[classical & foreign language]
In this increasingly global society, knowledge of classical and foreign languages is an essential skill for tomorrow’s leaders. The classical and world languages program consists of the study of Latin in the middle school and French in the upper school, with additional languages to be added in the near future. The knowledge of Latin provides students with a link to a rich cultural and historical past and a fuller understanding of modern languages. The study of Latin allows students to improve vocabulary and to gain greater understanding of the structure of language, improving their grasp of English and preparing them for the upper school foreign language program.
Fluency in foreign languages and familiarity with foreign cultures enable students to think beyond their own experience. The study of a foreign language widens students’ understanding of the great works of literature as students learn to read works as they were originally written. The French curriculum develops students’ ability to speak, write, read, and comprehend an unfamiliar language. Travel abroad programs are encouraged to further an in-depth appreciation of different cultures.
[courses]
Latin I
Latin I prepares students to learn the fundamentals of Latin grammar and acquire a basic Latin vocabulary as they move through Book I of the Ecce Romani textbook series. Topics covered include verb tenses, the active and passive voice, all declensions, and basic sentence structure. Mastering both English and Latin grammar, as well as increasing vocabulary, is also a focus of Latin I. Latin I is required for all grade seven students.
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Latin II
Latin II continues the Ecce Romani series through Book II. Using thematic readings, advanced grammatical concepts are covered, including participles, indirect discourse, the passive voice and the uses of the subjunctive. The setting of the readings remains Rome, and cultural topics include crime in Rome, the baths, the Colosseum, the Roman family, and Roman education. Latin II is required of all grade eight students who have successfully completed Latin I.
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French I
In this course, students will learn the basic elements of communication in French. They will memorize phrases and learn to construct simple questions and answers. They will learn to give simple descriptions of people and things and simple explanations as to why something is done. Likewise, students will narrate events in the present and begin to narrate events in the past.
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French II
In this course, students will learn to speak more creatively than in French I. They will give more detailed descriptions, including simple comparisons. Students will learn to narrate events in the past and in the future while also learning to express personal wishes and needs. Students begin learning how to construct essays and papers in French.
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French III
In this course, students will practice extended conversation using complex sentences and appropriate pronouns. They will draw more complex comparisons of people, things, and actions than in French II. Students will practice extended narration of past, present, and future events and corresponding conditions while also learning to express emotions, wishes, and hypotheses in complex sentences. Literature read includes Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince.
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French IV
In this course, students will practice the four skills of French Language: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. They will build on skills developed in French I-III in order to gain more fluency of speech and a mastery of written French while continuing to read and analyze French literature. Literature read includes Voltaire’s Candide and Camus’ The Stranger.
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