World Languages

“With languages, you are at home anywhere.”

- Edmund de Waal

With regard to students’ educational experience in our ever growing interdependent world, the ability to communicate in languages other than English is an advantage and a necessity in today’s ever growing international community.

The Language Department at Curtis High School offers four-year sequences in the languages of Spanish, Italian and French. The principal goals of foreign language instruction are to develop, advance and broaden students’ functional communicative skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language.

It is our goal to prepare students in our ever changing world by equipping them with a range of dynamic skills in order to become independent leaders in the world. To achieve these goals, teachers at Curtis High School create engaging and rigorous learning activities using authentic resources which support students in learning the target language.

The Foreign Language Department maintains a strong focus on broadening students’ understanding and appreciation of different cultures with the aim of developing an international citizenship. Our objective is to foster a student who is culturally and linguistically prepared to function in today’s world and linguistically capable of communicating confidently with speakers of diverse languages and cultural backgrounds.

IB Spanish Language B SL (Junior Year)

IB Spanish: Language B SL (Junior Year)

Course Code: FSS42B

Credit: 1 weighed credit per term (2 for the year)

Grade Level: 11

Prerequisites: Students are expected to speak, understand, read, and write in the target language using basic grammatical structures, vocabulary and verb forms in the present and the past tense.

Course Description: Language B approaches the learning of languages through meaning. Through the study of the five themes (identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, and sharing the planet) at standard level, students build the necessary skills to reach the assessment objectives of the language B course through the development of their receptive, productive, and interactive skills. The main focus of this course is language acquisition and development of language skills. Throughout this course students will improve proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing through the use of authentic material, theme-based units, and advanced grammar.

Expectations: Over the course of the next two years, the students will explore five themes required by the International Baccalaureate Organization. These five themes provide students with opportunities to communicate about matters of personal, local, national, and global contests.

IB Spanish: Language B SL (Senior Year)

Course Code: FSS44B

Credit: 1 weighed credit per term (2 for the year)

Grade level: 12

Prerequisites: Students should have completed Spanish levels 1-3, including the World Language Comprehensive Exam, as well as IB Spanish Language B SL Junior Year.

Course description: Language B is a language acquisition course designed for students with some previous experience of the target language. Students further develop their ability to communicate through the study of language, themes and texts. During the Senior Year, students learn more complex formats and further their knowledge about the five themes previously introduced during their Junior year. Students continue to develop their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, as well as their conceptual understanding of how language works, in order to construct, analyze and evaluate arguments on a variety of topics relating to course content and the target language culture.

Expectations: Students will be expected to communicate clearly and effectively in a range of situations, demonstrating linguistic competence and intercultural understanding. They will understand and use the language to express and respond to a range of ideas with accuracy and fluency. They will be expected to understand, analyze, and respond to a range of written and spoken texts.

IB Italian: Language B SL (Junior Year)

IB Italian B SL (Junior Year)

Course code: FTS41B, and FTS42B

Credit: 1 weighed credit per term (2 for the year)

Grade Level: 11

Prerequisites: (Coming Soon)

Course Description: IB Italian is a two years course that satisfies the IB diploma Program and LOTE requirements. Language B is a language acquisition where students develop their communication ability by studying language, themes, and texts. There are five prescribed themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, and sharing the planet. The IB program aims to develop international-mindedness through studying languages, cultures, ideas, and issues of global significance.

Furthermore, it enables students to communicate in the language they have studied in various contexts and for multiple purposes. During Junior year, students learn the less complex formats and are introduced to the five themes. Students will be ready for The LOTE , and the IB assessments that are conducted during their Senior year by exploring and studying the formats and the five themes.

Expectations: Students will be expected to read authentic material in the target language and analyze texts to improve their reading comprehension. They will listen to authentic conversations and podcasts in target language to enhance their listening and comprehension skills. They will engage in conversations that improve their speaking skills and write papers using the format learned.

IB Italian: B SL (Senior Year)

IB Italian B SL (Senior Year)

Course Code : FTS43B, and FTS44B

Credit: 1 weighed credit per term (2 for the year)

Grade Level: 12

Prerequisites: Students should have completed Italian levels 1-3, including the World Language Comprehensive Exam, as well as IB Italian Language B SL Junior Year.

Course Description: During the Senior Year, students learn more complex formats and further their knowledge about the five themes previously introduced during their Junior year. They research holidays and traditions, and compare them to their own. Students are required to compare and contrast the culture of the United States, Italy and their own.

Expectations: Students will be required to learn how to describe images in detail, and answer questions related to the topic of the image. Students will read authentic material such as newspaper articles, reviews, and other formal papers that are written for and by native speakers. Students will be required to listen to authentic materials, such as an interview or a phone call conversation. Lastly, students will be required to create written responses of 250-400 words using a specific format and following assigned prompts.

CARY BARRETT

Assistant Principal

World Language Teacher

Email: [email protected]

SAMIRA ABERKANE

ENL Teacher

Email: [email protected]

PAOLA-VITTORIA BOLOGNA

World Language Teacher

Email: [email protected]

RICHARD BURTON

World Language Teacher