Spanish, French and Chinese

Level 1 Courses

Level 1 courses are designed for novice students with no prior knowledge of the target language. Students acquire and interact in the language, as it is spoken and written in the target culture. The emphasis of the course is real life communication.

Level 2 Courses: Anticipated placement for incoming Freshmen

At Language 2 levels, the communication skills are reinforced and developed further. There is more concentration on reading and writing. Also included are studies of grammar, vocabulary, and idiom development in theme-based units. Level 2 courses are recommended for students who have successfully completed the Fair Lawn middle school program.

Level 3 Courses

Increased reinforcement and development of communication skills already introduced in Levels 1 and 2. Students (as Freshmen) are invited to self-nominate for Level 3 course placement. Incoming freshmen who exude a passion for learning languages, excel in their middle school courses and/or are heritage speakers are encouraged to enroll. More complex linguistic structures are introduced and students are expected to speak, read, and write at a higher level within context familiar topics.

Level 4 College Placement and Honor Courses

Level 4 College Placement and Honors courses emphasize extensive reading, writing, and discussion. The courses stress pronunciation and increasing linguistic proficiency. Students are introduced to authentic literary texts and continue the study of target language history. Varied writing assignments or oral presentations are assigned based on readings and thematic topics. Students also become familiar with famous personalities in the target language speaking world. Students who are considering higher levels of language acquisition are encouraged to enroll in Level 4 Honor courses. Students taking Spanish 4 Honors and French 4 Honors have the opportunity to participate in the Middle College Program, where students may receive credits from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Level 5 Honor Courses

The level 5 Honors courses are designed for intermediate language learners. Instruction focuses on developing reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills where students will explore thematic units which are each anchored by an essential question and a cumulative goal to benchmark the development of language proficiency. Students will engage in lessons that are differentiated, interactive, and characterized by authenticity. The students will be exposed to and will explore a variety of authentic resources, informational texts and electronic sources. Assessment will be ongoing and will include performance-based tasks, reading comprehension and writing samples that further demonstrate and confirm the acquisition of language skills.

AP Courses

AP Courses are college caliber courses in which students are expected to communicate exclusively in the target language. In addition to reading and analyzing authentic texts, students prepare for the Advanced Placement Language Exam, which is given in May. Readings are chosen from various literary genres and are selected from the AP suggested reading list. Frequent writing assignments, high-level discussions in the target language, research, and presentations help students succeed on this exam. Assessment will be ongoing and will include performance-based tasks, reading comprehension and writing samples that further demonstrate and confirm the acquisition of intermediate mid to advanced low proficiency language skills (ACTFL guidelines).