Staples High School--Info--Course Descriptions--

WORLD LANGUAGES

French 3H French 4H AP French Language

French 1 French 2 French 3 French 4 French 5

German 3H German 4H AP German Language

German 1 German 2 German 3 German 4,5

Latin 3H Latin 4H

Latin 1 Latin 2 Latin 3 Latin 4

AP Spanish Lang. AP Spanish Lit.

Spanish 3H Spanish 4H Spanish 5H

Spanish 1 Spanish 2 Spanish 3 Spanish 4 Spanish 5

Convinced that most students should be able to read, write, and converse in at least one language in addition to English, Staples World Languages teachers foster and encourage the study of two or three world languages. The program respects the developmental nature of language acquisition, and it integrates the acquisition of language skills with students’ growing cultural awareness. Connections with other disciplines also become richer and deeper.

All students will have the opportunity to:

· Communicate in another world language.

· Gain knowledge and understanding of another culture.

· Connect with other disciplines and expand knowledge.

· Develop insight into our own language and culture.

· Participate in wider communities of language and culture.

LATIN 1 (270) 1 credit

Full year

The Oxford Latin Course: Part 1 involves a student with mythology and legend seen through the eyes of a young Quintus Horatius Flaccus, later to be one of Rome’s most popular songwriters. New skills with English derivatives from Latin obviously help not only one’s SAT scores. Periodic conversations in colloquial Latin shine new light on familiar situations, e.g. boy meets girl.

LATIN 2 (272) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Latin 1 or its equivalent Full year

Seventeen chapters of the Oxford Latin Course: Part II carry students into the final violent days of the Roman Republic; Julius Caesar’s death precedes Horace’s signing up with the losing side in the civil war. The Roman experience of Greek culture comes alive. Quarterly songs for memorized recitation deepen our skill with the music of the classics, as does conversational Latin of increased complexity.

LATIN 3 (274) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Latin 1 and 2 or their equivalent Full year

The Oxford Latin Course: Part III welcomes a curious student into the world of subjunctives for dreams and schemes; now we are able to stand at the battlefield of Philippi or wonder about Cleopatra’s final hour or marvel at Augustus’s emergence as Rome’s first emperor. The subtleties of the language can now delight the more confident reader and speaker. Songs remain on the literary menu, along with quarterly performances before one’s classmates. All students are expected to participate in the National Latin Exam. Students are eligible for Honors credit depending on further demonstrated achievement.

LATIN 4 (278) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Latin 3 Full year

Harvard University’s Aeneas To Augustus presents the newly independent student with 90 prose and poetry selections that trace, then retrace with greater sophistication and nuance, key moments in Rome’s legend and history. Copious notes encourage careful literary analysis for seminar discussions and classroom presentations. Choice of a particular author for each student’s yearlong concentration is another reward for skills amassed over the first three years of our course. Students are eligible for Honors credit depending on further demonstrated achievement.

GERMAN 1 (282) 1 credit

Prerequisite: None Full year

German 1 is a four-skill course including listening, speaking, reading and writing, all learned with an emphasis on vocabulary acquisition and pronunciation. About half the words in the English language are of Germanic origin. Cognates and near cognates are studied in German 1 to make language acquisition rapid and enjoyable and to help students with SAT’s. Varied alternative assessment methods are used for evaluation.

GERMAN 2 (284) 1 credit

Prerequisite: German 1 or the equivalent Full year

German 2 is a continuation of the beginning skills, listening, reading, speaking and writing, and an enhancement of these skills with a broadening of grammar concepts. The students will develop a deeper insight into the rich German culture as they are also developing an insight into their own language and culture.

GERMAN 3 (286) 1 credit

Prerequisite: German 2 Full year

German 3 includes speaking, listening, reading and writing, and a complete and rapid review of all German grammar. Finer points of grammar are introduced. Varied readings lead to writing assignments. German 3 is a bridge year between intermediate language skills and the literary analysis of advanced language. Students are eligible for Honors credit depending on further demonstrated achievement.

