International Languages
The primary aim of the International Language program is to present world languages as essential living tools for communication, given the global community in which we live. Employing proficiency-based methods, students develop the ability to use other languages in realistic situations following the standards of communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities while developing the skill areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The knowledge, insight, and appreciation they gain for other cultures allows students to develop empathy by broadening their understanding of how others live, think, and interact in ways different to their own.
Students build a solid linguistic scaffolding in MS, which ultimately enables them in HS to appreciate authentic, unabridged works in various media, and to express themselves with confidence and proficiency in communicating in another language. Sacred Heart schools are part of a dynamic international network with a well-established global exchange and service program. High school students may study abroad, and all FR families are invited to host exchange students.
2021-2022 Course Offerings
Middle School: 7th-8th Grade
Students begin their formal study of French, Mandarin or Spanish in seventh grade and will have completed the equivalent of a first-year high-school language class by the end of 8th grade. Students who successfully complete both 1a and 1b courses in a single language will advance to level two French, Spanish, or Mandarin as ninth graders. These high-school level courses demand a certain amount of rigor and developmental readiness. Homework of about twenty to thirty minutes per class includes listening and speaking exercises, written exercises, memorization to the point of recall, compositions, and other tasks.
French 1A
Students in French IA study a series of units which encourages immediate use of practical expressions and appreciation of culture in the French-speaking world. Themes include school, daily life, home and family, and food and meals. Students learn parts of speech in French and how they function together to communicate in the present and near-future tense. Through texts, discussion, partner work, games, Internet resources, and audio files and videos, all four language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking- are practiced daily. This proficiency-based program offers in-class opportunities for students to engage in communicative activities as they work towards mastering instructional objectives. Students use a shared OneNote notebook to organize resources, notes, and homework.
French 1B
In French IB students continue building on their language skills and on the content they have acquired in the 7th grade course. Level 1B expands the communication skills already acquired and broadens awareness of history and culture in the Francophone world. Through texts, discussion, partner work, games, Internet resources, audio files and videos, all four language skills- reading, writing, listening, and speaking- are practiced daily. Our program offers in-class opportunities for students to engage in communicative activities as they work towards mastering instructional objectives. Students use a shared OneNote notebook to organize resources, notes, and homework.
Prerequisites: successful completion of French 1A
Mandarin 1A
The first year of Mandarin is designed to guide students to effectively learn the fundamentals of Chinese used in daily life in China. Students learn to read and write simplified characters as well as tones and Pinyin, the official Romanization from China, which is widely used in Chinese language programs. Various learning activities related to real-life situations and cultural introductions are also included in the class through class activities and multimedia. The class is aimed to enable students to obtain basic communication skills; and students will understand and appreciate the culture of the Chinese-speaking countries.
Mandarin 1B
Mandarin 1B is designed to apply what students have studied in the first year of Mandarin. Supplemental materials help students learn the most common practical vocabulary and expressions that are not in the textbook. In class, we will focus on tones for the purpose of improving pronunciation. Emphasis is on developing students’ conversation, reading of characters and writing skills. Ultimately, we will advance more on communication tasks and writing with a computer as it will be rewarding for the learners and improve their practical language skills. The integration of technology can assist in fostering students’ capabilities for Mandarin reading, listening, speaking and writing. Moreover, students will learn about Chinese culture and how to interact with Chinese people with proper social norms. Since students have already gained some foundation for the language, they will find this second year of learning to be rewarding!
Prerequisites: successful completion of Mandarin 1A
Spanish 1A
The approach to learning in Spanish is grammar and syntax-based, situational and cultural; the theme of each unit encourages immediate use of practical expressions and introduces new grammatical structures, including subject-verb-adjective agreement and the present tense. Supplementary activities include viewing videos in Spanish, introducing the students to art from different Spanish-speaking countries, and listening, comprehension and writing activities.
Spanish 1B
High School: 9th-12th Grade
Graduation Requirement: 3.0 Credits (6 Semesters) of continuous study of the same language or the equivalent of a Level 3 proficiency with 4 Semesters completed in high school courses.
