World Languages
Quick Facts
Overview
This is a frequently asked question. According to the ADFL, Association of Departments of Foreign Language “Discover new worlds! Get an insider's view of another culture and a new view of your own. Studying a new language, reading other people's stories, and connecting with people in their own language can be a source of pleasure and surprise. Connect with other cultures. Learning about other cultures will help you expand your personal horizons and become a responsible citizen. Your ability to talk to others and gain knowledge beyond the world of English can contribute to your community and your country.
Did you know that studying a second language can improve your skills and grades in math and English and can improve entrance exam scores -- SATs, ACTs, GREs, MCATs, and LSATs? Research has shown that math and verbal SAT scores climb higher with each additional year of foreign language study, which means that the longer you study a foreign language, the stronger your skills become to succeed in school. Studying a foreign language can improve your analytic and interpretive capacities.
More and more businesses work closely with companies in other countries. They need many different kinds of workers who can communicate in different languages and understand other cultures. No matter what career you choose, if you've learned a second language, you'll have a real advantage.
Philosophy
The World Languages Department at Our Lady of Mercy promotes the dignity and worth of other people by teaching students to communicate in languages other than English, by helping our students gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures, and by familiarizing with multilingual communities at home and around the world. We strive to develop language and critical thinking skills in all our students to foster the development of successful, thinking adults.
Goals
1. Communication: Students of all ability levels should have the opportunity to acquire proficiency in the use of any or all the language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), whether the communication takes place face to face or across centuries through the reading of literature.
2. Cultures: Through a study of the cultural contexts in which the language occurs, students will gain insight into the thought patterns and the social institutions of others.
3. Connections: The study of foreign languages will aid in the development of critical thinking skills. Multilingual students will gain access to a wider variety of new sources of information than would otherwise be available to them.
4. Comparisons: Students will learn how language reflects certain value systems associated with particular behavior patterns in their own culture as well as those of the target culture. In addition, students will come to understand how languages operate as communication systems by comparing their own language with the target language.
5. Community: Students will acquire a means for obtaining an international education. They will learn to adapt to varied environments and to recognize the values of other communities.
Course Offerings
- French I
- French II
- Honors French III
- AP French Language and Culture
- Spanish I
- Spanish II
- Honors Spanish II
- Honors Spanish III
- AP Spanish Language and Culture
- Latin I
French I
Offered to 9th-12th grade students
French I is designed to introduce the French language to beginning language students. At the end of the course, students will be able to converse about themselves, their activities, the weather, and their family. They will be able to use present and past tenses in speaking and writing.
French II
Offered to 9th – 12th grade students with Department Approval
French II is designed to continue the study of language begun in French I. At the end of the course, students will review the structures of French I they learned, including the past and future tenses. Students will be able to converse in simple conversations about themselves, their school life, and family and will continue to develop reading and writing skills.
Honors French III
Offered to 10th-12th grade students with Department Approval
Honors French III continues the study of language begun in French I and II. At the end of the course, students will have reviewed the past grammatical structures of French II, refined their use of the two primary past tenses, learned the future, conditional and subjunctive tenses, and refined their use of object and relative pronouns and reflexive verbs. Students will be able to discuss authentic text, film, and art. Students will prepare projects and oral presentations on artists, French history, geography, and literature.
AP French Language and Culture
Offered to 11th-12th grade students with Department Approval
In this course students develop a strong command of the French language, with proficiency in integrating language skills and synthesizing written and aural materials. Also, they will refine their formal writing process, and participate in extensive interpersonal and presentational speaking and writing practices as well as develop their aural comprehension skills through quality authentic, and level appropriate audio and video recordings. They are further exposed to the world of literature and current events of French-speaking countries through authentic written texts, including newspapers and magazine articles, literary texts and other nontechnical writings that develop students’ reading and comprehension abilities. Class is conducted completely in French and includes frequent writing and integration of skills with a rigorous review of grammatical structures. Advanced organizational and analytical strategies are taught. An array of resources is used to facilitate the learning. All students must take the Advanced Placement test in May.
Spanish I
Spanish II
Offered to 9th-12th grade students with Department Approval
Spanish II continues the study of language introduced the previous year, with emphasis on vocabulary development, more proficient reading, conversational skills, writing, and grammar skills. Students are introduced to the geography and culture of the Spanish-speaking world.
Honors Spanish II
Offered to 9th-12th grade students with Department Approval
Honors Spanish II students will study language and culture on a more advanced level and at an accelerated pace. Students must exhibit enthusiasm for the study of Spanish and a desire to communicate in Spanish during class at all times. Emphasis is placed on communicative proficiency (speaking and writing) as well as interpretive proficiency (listening and reading); students engage in regular group discussions in Spanish. Technology is integrated, and audio and print materials serve to build and reinforce listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The course is taught mostly in Spanish.
Honors Spanish III
AP Spanish Language and Culture
Offered to 11th – 12th grade students with Department approval
In this course students develop a strong command of the Spanish language, with proficiency in integrating language skills and synthesizing written and aural materials. Also, they will refine their formal writing process and participate in extensive interpersonal and presentational speaking and writing practices. They will develop their aural comprehension skills through quality authentic, and level appropriate audio and video recordings. They are further exposed to the world of literature and current events of Spanish-speaking countries through authentic written texts, including newspapers and magazine articles, literary texts and other nontechnical writings that develop students’ reading and comprehension abilities. Class is conducted completely in Spanish and includes frequent writing and integration of skills with a rigorous review of grammatical structures. Advanced organizational and analytical strategies are taught. An array of resources is used to facilitate the learning. All students must take the Advanced Placement test in May.
Latin I
Offered to 9th-12th grade students
A beginning Latin I course will help students acquire basic Latin grammar concepts and vocabulary, develop good language study habits, see the relationship between Latin and other languages, especially English, and explore Roman culture. Latin I is an elective and may not be used to fulfill the Foreign Language graduation requirement.
Prerequisite: None