GERMAN 4/5 (290) 1 credit

Prerequisite: German 3 Full year

German 4/5 is designed to serve the ever-changing needs of the student body. Literature studied varies from year to year. The purpose of the readings is to provide students with mature primary materials of the highest quality and interests. Students will see for themselves that it is possible to read abridged versions of Goethe, Schiller, Schnitzler, Mann and Durrenmatt, and thereby earn a deeper knowledge of the language and culture of the German-speaking countries. Students are eligible for Honors credit if they demonstrate in-depth achievement.

AP GERMAN LANGUAGE (292) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Completion of German 4 Honors Full year

Guideline: Completion of Ger. 4 Hnrs. with at least an A-, teacher

recommendation, or meeting standard on a departmental assessment.

This course is intended to be equivalent both in content and in difficulty to a third-year college German language course. Course content will reflect intellectual interests shared by the students and teacher (the arts, current events, literature, sports, and so forth). In addition to standard textbooks and anthologies, materials might well include recordings, films, newspapers, magazines, and contemporary literature. The course seeks to develop language skills that are useful in themselves and that can be applied to various activities and disciplines rather than to cover any specific body of subject matter. The need for extensive training in the organization and writing of compositions must not be overlooked. This course has a summer reading requirement.

FRENCH 1 (294) 1 credit

Prerequisite: None Full year

Students will be introduced to the wonderful, challenging world of communicating in French. During this first year of language study, listening, speaking, reading and writing of the language will be emphasized with a focus on speaking and listening. Oral proficiency is a major goal of the program, and the class will visit the language lab often. Active participation in class is essential, as well as memorization and daily preparation of the material. Students will have the opportunity to make presentations in the target language and will be encouraged to work on the Internet, as well as in the language lab.

FRENCH 2 (296) 1 credit

Prerequisite: French 1 Full year

During this year of study, students will be able to further develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Classes meet regularly in the language lab to practice listening and speaking skills and emphasis will be placed on the students’ oral proficiency. Class time is also devoted to the practice of the spoken language, as well as the written language. Students will gain additional knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the French language and culture. In addition to written/oral tests and quizzes, students will be assessed by means of spoken dialogues, presentations and other projects.

FRENCH 3 (298) 1 credit

Prerequisite: French 2 Full year

This level of French study allows the students to continue to expand their knowledge of the French people, language and culture. In addition, students have the opportunity to further improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Regular work in

the language lab allows for further mastery of listening and comprehension and pronunciation. Class time is devoted to speaking and writing practice in the target language. Supplementary materials are introduced to enhance language use; reading and writing are more demanding and a conversation text is used to promote easy, fluent speech. In addition to written/oral tests and quizzes, students are assessed by means of spoken dialogues and other communicative activities.

FRENCH 3 HONORS (300) 1 credit

Guideline: Teacher recommendation Full year

Students continue to improve all four language skills by means of daily practice in class, regular work in the language lab and detailed homework assignments to reinforce material covered in class. The target language is used in class, requiring students to hone their listening and speaking skills. In addition to the text, other reading materials and French films are used to enhance language use. This course introduces more complicated grammatical concepts, such as the conditional tense and the present subjunctive mood. Students who take this course will be prepared for the French 4 Honors and A.P. courses, because of the breadth and depth of the material covered.

FRENCH 4 (302) 1 credit

Prerequisite: French 3 Full year

This course is considered a “bridge” year between intermediate language skills and the more sophisticated, complicated activities of advanced French. The students are continuously working to improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, while grammar is being reviewed. The finer points of the language are also being introduced and incorporated into the students’ knowledge. Regular work in the language lab allows the students opportunities to continue to practice and improve their oral and listening skills. Varied readings and authentic films lead to discussion and writing assignments in the target language. In addition to print and film media, spontaneous conversations will be an integral part of this course, promoting more fluid communication in French.

FRENCH 4 HONORS (304) 1 credit

Prerequisite: French 3 Honors

Guideline: Teacher recommendation Full year

This course serves as a bridge between the French 3 Honors course, which is a textbook based proficiency course, and the A.P. French Language course, which is based on the national expectations of College Board. The students are integrating the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in all lessons, and use the target language as the principal means of communication, as well as the object of study. The main components of the course are communicative refinement, grammatical study, vocabulary expansion, and continued cultural study of the French people. This is a multitext course designed to meet these four components and to also give the students constant opportunities to express themselves in spoken and written French, while continuing to develop insight into their own language and culture.

