Course Descriptions
The World Language Department offers sequential courses in French, Italian, Spanish and Spanish Language Arts. Students who begin their study of French, Italian, Spanish or SLA at the middle school can continue their study at the high school. Additionally, students are encouraged to add the study of a new world language along with their continued study of language from middle school.
MODERN WORLD LANGUAGES
The course content in all languages has been developed in accordance with the New York State standards for Modern Languages. Using the communicative approach, with emphasis on oral proficiency, efforts are devoted to developing the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Using culturally authentic materials based on everyday situations, students develop the ability to communicate with increasing proficiency. The Communication Anchor Standard for all languages is broken down into three Standards; one for each mode of communication (Interpretive, Interpersonal, Presentational). The Cultures Anchor Standard is broken down into two Standards: the Relating Cultural Practices and Products to Perspectives standard and the Cultural Comparisons standard.
Link to Spanish Version
LEVEL 1 (SPANISH ONLY)
(1 unit) The emphasis in Spanish 1 is on understanding and speaking the language. Students work toward the mastery of these skills at an elementary level and are supported by reading and writing activities. The goal of all activities is to develop the ability to communicate in the world language. Structure of the language, vocabulary mastery, and culture of the countries in which each language is spoken are the basic components of course content.
LEVEL 2
(1 unit) The development of the basic skills is continued: reading, writing, speaking, listening and culture areas are expanded. Prerequisite: Successful completion of level 1 World Language
LEVEL 3
(1 unit) While maintaining emphasis on listening and oral skills, reading and writing are given particular additional attention at this level. Students take the Checkpoint B Examination at the end of Level Three. Successful completion of this level and a passing grade on the locally developed assessment fulfill a basic requirement encouraged by many colleges and universities. Prerequisite: Successful completion of level 2 World Language, or exemplary completion of MS Level 1 (90+ overall average). Suggested Guidelines: Teacher recommendation
LEVEL 4H
(1 unit) All four language skills are expanded as students begin their advanced level of study. Reading and writing competency receive increased emphasis. Readings may include short stories, short novels, selections from periodicals, and short plays. A survey of art, history and contemporary society (in the target countries) is an integral part of the course content. A major goal at this level is a substantive increase in the students’ oral proficiency and the target language is used almost exclusively in class. Prerequisite: Successful completion of level 3 World Language
COLLEGE FRENCH / ITALIAN / SPANISH H (WCC Level 201)
(1 unit) Students may earn 3 college credits upon successful completion of this course. All four language skills continue to be expanded at an advanced level of study. Readings may include novels, plays, short stories, and poetry, as well as periodicals which stress current aspects of cultural studies. Films related to various cultural topics are included to stimulate class discussions in the target language. Increased attention is given to the development of fluent oral communication, as well as expository writing in the language. This class is the culmination of high school level work for seniors and for juniors who plan to take the college level Advanced Placement course in their senior year. Prerequisite: Successful completion of World Language level 4H
AP LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
(1 unit) The Advanced Placement Course in French, Italian and Spanish is a senior level course for those who wish to pursue college level studies in high school. The course will stress development of comprehension of spoken French/Italian/Spanish in conversational situations, mastery of vocabulary necessary to comprehend contemporary literature and periodicals, and the fluent expression of ideas orally and in writing. Students in this course will take the Advanced Placement Examination given by the College Board in May. Prerequisite: Successful completion of college level Honors Language or special permission from the World Language Dept. based on an evaluation of previous course work and the completion of summer study.
SPANISH LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAM
SPANISH LANGUAGE 1
(1 unit) This course is an introduction of Spanish for native or heritage speakers who speak spanish informally but with no previous study of the language. This course will be conducted entirely in Spanish. Students will acquire basic grammar, build vocabulary and practice formal conversation using academic language. AVID based strategies will be utilized to help students succeed in an academic setting. During the course of study we will focus on developing students' communicative skills as well as their understanding of Hispanic culture in the United States. This course will serve the needs of a wide range of cultural and academic backgrounds. Upon completion of this course students will be prepared to enroll in the more advanced and demanding levels of the Spanish Language Arts sequence.
SPANISH LANGUAGE 2
(1 unit) The goal of the course is to continue building literacy skills in Spanish, all of which are easily transferable to the development of skills in the area of English Language Arts. Grammar and academic vocabulary will be taught in context through the reading of short stories, periodicals, thematic essays and poetry. Students will continue to improve their reading and writing skills focusing on the use of academic language across language modalities. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish Language 1
SPANISH LANGUAGE 3
(1 unit) All four language skills continue to be expanded at an advanced level of study. Readings may include novels, plays, short stories, and poetry, as well as periodicals which stress current aspects of cultural studies. Increased attention is given to the development of fluent oral communication, as well as expository writing in the language. This next sequential course of SLA studies is also available to students in 9th grade who have demonstrated exemplary completion of SLA 1 at the middle school. Teacher recommendations are conducted via department evaluation of the student’s performance in their middle school level 1 SLA class. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish Language 2 or exemplary completion of MS Spanish Language 1 (90+ overall average). Suggested Guidelines: Teacher recommendation.
COLLEGE SPANISH LANGUAGE H (WCC Level 201)
(1 unit) Students may earn 3 college credits upon the successful completion of this course. This is a full year course recommended for students who have successfully completed the SLA 3 course at the high school. Students will explore the literature of Spain, Central and South America, as well as the culture, history, geography, politics and economics of these countries. They will also develop their skills in expository writing and will master the more sophisticated and complex grammatical structures of the Spanish language. Attention will be given to public speaking, preparing oral presentations and reports, and to overall communications skills. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish Language 3. Suggested Guidelines: Teacher recommendation.
