, vocabulary and oral expression are studied at a fast pace and in great depth with attention to expressing oneself with accurate nuances. At this point the student is capable of using Spanish for his/her practical use and begin to express opinions, emotions and other more abstract concepts.

Prerequisite: Spanish II Honors with B both semesters. Spanish II students should refer to the overview at the beginning of the section for qualifications.

Spanish IV - Grades 10-12 - Year-long course

An advanced course in Spanish designed to further students’ progress in the development of the four language skills, while deepening their insight into Hispanic culture through the exposure to works by modern writers of the Spanish speaking world.
Prerequisite: Spanish III with C+ second semester and teacher approval.

Spanish IV AP - Grades 10-12 - Year-long course

The goal of this course is to refine students’ ability to communicate effectively in Spanish in the four skill areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. By the end of the course, students will be able to narrate in various tenses, describe, give and defend an opinion. Students will develop listening skills through classroom conversation and the use of audio and videocassettes. This will enable students to understand people whose native language is Spanish (and who do not necessarily speak slowly). The students’ reading skills will improve as many different kinds of reading materials are analyzed, including poetry and plays from various Spanish-speaking authors. Writing practices will allow concentration on idiomatic Spanish in order to produce organized essays using the AP guidelines.
Students enrolled in this course are required to take the AP examination in May. No final exam is administered in this course in the spring semester.

Prerequisite: Spanish III Honors with B both semesters. Spanish III students should refer to the overview at the beginning of the section for qualifications.

Spanish V - Grades 11-12 - Year-long course

This course emphasizes development of skills necessary for group discussion, dialogue, and individual oral presentations on topics pertaining to everyday life, current issues and events, and social problems. The class is organized around different types of oral communication. Additional areas of study will include films, grammatical structures, readings, and compositions. This course will be conducted entirely in Spanish. Students are expected to speak only Spanish in the classroom.

Prerequisite: Spanish IV or Spanish IV AP with B both semester