Modern Languages

French I

This course is designed for new students of French and for those within a novice, low-mid level of proficiency. Students will develop basic communicative skills in the four key areas of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students hone their comprehension skills through reading, listening and watching authentic texts and media and will engage in presentational and interpersonal tasks in order to enhance and fine tune their output in the target language. Vocabulary acquisition, verb use and grammar essentials are embedded in communicative tasks. In the course of their language learning, students will explore French and francophone cultures. The course is generally conducted in French, but some topics may be introduced in English. Students will gain skills in different language functions such as describing people and places, expressing personal opinions, preferences, and feelings, asking and responding to questions, telling stories and other basic skills to launch their proficiency journey. The course is aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

French II

In French II, students continue to develop their skills in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing French. By participating in a variety of communicative classroom activities, reading texts in French, listening to songs and videos, learning and reviewing grammar structures, and writing short compositions and journal entries, students can develop basic French language proficiency with the goal of moving from the novice to intermediate level. Topics covered may include: description and narration of imaginative characters and stories, household chores and responsibilities, food and shopping, childhood and family, and history and culture of French-speaking communities around the world.

French III

Building on the skills learned in French II, students learn to narrate in all of the major time frames, to describe people and places, and to communicate with increased confidence about topics such as home, school, work, health, and current events. Students increase their accuracy and create more sophisticated language by using conjunctive adverbs, simple and complex relative pronouns, and the conditional and subjunctive modes to communicate in cohesive, paragraph-length discourse. Students select topics for research; write short stories, poems, letters and summaries; and engage in conversation informally and through discussions, debates, round table discussions and skits. Students learn to calibrate the register and tone of their communicating to reach their audience. In the spring, students embark on the study of French literature, including letters of Madame de Sévigné, fables of Jean de la Fontaine, and modern rewritings of these seminal texts. Students complete the year by writing and illustrating fables of their own.

French IV

Building on the skills acquired in French III, this course delves into French and Francophone literature, culture and civilization of the 20th and 21st centuries. Source materials include short stories, poems, plays, novels, songs, and films. They include works from the following literary currents: visual poetry, existentialism, the theater of the absurd, la Négritude, the new novel, l’écriture feminine and recent Francophone works. Students study geography, history and developments in the arts, sciences, and philosophy to gain a deeper understanding of the works and to develop critical thinking skills. Students review and study major grammatical structures, read extensively, and develop increasing accuracy in written and oral expression through discussion of authentic literary texts and essay writing. Students work in groups and individually on topics of their choosing, learn to research in French and present on their findings, and engage in analytic and creative writing, as well as extensive discussions and debates of the course materials. The class is conducted exclusively in French.

Honors French Seminar B

French Honors Seminar is a course that aims to move students into the advanced level of proficiency. We offer a 4-year rotating thematic approach. Students have choices on how to show progression toward proficiency in their interpretive, presentational and interpersonal work, and they will be given the choice to work in an interdisciplinary manner to allow them to pursue their passions and to apply past knowledge to new situations. We also want our students to reach beyond the classroom. French Honors Seminar Modern Languages aims to give our students the opportunity to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds using authentic language appropriately. Through meaningful and pragmatic learning goals, a thematic approach and a curated collection of authentic texts, we hope to inspire our students to remain open minded, interested, and curious about diverse cultural perspectives, products and practices.

Chinese I

This course is designed for new students of Mandarin Chinese and for those within a novice, low level of proficiency. Students will develop basic communicative skills in the four key areas of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students hone their comprehension skills through reading, listening and watching authentic texts and media and will engage in presentational and interpersonal tasks in order to enhance and fine tune their output in the target language. The course is generally conducted in Mandarin Chinese, but some topics may be introduced in English. Students will gain skills in different language functions such as describing people and places, expressing personal opinions, preferences, and feelings, asking and responding to questions, telling stories and other basic skills to launch their proficiency journey. The course is aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

Chinese II

Chinese II continues to develop the language skills learned in Chinese I. Students should be able to explain cause and effect, compare and contrast ideas and objects, and participate in simple discussions on a wide variety of topics including personal care and entertainment, clothes shopping, sports and recreation, and telephone queries.

Chinese III

Chinese III begins with a review of grammatical concepts and usage learned in Chinese II. The class will continue to learn grammar that will enable them to express their opinions, intentions, desires, and personal interests. They will learn about gifts and holidays, weather, travel, dining and meals. Chinese will be the official language of the classroom.

