Foreign Language

Students are required to take four years of either French or German unless special educational circumstances dictate otherwise. The goal of our language program is to develop a living connection to another language, one that goes beyond basic reading and conversational skills and fosters an appreciation for the literature of a foreign culture.

French

The class begins with a review of basic vocabulary and grammar from previous years. Conversations, skits and simple reading selections will be used to review and expand on the students’ knowledge of the language. More complex verb tenses and grammatical structures will be studied; students will write daily in journals and will read short stories in French by the end of the year. Poetry, song and drama will continue to play an important role in developing beautiful pronunciation and an appreciation for the feeling of the language.

We start the year with a thorough review of verb tenses, basic grammatical structures, and vocabulary. As students gain mastery in grammar, writing assignments will become more advanced. Conversational practice is intensified; students will give oral presentations in French and francophone literature will be read and discussed in French. In addition, students will read and discuss articles from current French newspapers and magazines.

We begin by hearing and practicing the sounds of the French language. Through poetry, song and sound/symbol exercises, students will learn to independently pronounce French words correctly when they are reading or using dictionaries. At the same time, we will be learning basic conversational vocabulary, as well as fundamental grammatical structures. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing will receive equal emphasis so that students may eventually become adept in all four areas. The history, art and literature of the francophone world, as well as the culture of day-to-day life, will be explored through reading and oral presentations. Students also read simple stories.

German

German I

Students work orally with the recitation of poetry, simple conversations, questions and answers, and conversational dialogue of everyday situations. The primary grammatical focus is on regular and irregular verbs in the present tense and basic sentence structure. Students complete written grammatical exercises in a work book. Students read poetry, simple passages in a reader, and well known German legends. They learn to write summaries of their reading. They learn about German culture and customs, sing German songs, and play German games.

German II

After a brief review of the present tense of regular and irregular verbs, students are introduced to the simple past, the present perfect, as well as the future tense, and an expanded study of sentence structure. Students recite poetry, read humorous stories, historical anecdotes, and well-known German legends. A variety of written and oral activities continue to develop skills in comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Conversational dialogue in a variety of practical situations develop high frequency expressions and cultural awareness.

German III

Students enhance language skills through a systematic review and expansion of the fundamental grammatical structures of the German language. Students work to expand oral expressions, reading and writing skills by emphasizing the acquisition of high frequency vocabulary and more complex grammatical structures. The primary emphasis is on developing reading and writing skills. Students read poetry and short stories by well-known German-speaking authors.