• World Language Department Curriculum: A Shift to Comprehensible Input (CI) curriculum 

    All World Language courses are in the process of phasing in new curriculum that is centered around comprehensible input - a pillar of second language acquisition that enriches student learning through constant exposure to input in the target language in thematic units. Through the adoption of the SOMOS and the Notre Histoire curricula, students will utilize all forms of communicative skills while bringing together language, grammar in context and culture in each lesson sequence. Students will work toward  meeting ACTFL Proficiency benchmarks for communication and utilize authentic resources to not only support their developing proficiency, but also to build global competency.  

     

    Spanish 1

    Grade Level(s):  8-12 

    Course Description: This course offers a basic introduction to the language. A foundation of vocabulary and grammar structures are presented through conversational exchanges, reading selections and written exercises. Students will begin to form an appreciation for the similarities and 
    differences between the cultures being studied and their own. 

     

    Course Units:

    • Language is studied and practiced through focused topics including:  
    • Identifying people and making introductions 
    • expressing likes/dislikes 
    • action verbs 
    • the Running of the Bulls 
    • colors and clothing 
    • university life and professions 
    • Bullfighting 
    • expressing possession  
    • the life of King Felipe VI 
    • reflexive and indirect object pronouns with phrases of movement 
    • the castells of Tarragona 
    • possessive adjectives and the culture of Bolivia 
    • traditional foods in Latin America 
    • Cultural connections between Cuba and Miami’s food, music and customs
    • Day of the Dead and Monarch Migration
    • Traditional legends and storytelling
    • Numbers and telling time

      

    Primary Texts:

    SOMOS 1 Curriculum  

     

    Supplementary Texts:

    Llama en Lima by Katie A. Baker (2019) 

    Brandon Brown Dice la Verdad by Carol Gaab (2016)

     

    Spanish 2 

    Grade Level(s):  9-12 

    Course Description: This course is a review and continuation of Spanish I. Students will have the opportunity to strengthen their conversational skills and broaden their understanding of grammatical structures and cultural content. Writing skills will be further developed and continued study of vocabulary is emphasized. 

     

    Course Units:

    • Vocabulary
    • The legend of “crocodile tears”
    • The whistling language of the Canary Islands
    • Dance and entertainment
    • Sports and athletes in the Spanish-speaking world
    • Customs related to dating and socializing
    • Using the verb “to know” to navigate the theory of “Six Degrees of Separation”
    • Bolivian culture, family customs and comparisons of socioeconomic status and lifestyles
    • Describing physical traits and personality characteristics of self and others
    • The lives and customs of the Argentinian ranchers (gauchos)
    • Human rights organizations and historical implications in Argentina’s history
    • Immigration and the immigrant experience
    • Cultural study of NYC’s Spanish-speaking neighborhoods and elements of cultural fusion
    • Superstitions and legends from Hispanic countries
    • Folkloric celebrations of Colombia
    • Solving mysteries and secret codes

     

    Primary Texts:  

    SOMOS 1 Curriculum

     

    Supplementary Texts:  

    El Ekeko: Un Misterio Boliviano by Katie Baker (2016)

    Mata la Piñata by Kristy Placido (2018)

     

      

    Advanced Spanish 2 

    Grade Level(s):  10-12 

    Course Description: This course is a review and continuation of Spanish I. Students will have the opportunity to strengthen their conversational skills and broaden their understanding of grammatical structures and cultural content. Writing skills will be further developed and continued study of vocabulary is emphasized. 

     

    Course Units:

    • Vocabulary
    • The legend of “crocodile tears”
    • The whistling language of the Canary Islands
    • Dance and entertainment
    • Sports and athletes in the Spanish-speaking world
    • Customs related to dating and socializing
    • Using the verb “to know” to navigate the theory of “Six Degrees of Separation”
    • Bolivian culture, family customs and comparisons of socioeconomic status and lifestyles
    • Describing physical traits and personality characteristics of self and others
    • The lives and customs of the Argentinian ranchers (gauchos)
    • Human rights organizations and historical implications in Argentina’s history
    • Immigration and the immigrant experience
    • Cultural study of NYC’s Spanish-speaking neighborhoods and elements of cultural fusion
    • Superstitions and legends from Hispanic countries
    • Folkloric celebrations of Colombia
    • Solving mysteries and secret codes

     

    Independent Enrichment Projects:  

    MP 1: Current events exploration- reading non-fiction news articles in Spanish and writing summaries and reaction statements 

    MP2: Authentic video resources exploration- watching videos created by native Spanish speakers on a variety of topics and creating audio recordings to summarize and provide reaction statements

    MP3: Novel exploration- reading a comprehensible novel in Spanish independently and creating a visual journal to demonstrate understanding of the content

    MP4: Presentational speaking- researching to further explore a cultural topic that was part of the curriculum and presenting findings orally in Spanish with visuals

     

    Primary Texts:  

    SOMOS 1 Curriculum

     

    Supplementary Texts:  

    El Ekeko: Un Misterio Boliviano by Katie Baker (2016)

    Mata la Piñata by Kristy Placido (2018)

     

     

    Spanish 3 

    Grade Level(s):  11-12 

    Course Description: This course focuses on further developing proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students will work with more complex grammatical structures and continue to acquire fluency with vocabulary. Exploration of fiction and non-fiction reading are included, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of cultural norms. 

