World Language Program

Grades Kindergarten - Grade 3

Starting as early as Kindergarten, your child will be exposed to World Languages. Spanish and French lessons are introductory and build a foundation in world language skills. The alphabet, numbers and colors are a strong focus. Songs and games bring the program to life. By the end of grade 3 your child will be prepared to use the skills learned in a more interactive setting in Grades 4-5.

Grades 4-5

In Grades 4, the goal of the program is to initiate children in the appreciation of Spanish and French language and culture through active engagement of all of their senses. Topics include numbers, colors, shapes, use of masculine and feminine articles, following simple directions, expressing personal needs, defining seasons, days of the week, and the alphabet.

In Grade 5, students continue to study parts of the body, items of clothing, spelling numbers, and composing simple sentences in the target language. Participation in the early language program helps students in later intensive programming that begins in Grade 6.

Grades 6-8

Spanish and French students are exposed to comprehensive foreign language development. These students have selected the language of their choice for full time (5 days/week) study. The program adopts a broad spectrum of communication skills utilizing the 5 C's of essential foreign language development: Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Community.  The program follows the inclusion method of study where at least 50% of classroom instruction occurs in the target language. 

Diverse and engaging teaching strategies, including reading, speaking, writing dialogues, performing skits and listening to audio recordings of various native speakers, help students develop mastery in the basics such as the alphabet, colors, numbers, as well as the days, months, weather and seasons. Students will also learn to form questions and negative statements using basic vocabulary for the family, body, house, classroom objects, sports, animals, food, clothing and time.  Spanish/French culture is taught for a global perspective and the first stages of grammar are introduced with gender and number agreement of regular adjectives and nouns, followed by the conjugation of regular and irregular verbs of the –ar, er, and ir groups in Spanish (hablar, comer, escribir, etc…) and –er, ir and re groups in French (parler, choisir, vendre, etc…). Students will master the use of subject pronouns (yo, tú, nosotros/Je, vous, nous) and write using a model (a first draft and corrected version) in guided and cooperative writing tasks.  Additionally students will read and translate simple text. By the completion of grade 8, students are ready for Spanish II /Spanish II Honors or French II / French II Honors in high school.