Advanced Topics in Spanish is primarily designed to enhance students’ Spanish fluency and cultural competence about the Spanish-speaking world through literature, art, music, food, and other cultural elements. Some examples include Feminism, Resistance, LGBTQUIA activism, Early Modern Periods, La guerra sucia, Latinx activism in the US, the use of food as part of a nationalist project, and other topics as agreed to/requested by the class. In addition to the content of the class, there are grammatical points to be covered as part of the curriculum. Each cycle will be devoted to a specific theme or topic, with grammar “clinics” as needed based on the class’ performance and needs of the class.

The Advanced Placement French Language and Culture class stresses the use of language for active communication, with the following goals: increase comprehension of spoken French in various conversational situations; develop of a French vocabulary sufficient to read newspaper and magazine articles, literary texts and other writings without aid of a dictionary; and express oneself in French accurately and resourcefully both orally and in writing with reasonable fluency. Materials may include audio recordings, films, online newspapers and magazines as well as novels and poems. Writers studied include Antoine De Saint-Exupéry, Sartre, Nothomb, Duras, Ionesco, and Maupassant.

Prerequisites:

1. B+ or higher in French 4
2. Successful completion of summer work

AP Spanish Language and Culture is a course designed exclusively for advanced students who wish to participate in a class at a university level. Students may be able to receive college credit if they pass the AP exam in May. AP Spanish Language and Culture will continue to build on the students' proficiency in the language, and at the same time, prepare them for the Advanced Placement Spanish Language and Culture Examination. The course uses works by Hispanic writers from Latin America, Spain, and the United States, current magazines and newspaper articles, as well as videos in order to develop the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). The entire course will be conducted in Spanish, and students are expected to participate actively in classroom conversations.

Prerequisites:

1. B+ or higher in Spanish 4
2. Successful completion of summer work

The initial emphasis of this French course is a basic oral expression, but students work on all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) with the aim of developing their knowledge of French. Students refine simple narrative and descriptive abilities in the present and past tenses as well as the near future. By the end of the year, they should be able to hold conversations about daily activities such as school, sports, meals, and travel, family & friends, pastimes/interests. During the year, students broaden their control of vocabulary, grammar, and verb conjugations. In class, they discuss current events along with the culture and history of France and the francophone world.

This continuing-level French course blends the TPRS methodology (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) to teach fundamental grammatical structures, vocabulary, and pronunciation with the more traditional approach of using a high-quality textbook with print and online activities. Stories are used to introduce new words and sentence structures, and special attention is paid to narrating in past and future time. Students practice speaking and demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills by shaping stories together and acting out various character roles. A global perspective is encouraged through exposure to a variety of Francophone cultures. Short research projects encourage the use of digital technologies and analytical and creative thinking.

French 3 is a course that emphasizes a combination of conversation, reading, and writing, introducing more grammar and vocabulary to continue and increase the work began in French 1 and French 2. The course objective is to increase students' competence in French so by the end of the school year students will be able to converse, to read and understand French, and to express themselves, orally and in writing, all in an intermediate level of French. Students occasionally watch episodes of French news or movies all in the target language.

Offered in French, the main goal of French 4 is for students to learn how to express themselves eloquently in French. Students begin by telling stories, anecdotes about their lives; short stories in Le Petit Nicolas are used as a prompt and a model for theme and style. They move on to more descriptive narratives and more complicated verb tenses as the year progresses. For their final project, students write the biography of a classmate on the computer (with graphics, music etc.), record it and present it to the class. During the second trimester, students read tales and legends from the Francophone world. They continue to tell personal anecdotes based on themes suggested by the readings. They write and present an original fable for their final project. During the final trimester, students read and discuss St. Exupéry's Le Petit Prince. The work of the course is supplemented by exercises in advanced grammar, spontaneous skits, movies, cooking, personal essays, recorded stories, question and answer sessions, discussion of news articles, and paired, oral work.

The goal of this class is to use and improve spoken French. The methods and course materials are chosen to meet the needs and interests of the students enrolled and vary considerably from year to year. Students may spend one trimester reading  and discussing Harry Potter in French; they may spend another trimester writing and performing a radio play, using a computer program that allows them to alter their voices, add music and other sound effects; a third trimester might be devoted to a thematic study of French films-- film "noir" or films set in Paris, for example. These are topics that have been the recent focus of French 5 Advanced.

Spanish 1 is a beginning level language, writing and culture class. Designed to give students a strong foundation for further work in the language, the main focus of the class is the students’ comprehension of functional terms in Spanish. There is also a strong emphasis on speaking, writing and reading. The instructor presents the material in ways that are challenging, exciting, and fun; students who approach the material with enthusiasm and an open mind will reap the most rewards. In addition to language acquisition, the course aims to broaden the students’ understanding of the world.

Spanish 2 is a course that emphasizes a combination of conversation, reading, and writing, introducing more grammar and vocabulary to increase the work began in Spanish 1. The course objective is to increase students' competence in Spanish so by the end of the school year students will be able to converse, to read and understand introductory Spanish, and to express themselves, orally and in writing, all in basic Spanish.

Spanish 3 is primarily designed to improve speaking and listening skills while exposing students to the culture of Spain (as well as of other Spanish-speaking countries), and sophisticated grammar​. The use of “realia”, “survival Spanish”, acquisition of new vocabulary, and creative use of the language in storytelling and role­playing is emphasized throughout. In order to improve on listening and speaking skills, as well as the knowledge of Spain’s culture, students devote some time in almost every class session to watching "El internado", a story about a haunted boarding school in the north of Spain.

Spanish 4 is primarily designed to advance students in their knowledge of complex grammatical structures, their aural comprehension skills, and their understanding of the Hispanic culture. Achievement of advanced aural and comprehension skills in the target language is gained through a full immersion methodology and a well-structured, rigorous curriculum carefully designed to ensure an interactive, creative approach to all lessons (storytelling and role­playing are emphasized throughout). In addition to the repeated exposure to advanced communication techniques, students are encouraged to deepen their thinking in the target language through the analysis and interpretation of important short stories written by well-known Hispanic writers (e.g., “La Luz es como el agua”, de Gabriel García Márquez). Within this category, Spanish 4 students will have the opportunity to read and interpret the story of the “Popol vuh”, the most important sacred book of the Quiché Maya of the Guatemalan Highlands. Furthermore, students will gain a better understanding of the Hispanic cultures through the exposure and analysis of videos that introduce the different musical genres that have influenced the Hispanic cultures and represent the means by which Spanish-speaking cultures communicate their history, philosophy and values. Videos like “Celia” (a soap opera inspired by the life of the “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz), will provide students with plenty of opportunities to make connections and comparisons between the English and Spanish languages, and the cultures behind them.