Mandarin I

This course is designed for first year students who are non-native speakers of Chinese with no background in Mandarin Chinese. Students will master pinyin, pronunciation tones, vocabulary, writing (radicals and stroke order), grammar, idiomatic expressions, and culture in each thematic unit. Language involving family, school, and daily life activities will be introduced to learners. Culture and authentic material such as emails, notes, advertisements, labels, video clips, and announcements will also be introduced to students. Students will learn to present, interpret and express opinions through verbal communication.

Mandarin II

In this course, students will continue to improve on basic skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing as well as develop understanding of Chinese culture and traditions. Themes in this course will focus on school activities, hobbies, family, health, clothing, and environment. Students will begin engaging in realistic daily conversations in a variety of contexts. Students will also be assessed in character-handwriting, vocabulary usage, expressive abilities, listening, and comprehension skills in preparation for Mandarin III.

Mandarin III

This course is designed to follow and improve on the skills of conducting daily communication in Chinese. The sentence patterns and grammar are designed in an order that emphasizes functional usage. The language materials are arranged within situational topics. At this level, students will continue to engage in realistic daily conversations in a growing variety of contexts. Students will continue training in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. At the end of the course, students will be able to use these skills in authentic environments. Students will continue to learn appreciation for the Chinese culture and traditions through active participation in group discussions and projects.

Mandarin IV

Mandarin IV is designed for students whose proficiency in Chinese is at an intermediate level. In this course, students will master speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills and prepare students who are interested in college level Chinese language courses and advanced studies of China. Students will be assessed in character handwriting, vocabulary usage, expressive abilities, listening and comprehension skills, and cultural knowledge and language skills within the context of complex tasks. At the end of the course, students will be able to use these skills in authentic environments and appreciate the Chinese culture, traditions, people, morality, and philosophy. Students will also be prepared to take the AP Chinese Language and Culture course next year.

Mandarin II-IV Honors

These courses are designed for students who are interested in taking college level Chinese language courses. These courses continue to develop the student’s language skills in speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Emphasis will be on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary with a gradual increase in difficulty. Through the study of language structure, language function and related cultural knowledge, these courses will continue to deepen students’ abilities to communicate using Chinese. At the end of these courses, students will be able to use their skills in authentic environments. In Mandarin IV Honors, students will explicitly study Chinese culture, tradition, people, morality, and philosophy, preparing students for the AP Chinese Language and Culture course.

AP Chinese

AP Chinese Language and Culture is designed for students who are interested in advance studies of China. Through the course, students will master listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. At the end of the course, students will be able to use these mastered skills in authentic environments and will have developed an appreciation for the Chinese culture, traditions, people, morality, and philosophy. Moreover, students will be well prepared to take the AP Chinese Language and Culture examination.

Spanish I

In this course, students will be introduced to the Spanish language and culture and learn the elements of basic conversational Spanish. Emphasis will be on developing proficiency in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The course will be conducted as much as possible in Spanish so that students will become comfortable hearing and using basic forms of the language. Since interaction using the language is an important element of learning, students will practice conversing with classmates and others in Spanish. Students will also learn about traditions, products, practices and perspectives of Spanish-speaking cultures in the U.S. and around the world. Students will connect and compare Spanish language and culture to their own cultural experiences, and create and participate in Spanish cultural activities.

Spanish II

This course will address more complex grammatical structures and verb tenses, including the preterit, imperfect, conditional, future, and subjunctive forms. This course will focus equally on grammar, vocabulary building, listening comprehension, speaking ability, and reading and writing skills in Spanish. Students will learn to communicate effectively in Spanish in common, real-life situations, as well as feel comfortable writing short compositions about the topics covered. In addition, students will be exposed in-depth to the geography, history, and rich cultures of the vast Spanish-speaking world.

Spanish III

In this course, students will learn to speak and understand real-world Spanish at an intermediate mid-level proficiency. Students will practice various modes of communication: interpreting written and oral language, presenting what is created or discovered, and conversing with other people in Spanish. Cultural context will enhance language learning as students investigate products, practices, and perspectives of Spanish-speaking cultures in the U.S. and around the world. Students will make connections and comparisons between this course, other disciplines, and experiences in their own culture and language. Finally, students will have opportunities to share Spanish culture and language with our school community.