World Languages

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: Placement determined by MPA
Credit: 1.0

Note: This course was formerly known as ESL.

This course supports a wide variety of skills needed for academic success in reading, writing, speaking and listening at MPA as well as universities in the United States. We will focus on the skills and strategies needed to build reading comprehension, vocabulary development, listening comprehension, speaking and pronunciation skills, and academic grammar and writing. We will be editing and revising multiple-paragraph compositions that demonstrate organization of ideas, use of a thesis statement, and development of supportive elements. We will be honing the students’ academic writing to include a variety of sentence structures, sophisticated grammar and vocabulary, precise word choice, and appropriate tone or voice. We will be doing all of this to move the student toward true English language fluency in preparation for the highest levels of academic success at MPA and university. 

Alongside this, we will spend a good portion of class throughout the year discussing American perspectives, history, social justice issues, and other aspects of culture so students can navigate effectively in the United States, see connections and comparisons with their home cultures, and add a new lens through which they can view the world. Because of the cultural and language components of the class, AL&C fulfills a world language credit for each year a student is enrolled in the course. All first-year international students will take AL&C as part of the International Student Program; some students may take the class an additional year, on an as-need basis. If schedules allow and teachers approve, first year students may concurrently take another world language course alongside, but not in place of, AL&C: MPA French, Spanish, or another approved world language course. 

The course content will change each year to best fit the needs of the new group of students and individuals, becoming as supportive or rigorous as appropriate. The course curriculum can run parallel to other content areas, particularly English and Social Studies classes, providing added support; the curriculum can also become as rigorous as a pre-AP Literature and Composition class, readying near-fluent English speakers for an AP class in the future. The curriculum can include presentations, group work, discussions, individually designed lessons, or any combination thereof. Whatever the course becomes, it will be based on the needs of the students, working towards English language fluency, cultural awareness, and university preparedness.

Grades: 11-12
Prerequisites: French I, II, III, IV, V
Credit: 1.0

The AP® French Language and Culture class is offered to seniors completing French V as well as exceptional students completing French IV who wish to have the opportunity to take this rigorous and academically demanding course. In this course, students experience a French language and culture course equivalent to a third-year college course. Emphasis is placed on the four language skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students study the six topical and cultural themes: Global Challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary Life, Personal and Public Identities, Families and Communities, and Beauty and Aesthetics. These interesting and relative themes enable students to practice their interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communicative skills. Students will explore events and culture from a historical as well as contemporary perspective. Students and the teacher use French exclusively in the classroom.

Grades: 11-12
Prerequisites: Spanish I, II, III, IV, V
Credit: 1.0

Fluency in a language can be measured in several areas: writing, speaking, listening, reading and culture. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course strives to improve a student's skills in every area. By reading dozens of short stories, news articles, magazine articles and blog entries, watching videos and films, and having daily in-class discussions, students will integrate the various means of fluency to improve their overall skills and be ready for the College Board's annual AP Spanish Language and Culture exam in May.

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: None
Credit: 1.0

Through communicatively based activities, with a strong focus on speaking, students in French 1 build the vocabulary and can use the irregular verbs that are used in everyday conversation. The themes of everyday life, hobbies, school, friendship, shopping, health, vacation, Francophone Art, and Paris provide a lens through which to explore our own cultural practices and those of people in the French-speaking world. As students gain more confidence and facility with the present tense, they are introduced to the passé composé. By the end of French 1, students can state facts in the present and the past, express opinions and tell stories about a wide variety of topics in French. 

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: French I
Credit: 1.0

Did you know that more than 200 million people in the world in more than 50 countries on five continents speak French? Learning French will enable a student to communicate with people from all around the globe. The goal in all French classes is to teach what are called the five Cs: Communication, Connections, Cultures, Comparisons, and Communities. More information is provided here: http://www.actfl.org/publications/all/national-standards-foreign-language-education 

In French II the goal is to have students at the intermediate low level according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language). http://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/public/ACTFLProficiencyGuidelines2012_FINAL.pdf 

All vocabulary and grammar topics are presented through content-based instruction (http://iteslj.org/Articles/Davies-CBI.html) and culture-based instruction (http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/culture-fifth-language-skill).  The means used in order to achieve language acquisition will be activities such as: songs, dance, games, online activities, videos, and skits. 

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: Must have completed MS 2B or US French II
Credit: 1.0

Chaque langue voit le monde d'une manière différente.            --Fellini
[Each language sees the world differently.]

In French III, students move from describing the concrete world to discussing abstract ideas about the world. To fully express ideas, preferences and narratives in French, it is necessary to learn verb forms for specific time markers.  Students deepen their understanding of the basic grammar they’ve already learned and add new tenses that enable them to speak in the past, the future, and the conditional. Students will learn to differentiate between indicative and subjunctive moods in order to express the difference between certainty and possibility. The thematic units provide a real-world springboard from which to jump into an exploration of their attitudes and ideas about their own country, while comparing themselves and their ideas to those of their peers in the French-speaking world. Students hone their skills in writing and in speaking through student-centered activities engineered for authentic communication. 

