Course Information Sheets

This course is designed for students who have had no French language study or students who have had less than one year of high school French. It provides the basis for the study and use of French. Students will develop proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational, e.i., they are taught to interpret, speak, read, and write the language, with emphasis on spontaneous conversation and practical application. By the end of the course, students will have developed a working vocabulary, knowledge of basic grammatical structures and appreciation for the many cultures and traditions in the francophone world.

This course is designed for students who have had one year or the equivalent of one year of high school French. The course is targeted at increasing student proficiency in their ability to speak, understand, read, and write French in a variety of culturally authentic contexts. The student is taught to understand, speak, read, and write the language, with emphasis on conversation and practical application. A working vocabulary is developed in context, as are the basic grammatical structures of the language. Students are also introduced to cultural perspectives, practices and products. Students will develop proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational via reading, listening, speaking and writing.

This course is designed for students who have had two years (or equivalent) of secondary French instruction and serves as preparation for further study in AP French. Students are taught to listen, speak, read, and write in the language, with emphasis on spontaneous conversation and practical application. Students will also develop proficiency across all three modes of communication: interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal. They will develop a working vocabulary and acquire the major grammatical structures of the language, with culture and customs developed in real-world contexts. In addition, students are introduced to cinema, music, media, and literature in French and engage in oral and written discussions based on their experiences with authentic texts and artifacts. At this level, the class is conducted in French and students are expected to use French in class.

This is an advanced level language course that has been designed to help students refine and further develop their proficiency in French through authentic written and audio materials as well as to promote and improve higher level thinking skills. This includes integration of the four language skills: reading, speaking, listening and writing. The term integrated skills refers to the ability to integrate reading, listening and writing skills by interpreting and synthesizing information from two or three different sources to support and/or defend ideas.

In French 5H, students continue to refine their skills. Students read and interpret selected French novels and texts, discuss contemporary issues, study and discuss the history and culture of the French-speaking world. Students also get the opportunity to study French films in depth. The grade for this course is weighted for both UC and high school credit.

This course is designed for students who have had no or little Japanese language study. The student is taught to understand, speak, read, and write the language, with an emphasis on conversation and practical application. A working vocabulary is developed in context, as are the basic grammatical structures of the language. In addition to listening and oral drills, there are readings, written grammatical exercises. Students are introduced to culture and customs through skits, music, videos, food, and magazines.

This course is a continuation of Japanese 1, further developing the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The goal of the second year is to give students a working knowledge of Japanese in both formal and informal settings. Contemporary topics, vocabulary, and culture are stressed. A variety of activities, including skits, projects, food days, and videos are included to enhance students’ understanding of life in Japan and their use of the language.

This course is a continuation of Japanese II, further developing the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in both formal and informal forms. Over 100 new kanji will be learned aiding in better understanding of written language. Honorific and humble forms will be introduced, but pertinent verb forms and grammar structures will be further developed and explored.

This course is a continuation of Japanese III, further developing the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in both formal and informal forms. In addition, honorific and humble forms are introduced. Upon completing the course, students will have been introduced to all the major structural patterns of contemporary Japanese and will have begun to emphasize vocabulary building through the study of situation oriented materials that stress communicative competence. Intensive practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing will be conducted. This is not an Advanced Placement Course.

This is an advanced level language course that has been designed to help students refine and further develop their proficiency in Japanese through authentic written and audio materials as well as to promote and improve higher level thinking skills. This includes integration of the four language skills reading, speaking, listening and writing. Students will need to integrate skills to either create oral presentations or write essays. The term integrated skills refers to the ability to integrate reading, listening and writing skills by interpreting and synthesizing information from two or three different sources to support and/or defend ideas presented in an essay or oral presentation. The course is conducted entirely in Japanese. In addition, students will also learn about important contemporary and historical issues, significant works of literature and art, cultural aspects of the Japanese cultures, and everyday life.

Mandarin 1 is designed to provide the basic communicative skills in Mandarin, Chinese culture, and history. Students will develop a basic mastery of the four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will learn Hanyu pinyin, radicals, word usage, sentence patterns, basic dialogues, and short sentences in real-life situations. The course also presents an introduction to the culture/history of the Mandarin/Chinese-speaking world. The students are able to use formulaic language to engage in conversations and appropriate responses in a culturally authentic way. This course is for beginning students or non-native speakers only.

Mandarin II students will continue to develop a mastery of the four language skills – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. They will further develop their oral skills, their knowledge of Chinese culture/history, and the skills needed to interact positively with members of the culture. They will become more confident in using the vocabulary they learned and more skillful in the conversational use of sentence structures. They will develop needed skills in reading for content and begin to acquire basic skills in composition spontaneously. They will demonstrate an understanding of the general meaning, key ideas, and some details in authentic texts.

