Because the Common Core of Learning for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts states that all children should be able to communicate in a language other than English before graduation, the Department of World Languages offers sequential language study to students in four modern languages: French, German, Italian, and Spanish. The goal of the language program is the functional use of a second language by graduation. Throughout the program, students are assessed in a variety of ways to determine proficiency in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing the language. Based on the level of performance, students are awarded credits and are moved along the phases of proficiency based upon the attainment of targeted language functions. Since the primary purpose of language is communication, the program uses a whole language approach. Students will communicate in the target language from the first days in the language class. In world languages courses, credits from zero to five or more are awarded at the end of the year depending upon the students' level of mastery of the specific learning proficiencies for each level. The final report card reflects the number of credits attained and the students' individual growth by means of a grade. Quarterly grades reflect how well students are progressing toward the goal of earning at least five credits for the year.
World
Language Phase I
World
Languages Phase II
World Languages Phase III
World Languages Phase IV
German, Italian and French
Phase V
Advanced Placement (AP)
Spanish Language
Characteristics of
Speaking Proficiency According to the ACTFL Proficiency
Guidelines
Semester Offered: Full Year Credits: Up to 5 depending on mastery of the Phase I proficiencies.
Offered to: all grades
Prerequisites: None
The first phase of the program introduces the language using the four skills sequence: listening, speaking, reading and writing. All skills are equally emphasized through a multi-component program. Students' verbal and listening skills are developed by the use of audio and video cassettes both in the classroom and in the language laboratory. Structured writing and reading activities have been created to reinforce these skills. Students are assessed in a variety of ways with a focus on performance assessment. All components are integrated in order to develop effective communications skills in the world language within the context of the first year's curriculum objectives. Students who receive only one or two credits in the First Phase will continue with the First Phase the following year. Students who attain 3 or 4 credits will move into Phase II at the Novice Mid range and students who attain 5 credits will enter into phase II and the Novice High stage.
FRENCH Course No. 401
GERMAN Course No. 421
ITALIAN Course No. 430
SPANISH Course No. 461
Semester Offered: Full Year Credits: Up to 5 depending on mastery of the Phase II proficiencies.
Offered to: all grades
Prerequisites: A minimum of 3 credits earned in World Language Phase I
Phase II of a World Language is a continuation of the achievement of proficiency. Effective communication skills are emphasized and students begin to express themselves with increasing proficiency in speaking and writing when dealing with topics of everyday life: school, home, friends and family, basic interests. At the end of the second phase of the world language program, students should be able to function in the low- to mid-intermediate range of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency guidelines in listening, comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Students who do not attain 8 credits in the first and second phase of language study will continue in the second phase. Students with 8 or 9 credits will move into Phase III at the Intermediate Low stage and students with 10 credits will move into Phase III at the Intermediate Mid stage.
FRENCH Course No. 407
GERMAN Course No. 424
ITALIAN Course No. 436
SPANISH Course No. 465
Semester Offered: Full Year Credits: Up to 5 depending on mastery of the
Offered to: all grades (primarily grades 11 or 12) Phase III proficiencies.
Prerequisites: A minimum of 8 credits earned in the first two phases and/or approval of your present language teacher.
Phase III of a world language synthesizes and extends the linguistic concepts introduced in the first two phases of language. Through use of language in context and in authentic settings and extended writing practice, students advance to using language more freely in many different everyday situations. Students begin to read authentic material, such as magazines and newspapers, view videos in authentic and culturally appropriate contexts, and access language through multimedia hardware and software to communicate with the global community in the world language. At this level, students function within the Intermediate Mid to High range of the ACTFL proficiency guidelines in listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Students who do not attain 12 credits in the first three phases of language study will continue in the third phase. Students with 12 or 13 credits will move into Phase IV at the Intermediate Mid stage and students with 14 or 15 credits will move into Phase IV at the Intermediate High stage.
FRENCH Course No. 413
GERMAN Course No. 426
ITALIAN Course No. 442
SPANISH Course No. 472
Semester Offered: Full Year Credits: Up to 5 depending on mastery
of the
Offered to: all grades Phase IV proficiencies.
Prerequisites: A minimum of 12 credits earned in the first three phases and/or approval of your present language teacher.
Phase IV of a world language provides students with the opportunity of reaching the Intermediate High to Advanced level of the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. Students communicate exclusively in the target language and develop skills which enable them to:
FRENCH Course No. 415
GERMAN Course No. 428
ITALIAN Course No. 444
SPANISH Course No. 475
AP Spanish Language allows students who have attained 15 or more credits in the first three phases of Spanish to continue their language study in a course that follows a college-level curriculum. It is also designed for students who have advanced past the fourth phase of Spanish before their senior year or if a student is a native speaker. Students will be moving toward the Advanced Plus level of the ACTFL proficiency guidelines in listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. The AP Spanish Language course culminates in the taking of the College Board AP Spanish Language Examination, which all enrolled students will be required to take at their own expense in order to receive transcript credit for the course. The curriculum of the course is designed to promote student success on the AP exam.
AP SPANISH Course No. 476
Semester Offered: Full Year Credits: Up to 5 depending on mastery
of the Phase V proficiencies.
Offered to: all grades
Prerequisites: A minimum of 20 credits earned in the first four phases and/or approval of your present language teacher.
Phase V of German, French and Italian allows students to continue their language study if they have advanced past the fourth phase of language before their senior year or if a student is a native speaker. Students will be moving toward the Advanced Plus level of the ACTFL proficiency guidelines in listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Students will work both independently and cooperatively with a Phase IV class. Independently, students will create on culture-specific reports, communicate with native speakers via the internet, complete vocabulary and grammar building exercises and read authentic literature in the target language.
FRENCH Course No. 416
GERMAN Course No. 429
ITALIAN Course No. 445
NOVICE (Novice Low, Novice Mid, and Novice High): Speakers can communicate only in common, highly predictable daily situations using memorized and formulaic speech. They may be difficult to understand, even by those accustomed to interacting with non-native speakers.
INTERMEDIATE (Intermediate Low, Intermediate Mid, and Intermediate High): Speakers can ask and answer simple questions and can maintain simple conversations on familiar topics using sentences and strings of sentences. They can usually be understood by those accustomed to non-native speakers, although some repetition may be needed.
ADVANCED (Advanced and Advanced High): Speakers can converse fluently and discuss topics of personal and public interest. They can describe and narrate events in the past, present, and future using paragraph-like discourse. They can be understood without difficulty, even by those unaccustomed to non-native speakers.
SUPERIOR: Speakers can participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social, professional, and abstract topics. They can explain in detail, hypothesize, and support their opinions. At this level, errors virtually never interfere with communication.
-American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 1986