At this level, students are ready to play with the language. They take what they’ve learned in other contexts and piece it together in meaningful and original communication, which is a source of true joy in learning! 

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: Successful completion of French III
Credit: 1.0

Manier savamment une langue, c'est pratiquer une espèce de sorcellerie évocatoire.  --Baudelaire
[Skillfully wielding a language is like practicing a sort of evocative sorcery]

In French IV, students speak and write about the world they live in, exploring universal themes and global issues. Though grammar is not the focus of this course, concepts are reviewed as needed. Grammar is reinforced through extensive reading of authentic texts (newspaper and magazine articles, poetry, short stories, novel excerpts) and the rhythms, patterns and idioms of French are emphasized through video and song. The writing assignments in this class bolster skills learned in other disciplines, and a focus on cognates in the vocabulary aids in the acquisition and retention of SAT vocabulary. Students become not only effective communicators, but also talented problem-solvers who are used to looking at novel situations from multiple perspectives. 

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: French I, II, III, IV
Credit: 1.0

French V students study French and Francophone literary masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 21st Century. This course is the equivalent of an intermediate college level course. Emphasis is placed on the four language skill areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking, and historical and literary analyses are also important aspects of this class. Students practice their interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communicative skills. French is used exclusively in the classroom. 

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: None.
Credit: 1.0

¿Cómo te llamas? (What’s your name?) Who are you? Where are you from? How would you describe yourself? Learning another language and culture can be fun and challenging. In Spanish I, students are introduced to the basics of the Spanish language by hands on learning of culture through making connections and comparisons to their own culture. Students delve into the alphabet, colors, numbers, weather expressions, seasons, school related vocabulary, food, family, daily chores, likes and dislikes. They are able to communicate effectively by learning about definite and indefinite articles, subject pronouns, and present tense verbs. By the end of the year, they will be able to talk about their daily lives, those of others, and their plans for the future. 

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: Spanish I
Credit: 1.0

Did you know that more than 400 million people in the world speak Spanish? It is also now the third most-used language on the Internet. Learning Spanish will enable a student to communicate with people from all around the globe. The goal in all Spanish classes is to teach what are called the five Cs: Communication, Connections, Cultures, Comparisons, and Communities. More information is provided here: http://www.actfl.org/publications/all/national-standards-foreign-language-education 

In Spanish II the goal is to have students at the intermediate low level according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language). http://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/public/ACTFLProficiencyGuidelines2012_FINAL.pdf 

All vocabulary and grammar topics are presented through content-based instruction (http://iteslj.org/Articles/Davies-CBI.html) and culture-based instruction (http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/culture-fifth-language-skill).  The means used in order to achieve language acquisition will be activities such as: songs, games, online activities, videos, and skits. 

Vocabulary themes for the year focus on daily life, school, cooking, health and safety, and telling stories, all within the context of cultural comparisons. 

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: Spanish I, Spanish II
Credit: 1.0

¡Hay 16 tiempos y modos en español y vamos a aprenderlos todos! There are 16 different tenses and moods in Spanish and we're going to learn them ALL in Spanish 3. To fully express ideas, preferences and narratives in Spanish, it is necessary to study the proper verb forms for specific time markers. This course introduces every tense and mood in the Spanish language needed for that precise expression. Students will learn to differentiate between the indicative and subjunctive moods in order to express the difference between certainty and possibility. Spanish 3 students also continue to expand their understanding of Spanish-speaking countries and their cultures while increasing their Spanish lexicon and grammatical knowledge. 

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: Spanish I, II, III
Credit: 1.0

What do Sonia Sotomayor, Gabriel García Márquez, and Frida Kahlo have in common? They are all famous Latinos who have made a profound impact on the world and will be discussed in Spanish IV. From twentieth century poems to current blogs on the internet, culture is the focus of Spanish IV. Students will improve their speaking skills through discussion and debates and their writing skills through essays on topics that include personal relationships, entertainment, daily life, health, travel, technology and science, to the economy and work, all focused on Latin America or Latinos in the United States. 

All grammar from Spanish III is reviewed, including all 16 verb tenses. 

Grades: 9-12
Prerequisites: Spanish I, II, III, IV
Credit: 1.0

The Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 was the beginning of the clashing and blending of cultures that would mark Spanish history from the days of La Alhambra to the colonization of the Americas and through today. This course introduces Spanish literature from the 14th century to the present. Students will also continue to study and hone their grammar skills and augment the vocabulary necessary to read more fluently and write with accuracy in Spanish. 

Grade: 9-12
Prerequisites: Spanish I, II, III, IV, V
Credits: 1.0

The majority of Latin America earned its independence from Spain from 1810 to 1825. Few people know why. In Spanish VI students explore the twentieth and twenty-first century events from Operation Condor in South America to Liberation Theology in Central America. By understanding the history of our neighbors, students better understand their own history and impact on the world. Spanish VI focuses on the culture and history of Latin America through pertinent films, historical presentations, introductions to music genres, and the importance of language to identity. All instruction and participation are in Spanish leading to improved oral skills as well as written skills.