Take me to Admissions >>
Curriculum: Spanish and French
Spanish and French in the Upper School
The Spanish and French languages in the Upper School continue to build on the goals established in the Lower and Middle Schools. The program is designed as a three-year sequence that provides for students continuing facility and understanding of another language and culture. In all the classes, students learn the basic elements of grammar and vocabulary, how to use Spanish or French as a means of communication and self-expression, and about the cultures which are Spanish- or French-speaking. Students meet four times a week for forty minutes. The approach for the 11s in the French classes is concrete, hands-on, and primarily oral. The 11s Spanish classes continue to build on the work in the Middle School. The teachers formally introduce grammar when children are cognitively ready: in the 11s for Spanish classes and in the 12s for French, and in the 13s for both languages. Reading and writing are a larger part of the curriculum. Teachers help students develop a large enough vocabulary and understanding of grammar that enable them to communicate with each other at their appropriate level.