FRENCH 5 (306) 1 credit

Prerequisite: French 4 Full year

Students in this course will focus on increasing their proficiency in the language with regard to all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) in alignment with the ACTFL Standards. Students’ speaking skills improve through the consistent use of the language lab, as well as the use of French as the only means of communication in the classroom. Various texts are used to provide the students with the opportunity to use the language in a truly communicative way. They continue to improve their writing ability through frequent compositions based on readings and discussions. Instructional videos are also used, and students benefit from access to the Internet to obtain authentic material and information from various French-speaking countries where the target language is spoken.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT FRENCH LANGUAGE (308) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Completion of French 4 Honors Full year

Guideline: Completion of Fr. 4 Hnrs. with at least an A-, teacher recommendation,

or meeting standard on a departmental assessment.

A college level course for the advanced student who has demonstrated competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing with a good command of French grammar and vocabulary. The course has these objectives:

· the ability to understand spoken French in various contexts;

· the development of a vocabulary sufficiently ample for reading newspaper and magazine articles, literary texts (including 19th and 20th century short stories, poetry, and theater), and other non-technical writings without the use of a dictionary;

· the ability to express oneself in speech and in writing coherently, resourcefully, and with emphasis on grammar control, vocabulary expansion, and techniques of literary criticism.

A demanding course requiring a commitment to excellence. Students are expected to take the Advanced Placement Examination in May. AP credit for this course is given only to students who complete the yearlong course at Staples High School. This course has a summer reading requirement.

SPANISH 1 (310) 1 credit

Prerequisite: None Full year

Students will be introduced to the wonderful, challenging world of communicating in Spanish. During this first year of language study, listening, speaking, reading and writing of the language will e emphasized with a focus on speaking and listening. Oral proficiency is a major goal of the program, and the class will visit the language lab often. Active participation in class is essential, as well as memorization and daily preparation of the material. Students will have the opportunity to make presentations in the target language and will be encouraged to work on the Internet, as well as in the language lab.

SPANISH 2 (312) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Spanish 1 Full year

During this year of study, students will be able to further develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Classes meet regularly in the language lab to practice listing and speaking skills and emphasis will be placed on the students’ oral proficiency. Class time is also devoted to the practice of the spoken and written language. Students will gain additional knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the Spanish language and culture. In addition to written/oral tests and quizzes, students will be assesses by means of spoken dialogues, presentations and other projects.

SPANISH 3 (314) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Spanish 2 Full year

This level of Spanish study allows the students to continue to expand their knowledge of the Spanish/Latin American people, language and culture. In addition, students have the opportunity to further improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Regular work in the language lab allows for further mastery of listening, comprehension and pronunciation. Class time is devoted to speaking practice and writing practice in the target language. Supplementary materials are introduced to enhance language use; reading and writing are more demanding, and the textbook promotes easy, fluent speech. In addition to written/oral tests and quizzes, students are assessed by means of spoken dialogues and other communicative activities.

SPANISH 3 HONORS (316) 1 credit

Guideline: Teacher recommendation Full year

Students continue to improve all four language skills by means of daily practice in class and detailed homework assignments in order to reinforce material covered in class. Regular work in the language lab allows for further mastery of listening, comprehension and pronunciation. The target language is used in class, requiring students to hone their listening and speaking skills. Supplementary materials are introduced to enhance language use, and a conversation text is used to promote easy, fluent speech. This course introduces more complicated grammatical concepts, such as the conditional tense and the present subjunctive mood. In addition to written/oral tests and quizzes, students are assessed by means of spoken dialogues, debates, impromptu conversations, and other communicative activities. Students who take this course will be prepared for the Spanish 4 Honors and A.P. courses, because of the breadth and depth of the material covered.

SPANISH 4 (318) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Spanish 3 Full year

This course is considered a “bridge” year between intermediate language skills and the more sophisticated, complicated activities of advanced Spanish. The students are continuously working to improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, while grammar is being reviewed. The finer points of the language are also being introduced and incorporated into the students’ knowledge. Regular work in the language lab allows the students opportunities to continue to practice and improve their oral and listening skills. Varied readings and authentic films lead to discussion and writing assignments in the target language. In addition to print and film media, spontaneous conversations will be an integral part of this course, promoting more fluid communication in Spanish.