     

    Course Units:

    Units below have been modified to include upper level verb tenses - preterite and imperfect:

    • Vocabulary
    • The legend of “crocodile tears”
    • The whistling language of the Canary Islands
    • Dance and entertainment
    • Sports and athletes in the Spanish-speaking world
    • Customs related to dating and socializing
    • Using the verb “to know” to navigate the theory of “Six Degrees of Separation”
    • Bolivian culture, family customs and comparisons of socioeconomic status and lifestyles
    • Describing physical traits and personality characteristics of self and others
    • The lives and customs of the Argentinian ranchers (gauchos)
    • Human rights organizations and historical implications in Argentina’s history
    • Immigration and the immigrant experience
    • Cultural study of NYC’s Spanish-speaking neighborhoods and elements of cultural fusion
    • Superstitions and legends from Hispanic countries
    • Folkloric celebrations of Colombia
    • Solving mysteries and secret codes

     

    Primary Texts:  

    SOMOS 1 Curriculum

     

    Supplementary Texts:  

    Esperanza by Carol Gaab (2011)

    Robo en la Noche by Kristy Placido (2009)

     

    Advanced Spanish 3 

    Grade Level(s):  11-12 

    Course Description: This course focuses on further developing proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students will work with more complex grammatical structures and continue to acquire fluency with vocabulary. Exploration of fiction and non-fiction reading are included, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of cultural norms. 

     

    Course Units:

    Units below have been modified to include upper level verb tenses - preterite and imperfect:

    • Vocabulary
    • The legend of “crocodile tears”
    • The whistling language of the Canary Islands
    • Dance and entertainment
    • Sports and athletes in the Spanish-speaking world
    • Customs related to dating and socializing
    • Using the verb “to know” to navigate the theory of “Six Degrees of Separation”
    • Bolivian culture, family customs and comparisons of socioeconomic status and lifestyles
    • Describing physical traits and personality characteristics of self and others
    • The lives and customs of the Argentinian ranchers (gauchos)
    • Human rights organizations and historical implications in Argentina’s history
    • Immigration and the immigrant experience
    • Cultural study of NYC’s Spanish-speaking neighborhoods and elements of cultural fusion
    • Superstitions and legends from Hispanic countries
    • Folkloric celebrations of Colombia
    • Solving mysteries and secret codes

     

    Primary Texts:  

    SOMOS 1 Curriculum

     

    Supplementary Texts:  

    Esperanza by Carol Gaab (2011)

    Robo en la Noche by Kristy Placido (2009)

    SOMOS 2 and SOMOS 1 Flex curriculum 

     

     

    Spanish 4 

    Grade Level(s):  11-12 

    Course Description: This course focuses on further developing proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students will work with more complex grammatical structures and continue to acquire fluency with vocabulary. Exploration of fiction and non-fiction reading are included, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of cultural norms. 

     

    This class is currently not running in the 2022-2023 school year. A more concrete plan for the future using the SOMOS 2 curriculum will be developed through curriculum writing.

     

     

    Advanced Spanish 4 

    Grade Level(s):  12 

    Course Description: This course gives students the opportunity to apply and develop the linguistic skills previously attained. Films and recordings provide a variety of speakers for oral comprehension. The study of history and literature is emphasized for cultural exploration and AP caliber assignments will be part of regular course work. 

     

    Course Units:

    Units below have been modified to include upper level verb tenses - preterite and imperfect:

    • Vocabulary
    • The legend of “crocodile tears”
    • The whistling language of the Canary Islands
    • Dance and entertainment
    • Sports and athletes in the Spanish-speaking world
    • Customs related to dating and socializing
    • Using the verb “to know” to navigate the theory of “Six Degrees of Separation”
    • Bolivian culture, family customs and comparisons of socioeconomic status and lifestyles
    • Describing physical traits and personality characteristics of self and others
    • Oktapodi movie study
    • Childrens’ folktales
    • Origins of the word “gringo” and cultural implications
    • All forms of regular and irregular preterite tense through storytelling
    • All forms of regular and irregular imperfect tense through storytelling

     

    Primary Texts:  

    SOMOS 1 Curriculum

    SOMOS 2 Curriculum  

     

    Supplementary Texts:  

    Esperanza by Carol Gaab (2011)

    Noche de Oro by Kristy Placido (2014)

    La Llorona de Mazatlán by Katie Baker (2013)

     

      

    Spanish for Native Speakers 

    Grade Level(s):  9-12 

    Course Description: Spanish for Native Speakers offers Spanish-speaking students the opportunity to study Spanish in an academic setting in the same way the native-English-speaking students study English language arts. These may include a desire to reactivate the Spanish they have learned in the past and develop it further, to learn more about their language and cultural heritage, to acquire literacy skills in Spanish, to develop or augment academic language skills in Spanish, to enhance career opportunities, or to fulfill a foreign language requirement. 