French
French I (equivalent to French 1a and 1b in the middle school)
Year-long
French I is an introductory course to the French language and Francophone culture. Students learn to communicate in the present and past about themselves, their family, their environment and many other aspects of daily life. Through a variety of communicative and proficiency-oriented activities in speaking, listening, reading and writing, this course aims to provide students with a solid foundation in the fundamental structures of the language as well as broaden their cultural understanding.
Prerequisite: None
Grade level: Open to all students
Credit Earned: 1.0 International Language
French II
Level II expands the communication skills already acquired in Level I and increases cultural awareness of the different areas of France and the Francophone world. Students learn to express themselves using different tenses and modes. Class activities include pair-work, video clips, skits, short compositions and cultural readings, as well as one-on-one interviews. The course is conducted as much as possible in French with an emphasis on proficient communication in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of French I or Forest Ridge teacher recommendation
Grade level: Open to all students
Credit Earned: 1.0 International Language
French III
In Level III students continue to develop their communicative competence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students interact with authentic materials such as short films, articles, literature excerpts, and online language learning activities to develop listening comprehension, oral competence, and sociocultural communicative proficiency. This class is mostly conducted in French.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of French II
or Forest Ridge teacher recommendation
Grade level: Open to all students
Credit Earned: 1.0 International Language
Course format for French IV and V will be determined by enrollment. Insufficient enrollment means the course will be offered through One Schoolhouse. Student will be notified of format before the school year begins.
French IV
Year-long
Students develop the awareness of cultural, social, and political issues. This course allows students to communicate effectively in a range of situations, demonstrating linguistic competence and international understanding. Using a variety of media (readings, TV broadcasts, video clips) and text types (essays, articles, debates, brochures), students continue to work on the development of oral and written expression in order to be able to express themselves accurately and resourcefully in French, using correct register and format for a variety of written text types which include - formal - informal letters, journal entries, articles, interviews, speeches etc. Interactive oral activities, personal research and presentations are also included. This class is conducted in French and students are expected to communicate only in French.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of French III
or Forest Ridge teacher recommendation
Grade level: Open to all students
Credit Earned: 1.0 International Language
French V - Survey of French Literature
For 11th-12th grade students who have completed French IV and have a recommendation from a Forest Ridge language teacher. This course is designed to familiarize the students with significant works and authors in literature from the Middle Ages through the 20th century, and the historical, cultural, and social factors which influenced literary trends and movements. Class activities include readings, analysis, and discussions of a variety of excerpts from plays, novels, poetry, and philosophical essays. Several plays and short novels will be read in their entirety. Activities also include presentations and short essays. This class is completely in French.
Grade level: 11 - 12
Credit Earned: 1.0 International Language
Mandarin
Mandarin I (Equivalent to Mandarin 1a and 1b in the middle school)
Chinese I is designed for students with little or no experience in learning Chinese. Students develop the basic language skills in a cultural context by understanding and responding to structured social conversations. Starting with the introduction of the Chinese language system including Pinyin, tones, radicals and characters, this course focuses on students' performance of producing simple sentences and brief paragraphs related to the topics of greeting, sharing personal information and preferences, introducing others, making plans about and discussing school life. The corresponding cultural knowledge is introduced at appropriate intervals to enrich students' understanding of Chinese culture.
Mandarin II
Chinese II students continue to improve their Chinese skills by using both structured and created language. Cultural connections are made at appropriate intervals to familiarize students with the Chinese speaking world. Students learn to initiate and participate in daily communication, apply new vocabulary and more complex sentence patterns to fulfill the functions of expressing individual needs, describe circumstances, compare the similarities and differences of phenomenon, and demonstrate culturally contextualized understanding. Students improve character literacy, authentic language production and cultural competency.
Mandarin III
Chinese III students develop their essential Chinese language skills while gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture through engaging with various audio, visual, textual materials and increasing authentic language application experience. The course is designed for students who have had at least two years of Chinese study, and takes them into structured communication through comprehensive skill-enhancement with abundant task-based practical grammatical structures and sentence patterns.