SPANISH 4 HONORS (320) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Spanish 3 Honors

Guideline: Teacher recommendation Full year

This course serves as a bridge between the Spanish 3 Honors course, which is a textbook based proficiency course, and the Spanish 5 Honors course. The students are integrating the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in all lessons, and use the target language as the principal means of communication, as well as the object of study. Regular work in the language lab allows the students additional opportunities to continue to practice and improve their oral and listening skills. The main components of the course are communicative refinement, study of complex grammar, vocabulary expansion, literary reading comprehension, and continued cultural study of the Spanish/Latin American people. Literary readings, including selections from the Spanish Advanced Placement reading list, lead to longer and more sophisticated writing. This is a multitext course designed to meet the four main components, and to also give the students constant opportunities to express themselves in spoken and written Spanish, while continuing to develop insight into their own language and culture.

SPANISH 5 (322) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Spanish 4 Full year

Students in this course will focus on the improvement of their proficiency in the language with regard to all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) in alignment with the ACTFL Standards. Students’ speaking skills improve through the increased number of activities practiced in the language lab, as well as the use of Spanish as the only means of communication in the classroom. Various texts are used to provide the students with the opportunity to use the language in a truly communicative way. Students may attend the Bridgeport “Read-Aloud” program at Waltersville Elementary School once a week. Students also benefit from access to the Internet to obtain authentic material and information from various Spanish-speaking countries where the target language is spoken.

SPANISH 5 HONORS (324) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Spanish 4 Honors Full year

Guideline: Teacher recommendation

Students in this course further develop the ability to comprehend formal and informal spoken Spanish, as well as improving their ability to understand more authentic written work. They learn to express their ideas and beliefs concerning their lives and the readings, with accuracy and fluency. Short stories, poetry, and drama are explored and discussed in the target language and the students continue to improve their writing ability through frequent compositions based on these readings and class discussions. Grammar is consistently reviewed, and correct grammar usage is expected as it is integrated into all oral and written components of the program. Acquisition and daily use of new vocabulary are stressed and students are expected to incorporate these new words into their active vocabulary. Students will also use the language lab consistently in order to improve their listening and speaking proficiency.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT SPANISH LANGUAGE (326) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 4 Honors Full year

Guideline: Completion of Span. 4 Hnrs. with at least an A-, teacher

recommendation, or meeting standard on a departmental assessment.

A college level course for the advanced student who has demonstrated competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and who has a fundamental knowledge of the culture of Spanish-speaking peoples.

The objectives of the course are:

· the ability to comprehend formal and informal spoken Spanish;

· the acquisition of vocabulary, and a grasp of structure to allow easy, accurate reading of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as modern Hispanic literature;

· the ability to compose expository passages;

· the ability to express ideas orally with accuracy and fluency.

Students are expected to take the Advanced Placement Examination in May. Students will use the language lab consistently in order to improve their aural, oral, and speaking proficiency, and also to prepare for the exam in May. Credit for this course is given only to students who complete the yearlong course at Staples High School. There exists a possibility students may be able to use their Spanish outside of school in fieldwork as community service. This course has a summer reading requirement.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT SPANISH LITERATURE (328) 1 credit

Prerequisite: Completion of A.P. Spanish Language Full year

Guideline: Completion of A.P. Span.Lang. with at least an A-, teacher recommendation or

meeting standard on a departmental assessment

The A.P. Spanish Literature course is designed to introduce students who have advanced language skills to the formal study of a representative body of literary texts in Spanish. All literature will be studied as it was written, and no abridged, simplified, or translated versions will be allowed. Spanish will be the only means of communication in the class, both by the teacher and the students.

This program is an introduction to representative works of prose, poetry, and drama from different periods. Students will become aware of the cultural context of the works read. They will also acquire the basic concepts and terminology of textual analysis. By learning to identify and interpret the various elements that enter into the composition of a literary text and to perceive their relationships, students will acquire a fuller understanding and appreciation of the art and significance of literature. This course has a summer reading requirement.