     

    Course Units:

    Units below have been modified to include upper level verb tenses - preterite and imperfect:

    • Vocabulary
    • The legend of “crocodile tears”
    • The whistling language of the Canary Islands
    • Dance and entertainment
    • Sports and athletes in the Spanish-speaking world
    • Customs related to dating and socializing
    • Using the verb “to know” to navigate the theory of “Six Degrees of Separation”
    • Bolivian culture, family customs and comparisons of socioeconomic status and lifestyles
    • Describing physical traits and personality characteristics of self and others
    • Oktapodi movie study
    • Childrens’ folktales
    • Origins of the word “gringo” and cultural implications
    • All forms of regular and irregular preterite tense through storytelling
    • All forms of regular and irregular imperfect tense through storytelling
    • All forms of regular and irregular future tense through storytelling
    • Study of translation and interpretation, code of conduct and basics of court interpreting/translating
    • Preparation for AAPPL test to focus on skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking

    Primary Texts:  

    SOMOS 1 Curriculum

    SOMOS 2 Curriculum  

     

    Supplementary Texts:  

    La Llorona de Mazatlán by Katie Baker (2013)

    Piratas del Caribe y el Triángulo de las Bermudas by Carol Gaab and Christine Tiday (2012)

    Leyendas Impactantes by Kristy Placido (2018)

     

     

     French 1 

    Grade Level(s):  9-12 

    Course Description: This course offers a basic introduction to the language. A foundation of vocabulary and grammar structures are presented through conversational exchanges, reading selections and written exercises. Students will begin to form an appreciation for the similarities and differences between the cultures being studied and their own. 

     

    Course Units:

    •  Who am I? Descriptions of self and others
    • My life at school
    • Definitions of beauty- fashion and travel
    • Entertainment and leisure activities
    • Technology and self
    • Reading and writing through the lens of storytelling

     

    Primary Texts:  

    Voces Digital: Notre Histoire

     

    Supplementary Texts:

    Brandon Brown dit la vérité by Carol Gaab (2016)

    Émeraude, le bébé tortue marine by Kristy Placido (2021)

     

     

    French 2 

    Grade Level(s):  10-12 

    Course Description: This course focuses on speaking and understanding the language. In this course the emphasis is placed on development of the student's vocabulary and reading skills, writing of controlled compositions, and extension of the student's control and understanding of grammar through more formal analysis of already familiar grammar patterns. Cultural awareness continues to be fostered throughout the course. 

     

    Course Units:  

    • National identity and ethnic identity
    • Travel and pastimes
    • Family structures and relationships
    • Healthcare and medicine
    • Social well-being
    • Reading and writing through the lens of storytelling

     

    Primary Texts:  

    Voces Digital: Notre Histoire  

     

    Supplementary Resources:

    L'étudiante étrangère by Marcy Sheldon (2021)

    Le Nouvel Houdini by Carol Gaab (2010) 

     

     

    French 3 

    Grade Level(s):  11-12 

    Course Description: This course focuses on further developing proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening at a more advanced level. Students will work with more complex grammatical structures and continue to acquire fluency with vocabulary. A concentration on writing composition and exploration of literature are included, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of cultural norms. 

     

    Course Units:  

    Units have been modified to include upper level verb tenses and additional cultural exploration activities:

    • National identity and ethnic identity
    • Travel and pastimes
    • Family structures and relationships
    • Healthcare and medicine
    • Social well-being
    • Reading and writing through the lens of storytelling

     

    Primary Texts:  

    Voces Digital: Notre Histoire  

     

    Supplementary Resources:

    Marie Antoinette et le collier de la mort by Diane Touchet (2020)

    Le Vol des oiseaux by Kristy Placido (2023)

     

     

    French 4 

    Grade Level(s):  12 

    Course Description: This course enables students to apply and develop the linguistic skills previously attained. Films and recordings provide a variety of speakers for oral comprehension. The study of history and literature is emphasized for cultural exploration and comparison. Vocabulary and grammatical study is advanced as students participate in performance-based assessments. 

     

    Course Units:  

    Units have been modified to include upper level verb tenses and additional cultural exploration activities:

    • National identity and ethnic identity
    • Travel and pastimes
    • Family structures and relationships
    • Healthcare and medicine
    • Social well-being
    • Reading and writing through the lens of storytelling

     

    Primary Texts:  

    Voces Digital: Notre Histoire  

     

    Supplementary Resources:

    Felipe Alou: L’Histoire d’un grand champion by Carol Gaab (2015)

    Au revoir l'Acadie by Kimberly R. Anderson (2018)