Mandarin IV
From One Schoolhouse: “Chinese III/IV is a rigorous class that prepares students for AP® Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese V course the following year. Students develop language competencies, while building proficiency in applying Mandarin in a variety of real-life situations. The course builds through unrehearsed listening and reading texts, engaging essays, authentic projects and virtual field trips. Classroom discussions and debates are added sequentially so that students develop both communication and language learning strategies. A variety of audio, visual, and textual materials are carefully selected based on the interests and preferences of the students, to reflect the diversity of students' lives, school experience, and personal/social issues. Students should be prepared for a range of collaborative and individual activities each week, including speaking in real time with each other and the instructor.”
Mandarin V: Introduction to Chinese Literature
From One Schoolhouse: “This course focuses on applying Chinese language and cultural skills in real-world problem situations, and experiencing a variety of topics in Chinese history, geography, music and arts, literature, daily life, and national and global issues. Students use team work, group online seminars, one-to-one extra help, and a variety of engaging activities and experiential projects to meet individual needs. Students gain the high language proficiency and cultural competency to compare, examine, evaluate and solve conflicts successfully.”
Mandarin for Business
Business Chinese aims to enhance learners’ Chinese language proficiency by introducing the common business expressions and terms, as well as teaching business case studies, both national and international, in Mandarin. In addition, this course discusses both success and lessons learned from international companies doing business in China. The course challenges learners to take previous Chinese knowledge and expand their linguistic skills so that they are competent and confident in applying their skills in the business field both orally and in writing. Students will acquire some basic knowledge of business terminology, core vocabulary, idioms, expressions, and commonly used business writing formats as well.
Moreover, this course gives students an opportunity to develop a better understanding of and recognize the importance of cultural competence in doing business in China. Students who are near native speakers or native Mandarin speakers with a strong interest in obtaining a better and deeper understanding of Chinese business situations, and students desiring to become proficient in using Chinese for business purpose are welcome.
Spanish
Spanish I (equivalent to Spanish 1a and 1b in the middle school)
This course is designed for students to begin development of their linguistic skills in a foreign language. The approach to learning in Spanish I is both situational and cultural, and the theme of each unit encourages immediate use of practical expressions and broadens awareness of Spanish-speaking people's culture. The proficiency-based program offers in-class opportunities for students to engage in communicative activities as they work toward mastering the instructional objectives. Interdisciplinary readings, video clips and skit preparations add variety to the program.
Spanish II
Spanish II students will continue expanding their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge of the Spanish language. The goal of this course, gradually conducted more and more in Spanish, is to increase the oral and written use of Spanish as well as to further listening and reading comprehension. In order to achieve these goals, students will work individually and in a team in several presentations, projects, songs, games and hands-on activities that will take them onto cultural fields such as Hispanic markets, legends, food, movies, and family and relationships.
Spanish III
Students in Spanish III will strengthen their vocabulary and grammatical tools of the Spanish language by reading and watching cultural documents and reflecting upon traditions of the Spanish speaking world. By the end of our course, mostly conducted in Spanish, students will be able to research and discuss environmental issues, social matters, technology conditions and professions. Through our adventure in Spanish, students exercise their analytical thinking in substantiating opinions, emotions and decision-making as a foundation for their global leadership role.
Spanish IV
In this advanced course, students continue to develop their conversational skills while increasing their mastery of correct grammatical usage and reading comprehension. Students research and discuss current events–not only in the Spanish speaking countries but in the global community–using newspaper and magazine articles. Supplementary activities include memorizing famous poems, reading short novels, stories and viewing video segments and films.
Spanish V
In this advanced course, students continue to develop their conversational skills while increasing their mastery of correct grammatical usage and reading comprehension. Students research and discuss current events not only in the Spanish speaking countries but in the global community, using newspaper and magazine articles. Supplementary activities include memorizing famous poems, reading short novels, stories and viewing video segments and films.
Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Year-long
This class is designed for students who have grown up speaking Spanish or who have learned to speak Spanish outside the formal classroom setting. Emphasis will be placed on reading and writing fluency as well as grammar mastery and presentation skills. Students will read short stories, poetry, children’s literature, and news articles and they will participate in regular journal writing. Readings, compositions, and discussions will focus on, but not be limited to, the following topics: the experience of a bilingual and/or multicultural upbringing; the Latin American diaspora and its representations in art, literature, and media; and notable Spanish-speakers and their contributions to the world.
*Course offerings are based on student interest and minimum enrollment requirements; therefore, some classes listed may not be offered every school year.