Language Acquisition
FRENCH
French 8
In French 8, students will begin to develop their French writing, reading, listening and speaking skills at a basic level. They will begin to build their vocabulary and express themselves in the present tense, focusing on their preferences and their day-to-day lives. Evaluation will be based on writing, reading, oral communication, listening, project work and tests.
French 9
In this course students will continue to develop their writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. Students will be encouraged to express themselves “en francais” in the past, present and future tenses and will add to their vocabulary through a variety of themed units. Evaluation will be based on writing, reading comprehension, oral communication, listening, project work and tests.
French 10
In this course students will begin to master certain components of the French language and continue to improve their writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. New grammatical concepts will be learned and students will be expected to communicate at a higher level in both their written work and their speaking. Evaluation will be based on writing, reading comprehension, oral communication, listening, project work and tests.
French 11
In this course students will continue to master several components of the French language and to improve their writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. Expectations for written and oral output will be higher as students will begin to refine their language and be exposed to new and more sophisticated grammatical concepts and reading materials. Evaluation will be based on writing, reading comprehension, oral communication, listening, project work and tests.
French 12
In French 12, students will continue to master elements of the French language and to refine their writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. Students will read and respond to a variety of texts from the Francophone world as well as participate in a novel study. Evaluation will be based on writing, reading, comprehension, oral communication, listening, project work and tests.
JAPANESE
Japanese 8
This is an introductory course in the Japanese language for students with no prior knowledge of Japanese, the course can also support students for whom Japanese is a native or heritage language. Students will participate in Japanese conversations necessary to achieve objectives in school and social settings. Japanese culture will be emphasized throughout activities and discussions. Students will become proficient in reading and writing hiragana and katakana, two of the three major systems of written Japanese. Students will also learn the basic components of the third major writing system, Kanji (Chinese characters as they are used in Japanese.) Evaluation in the four skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing, will be based as closely as possible on situations one might encounter in Japan, or in other Japanese-speaking contexts.
Japanese 9
This course provides students with the opportunity to improve upon and extend their ability to listen to, read, write, and speak Japanese. Students will expand upon the range of situations in which they are able to communicate in Japanese effectively. Students will continue to learn how to use Kanji in a variety of contexts. Japanese culture will continue to form the basis upon which students identify, interpret and analyse a variety of authentic texts. Evaluation in the four skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing, will continue to be based on real-world scenarios.
Japanese 10
This course will further develop the students’ ability to communicate effectively in Japanese. They will be expected to read, comprehend, summarize, and respond to a variety of texts in both written and spoken Japanese. Kanji will continue to be introduced. Students will also be encouraged to further analyze the customs and values of the Japanese culture. Japanese culture will continue to be studied from an interdisciplinary perspective. Evaluation in the four skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing, will continue to be based on real-world scenarios.
Japanese 11
This course will further extend students’ capabilities to communicate in Japanese in an increasing number of situations and with progressive complexity. Students will continue their study of kanji. Evaluation in the four skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing will be based on quizzes, tests, compositions, and collaborative project work. project work. Recommended Preparation: Japanese 10 or an equivalent second year intermediate class from another school.
Japanese 11
This course will further extend students’ capacity to communicate in Japanese in an increasing number of situations and with progressive complexity. Students will continue their study of Kanji. Evaluation in the four skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing, will be based on quizzes, tests, compositions, and collaborative project work. Recommended Preparation: Japanese 10, Japanese Introductory 11, or an equivalent level of proficiency as determined by the instructor.
Japanese Introductory 11
The Introductory 11 course is an opportunity for students who have not taken Japanese in earlier years to begin studying Japanese. This is an intensive course, designed to cover essential language learning from Japanese 8 to Japanese 10 in an accelerated time frame so that students are prepared for Japanese 11. It is important to note that this course is not limited to Grade 11 students, and there are no prerequisites. A student is welcome to take this course in Grade 10, however, MYP requires that students take the same language for three years between Grades 8-10. As a result, they will not receive their MYP certificate if they choose to take this course in Grade 10.
Japanese 12
This course will allow students to refine their abilities to communicate in Japanese. They will master complex grammatical structures and many more Kanji. Evaluation in the four skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing, will be based on quizzes, tests, compositions, and collaborative project work. Recommended Preparation: Japanese 11 or equivalent proficiency as determined by the instructor.
AP Japanese 12
The AP Japanese Language and Culture is equivalent to an intermediate-level college course in Japanese. Students cultivate their understanding of Japanese language and culture by applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication in real-life situations as they explore concepts related to family and community, personal and public identity, beauty and aesthetics, science and technology, contemporary life, and global challenges. (College Board, 2024) Recommended Preparation: Japanese 11 and/or 12, or equivalent proficiency as determined by the instructor.
SPANISH
Spanish 8
This is an introductory course in Spanish that is ideal for students with little or no knowledge of the language. The main goal is to teach students high frequency verbs and vocabulary through a variety of methods, including music, movie-talks, short stories and level-appropriate novels. The course content also explores themes relating to the many cultures within the Spanish speaking world. By the end of the course students will have a good base of knowledge in the present-tense and will be able to communicate information on a variety of useful topics. Assessment will be focused on Writing, Reading, Listening, and Speaking.
Spanish 9
This course is intended for those who have successfully completed Beginner Spanish. As with the previous course, emphasis will be on listening, speaking, reading and writing. A positive attitude toward the learning of a second language and related culture will be fostered. Students will be able to communicate in the present and past tenses. Recommended Preparation: Spanish 8 or an equivalent first year introductory class from another school.
Spanish 10
This course will build on the skills developed in Spanish 8 & 9. Again, emphasis will be on listening speaking, reading, and writing. A positive attitude toward the learning of a second language and related culture will be fostered. Students will be able to communicate in the present and past preterit tenses. Recommended Preparation: Spanish 9 or an equivalent second year intermediate class from another school
Spanish 11
This course is not only a selected revision of the most important points covered in Spanish but also a purposeful program allowing the students to increase their ability to communicate in oral and written Spanish at a more serious level. All four language skills will be thoughtfully fostered through units on travel, childhood and health. At the end of Spanish 11, students will be able to communicate in the past, preterit imperfect and present tenses in a variety of situations that they could encounter in a Spanish-speaking country or culture. Recommended Preparation: Spanish 10 or an equivalent third year advanced class from another school
Spanish 12
Students will continue to improve and master their communicative skills in Spanish through practice and study of a variety of thematic units. Students will leave Spanish 12 with the ability to communicate using advanced grammar including the conditional, future, and imperfect tenses as well as the imperative and subjunctive moods. They will explore these structures through units on health, travel, and the environment. Recommended Preparation: Spanish 11 or an equivalent fourth year advanced class from another school.