COLLEGE SPANISH LANGUAGE 2H (WCC Level 202)
(1 unit) Students may earn 3 college credits upon the successful completion of this course.* They will explore Latin American and Spanish culture through film, developing their interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal skills in Spanish. Students will gain an appreciation of how cinema has evolved in Spain and Latin America, as well as an understanding of film as a reflection of societal influences and historical events. Students will analyze the literary elements and themes of each film, engaging in critical discussions from various perspectives. Students will acquire vocabulary and grammar tools to participate in formal and informal discussions on film-related topics, supported by regular writing exercises to improve their writing abilities. By the end of the course, students will have gained confidence in listening comprehension, fluency, and accuracy in Spanish. This course is taught entirely in Spanish and can be taken in conjunction with or in place of an AP course. Prerequisite: Successful completion of College Spanish Language H or College Spanish H.
AP SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE (SLA Program)
(1 unit) This is a full year course recommended for students who have successfully completed both SLA 3 and SUNY Advanced Spanish 1. Students will continue to explore and analyze the literature of Spain and South America while advancing their knowledge of Hispanic culture. Students will develop their skills in creative writing, analytical writing, expository writing, reading comprehension and listening comprehension. They will continue to improve oral communication skills as well. All advanced and complex grammatical structures will be mastered. Students will take the AP Exam in Spanish Language in May. Prerequisite: Successful completion of College Spanish Language H
AP SPANISH LITERATURE (SLA Program)
(1 unit) This is a full year capstone course available to all students who have successfully completed the SLA sequence of courses as well as AP Spanish Language and Culture. Students will read authentic editions of selected works from the literatures of Spain and Spanish America during the Medieval and Golden Ages as well as the 19th and 20th centuries. Although the course will be taught as a college level survey course, the principal authors read will include Cervantes, Juan Manuel, Tirso de Molina, Garcilaso de la Vega, Bécquer, Darío, Martí, Pardo Bazán, Allende, Borges, Cortazar, Lorca, García Márquez, Machado, Neruda, Ulibarrí, and Unamuno. Students will read and analyze the literature orally and in writing. Students will learn to comprehend college type lectures; to participate actively in discussions on literary topics; to do close readings of literary texts of all genres; to analyze critically the form and content of literary works orally and in writing using appropriate terminology. Students will take the Advanced Placement exam in Spanish Literature. Prerequisite: Successful completion of AP Spanish Language and Culture (SLA program) . Suggested Guidelines: Teacher recommendation.
INTRODUCTION TO LATIN & GREEK
(1 unit) It is designed for sophomores, juniors, and seniors who would like to improve their linguistic skills and gain cultural and historical background about the Ancient World. Students will study Latin and Greek bases, prefixes and suffixes, with the goal of improving their reading comprehension skills and increasing their knowledge of English vocabulary. Students will use their newly expanded vocabulary to explore the more specialized vocabularies of science, math, history, geography, English and classical literature, business, government, sports, art, medicine and other modern languages. They will also be introduced to the culture and history of the ancient, classical societies of Rome and Greece through a study of celebrated literary works of the time.
ACCELERATED FRENCH, ITALIAN AND SPANISH
(1 unit) Accelerated language courses in new languages are available to students who have excelled in their current modern language. The emphasis is on building foundational skills and understanding and speaking the language. The goal of all activities is to develop the ability to communicate in the world language. Structure of the language, vocabulary mastery, and culture are the basic components of course content. The pace is quick, as students are learning a great deal of new material within a short period of time, with classmates who have a more extensive background in the particular language. These courses are recommended for tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students who wish to pursue a second language. Special teacher recommendation will be based upon department evaluation of the student’s performance in his/her first modern language class. Students who are recommended for this course demonstrate superior language aptitude and have performed at the highest level in their previous language studies at Fox Lane. Co-Requisite: Students are required to maintain their enrollment in their first modern language course in order to be accepted into these accelerated programs.
CONVERSATIONAL ITALIAN
(1/2 Unit) This Italian semester elective course offers a way to learn language through contextual conversation. It creates a natural continuum within the language learning path of our students by placing an emphasis on leveraging acquired or heritage skills to then build a new expansion into a 3rd language. This course will teach vocabulary and communication in context to students who already have a solid base in a romance language. This course will be delivered through thematic units which are geared toward conversational skills in everyday settings using the Italian language. Connections will be made between the romance languages of the student's backgrounds and Italian to promote language acquisition. Suggested Guidelines: Students whose home language is Spanish, successful completion of at least 3 levels of a romance language (French or Spanish), or in conjunction with another language class.
WORLD CULTURE & CUISINE
(1/2 Unit) This course is open to students of all levels who are interested in learning about world cultures and their cuisine. Sample topics discussed are tourism, dialect, agriculture, famous people, and famous cuisine. This is a great course for all the foodies who are interested in understanding age-old traditions as well as learning how to create their own delicacies at home with a deeper and more appreciative understanding of the cultures of the world and their history. Each unit will end with a culminating hands-on activity that will include the planning and preparation of regional dishes to celebrate different cultures and the community we will build within our classroom. As further enrichment, students will be exposed to a culture’s language through vocabulary and idiomatic expression. Suggested Guidelines: Successful completion of a world language through level 3 or in conjunction with another language class.
Link to Department Curriculum Maps