Mandarin 3 is designed to bring the students to a level where they are able to satisfy most survival needs and many social demands in the life of Chinese society. Students of Mandarin 3 class will learn the vocabulary and structures necessary to communicate in Chinese about the following: asking for directions, birthday parties, seeing a doctor, dating, renting an apartment, sports, and travel.

Mandarin 4/4H is a continuation of Mandarin 3. This class is a challenging, rigorous class that will require time and dedication on the part of the student. Mandarin 4/4H is designed to enable students to participate extensively in the life of Chinese society.

The majority of the class time is devoted to a well-balanced mixture of: Discussion and writing activities based on materials we have read, refinement of language skills based on text activities, oral presentations dealing with our reading and cultural discussion, listening to a variety of authentic broadcasts and recordings as preparation for the AP Chinese Language and Culture examination.

This course is designed for students who have had little to no exposure to the Spanish language or students who have had less than one year of high school Spanish. It provides the basis for the continuing study and use of Spanish. Students will develop novice proficiency in the three modes of communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational. Please see below for more explanation.

This course is designed for students who have had one year or the equivalent of one year of high school Spanish. It develops the ability to speak, understand, read, and write Spanish in a culturally appropriate context. It provides the basis for the continuing study and use of Spanish. The student is taught to understand, speak, read, and write in the target language, with emphasis on meaning and practical interactions within the three modes of communication. Students are introduced to cultural perspectives, practices and products. Success in this class depends heavily on the student’s cooperation, participation, curiosity and consistent practice in and out of class.

This course is designed for students who have had two years or the equivalent of high school Spanish. It develops the ability to speak, understand, read, and write Spanish in a culturally appropriate context using the three modes of communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational. The student is taught to understand, speak, read, and write the language, with emphasis on communication and practical application. A working vocabulary is developed in context, as are the basic grammatical structures of the language. In addition to listening and oral activities, there are readings, written grammatical exercises, and occasional original dialogue performances. Students are introduced to cultural perspectives, practices and products.

This course is designed for students who have had two years or the equivalent of high school Spanish. It develops the ability to speak, understand, read, and write Spanish in a culturally appropriate context using the three modes of communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational. The student is taught to understand, speak, read, and write the language, with emphasis on communication and practical application. A working vocabulary is developed in context, as are the basic grammatical structures of the language. In addition to listening and oral activities, there are readings, written grammatical exercises, and occasional original dialogue performances. Students are introduced to cultural perspectives, practices and products. Success in this class depends heavily on the student’s cooperation, participation, curiosity and consistent practice in and out of class.

The Spanish for Spanish Speakers course is for students for whom Spanish is their home language or they have studied Spanish in a dual immersion program. The goals of the course are to give students a space to explore their identity, develop their reading and writing skills at a high level while learning about global and cultural topics from the Latin American world. Students will have a platform from which they can investigate the world, recognize perspectives, communicate ideas, and take action to help create a more just and equitable world. Additionally, they will find and amplify their own voices, telling stories of community members, and listening with empathy to others’ stories, all with the hope of finding connections with them. The ultimate goal is to honor and expand their cultural knowledge, maintaining and cultivating a pride and respect for the great diversity and beauty of the Spanish-speaking world.

This advanced Spanish language course is crafted to sharpen students’ skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing—the four pillars of communicative competence. The course invites, inspires, and immerses, emphasizing authentic communication through culturally rich, globally relevant contexts. Students won’t just learn a language; they’ll explore the heartbeat of Hispanic cultures, delving into the significance of products, practices, and perspectives that paint a vibrant portrait of the Spanish-speaking world. The course is conducted completely in Spanish. Students must commit to this linguistic journey to exclusively use Spanish, creating an environment that not only supports but demands and drives growth.

The AP Spanish Literature and Culture course is designed to provide students with a learning experience equivalent to that of a college/university survey course in literature written in Spanish. The course is conducted entirely in Spanish. It introduces students to the formal study of a representative body of texts from Peninsular Spanish, Latin American, and U.S. Hispanic literature, including short stories, novels, poetry, drama, and essays, ranging from the Medieval period to the present. The course is founded on a required reading list of 38 titles from the 14th century to the contemporary period, including works that are linguistically and thematically challenging. The ultimate goal is for students to read critically, think deeply, and write analytically to demonstrate their understanding of the representative texts and to apply what they have learned from the required texts to others. The overarching aims of the course are to provide students with ongoing and varied opportunities to further develop their proficiencies across a range of Language and analytical skills—with special attention to critical reading and analytical writing—and to encourage them to reflect on the many voices and cultures included in a rich and diverse body of literature written in Spanish.