Chinese IV

Chinese IV reviews the grammatical concepts and structures learned in Chinese III and uses those concepts as the building blocks for new and more complex constructions. Students continue to study characters and to develop more sophisticated reading and writing skills. Students read short stories and articles in Chinese adapted from authentic materials. Students practice conversational skills in a broad range of topics.

Honors Chinese Seminar B

Chinese Honors Seminar is a course that aims to move students into the advanced level of proficiency. We offer a 4-year rotating thematic approach. Students have choices on how to show progression toward proficiency in their interpretive, presentational and interpersonal work, and they will be given the choice to work in an interdisciplinary manner, so they can bring into the curriculum what they are learning in other classes as well as bringing in their own passions. We also want our students to reach beyond the classroom. Chinese Honors Seminars polishes students’ speaking, reading, and writing skills as they explore Chinese literature, philosophy, and current events. Through meaningful and pragmatic learning goals, a thematic approach and a curated collection of authentic texts, we hope to inspire our students to remain open minded, interested, and curious about diverse cultural perspectives, products and practices.

Spanish I

This course is designed for new students of Spanish and for those within a novice, low-mid level of proficiency. Students will develop basic communicative skills in the four key areas of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students hone their comprehension skills through reading, listening and watching authentic texts and media and will engage in presentational and interpersonal tasks in order to enhance and fine tune their output in the target language. The course is generally conducted in Spanish, but some topics may be introduced in English. Students will gain skills in different language functions such as describing people and places, expressing personal opinions, preferences, and feelings, asking and responding to questions, telling stories and other basic skills to launch their proficiency journey. The course is aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).

Spanish II

This course is designed to refine further students’ listening, speaking, writing, and study skills in a communicative classroom. Students will master and expand upon foundational skills by focusing on more detailed accuracy in their language acquisition, as well as decreasing their dependence on English thought and speech patterns. Increased emphasis will be placed on oral production and the ability to communicate in real-world situations on a vast range of familiar topics. Classes are held primarily in Spanish.

Spanish III

This course builds upon knowledge gained in Spanish I and Spanish II and emphasizes developing confidence in speaking through intensive conversation practice. Students will use Spanish as the principal means of communication during class. In addition to oral conversations, dialogues and oral presentations, students write short compositions and present research on a variety of cultural topics. Students are expected to expand their vocabulary range to include more sophisticated terms, use advanced idiomatic expressions, and manipulate multiple time frames. Students will work regularly with authentic texts (print text, audio files, podcasts, videos, and movies) that encompass a diversity of cultural products, practices and perspectives on a variety of familiar topics and topics of general interest.

Spanish IV

This course reviews complex grammatical structures, the acquisition of specialized vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, and the development of sound oral and written abilities in all three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. This course is theme-based. In close relationship with those themes, many different kinds of texts will be studied, analyzed and interpreted on each unit, from informal writing/oral texts, to newspaper articles, music, commercials, literature, and film. Students will verbally engage in class discussions and debates—always in the target language—and will frequently produce analytical responses, research papers and personal reflections about the topics presented in class, in both written and spontaneous speaking form. Descriptive, persuasive, expository, and narrative tasks will frequently be part of the student production, both in the classroom and as homework. Classes are held fully in Spanish.

Honors Spanish Seminar B

Spanish Honors Seminars is a course that aims to move students into the advanced level of proficiency. In our Spanish program, we offer a 4-year rotating thematic approach. In 2023-2024, our focus will be contemporary Latin American and Peninsular anti-establishment cultural products (art, literature, music, film, and other artistic performances). We explore the creative work of creators, authors and artists who deal with issues of gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and politics as a cultural response to diverse contemporary social conflicts in many different Spanish speaking communities. Through analysis, discussions and creative work, students delve into the diverse literature produced in Spanish since the 1980s. Our students will have a wide range of opportunities to engage in all three communicative modes. They will have differentiated choices on how to show progression toward proficiency in their interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal work. We also want our students to reach beyond the classroom. Spanish Honors Seminars aims to give our students the opportunity to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds using authentic language appropriately. Through a curated collection of authentic texts, movies, podcasts and other media products we hope to inspire our students to remain open minded, interested, and curious about diverse cultural perspectives, products and practices within all Spanish speaking communities.

Modern Language Teaching Assistants

Teaching assistants are vital contributors to our classes. TAs attend class each day, help students with practice problems and resolve homework difficulties, answer questions, and grade homework. In addition, they run review and extra-help sessions. As the year progresses, TAs plan and teach full lessons. 

GOA World Language classes do not fulfill our three-year language requirement. See Global Online Academy Modern Language offerings in the GOA 2023-24 Course Catalog.