SPANISH (INTRODUCTION)
This course is designed to introduce the students to Hispanic culture and language. This course focuses on daily life situations and cultural activities. Students will spend class time conversing and participating in role-play and other hands-on activities which are designed to stimulate cultural understanding and enjoyment for learning Spanish. At the conclusion of this class, students will have a basic appreciation for the Spanish language, its basic structures and vocabulary, and culture. Students may also be required to do a project on a Spanish-speaking country. Students who have completed this course will go onto Spanish 1A or Spanish 1B with faculty approval.
SPANISH (LEVEL 1A)
Pre-requisites are the completion of Introduction to Spanish, or faculty approval. The goal of the course is to help each student attain an acceptable degree of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and to help him/her learn about other cultures of the world. Various approaches are taken in order to meet these goals. There are listening, written, and speaking exercises. Students are encouraged to speak frequently using open-ended activities that allow students to apply the key vocabulary and grammar in role-playing.
SPANISH (LEVEL 1B)
The Spanish Level 1B is sequential to the Spanish Level 1A course and covers the same material
that is taught in the second semester of Spanish I in the high school. Students who successfully complete Spanish I will be placed into Spanish II as high school freshmen. While oral communication in the language is a priority, appropriate development of the four critical areas--reading, writing, speaking, and listening--is stressed. In particular, the composition is emphasized much more at the eighth-grade level than previously. At this level, culture is approached in a manner that capitalizes upon the students' maturing ability to perceive the world in a social and economic context.
FRENCH (INTRODUCTION)
This is a nine-week introduction to the language. Students will learn basic vocabulary with an emphasis on pronunciation. They will also learn about the culture, the music, discover historical aspects of France, and do a virtual guided visit of Paris.
FRENCH (LEVEL 1A)
This course builds on what students have learned in 6th grade. They will learn how to conjugate basic verbs at the present tense and continue working on their pronunciation, while still expanding their vocabulary on a variety of different topics. Through projects and activities, students will start to learn how to communicate in different situations and contexts (at a restaurant, paying for something, etc..) while still discovering more of France’s pop culture, music, and history.
FRENCH (LEVEL 1B)
This course is a continuation of the material that was seen during seventh grade. Students will learn more advanced grammar and conjugation. Students will learn their first past and future tenses, all while expanding their vocabulary bank on a variety of different topics. A focus on conversational French is also introduced this quarter through more speaking and role-play activities, combining all they’ve learned in 7th grade. We will, of course, still learn and see various French cultural things as well as, at the end of the year, a very useful lesson on French slang.
LATIN (INTRODUCTION)
This nine-week course is designed to introduce students to the basics of Latin vocabulary and grammar, and ancient Roman culture (including mythology) through lessons, games, and interactive activities.
Studying Latin gives students a better understanding of how languages develop and has been shown to improve English vocabulary and grammar skills. Western culture as a whole is heavily influenced by ancient Rome and studying this past culture can give students a better appreciation of their own.
LATIN (LATIN IA)
This Latin course is the equivalent to the first semester of a high school Latin 1 course. The goal of this course is to help students develop proficiency in reading and translating Latin. To this end, the course focuses on learning Latin vocabulary and mastering the basics of Latin grammar. Students will also learn about Roman culture, mythology, and English word derivations. All Latin students will compete in the Latin Regional Forum, and some will go on to compete at the state level. Maclay's Latin team has a record of consistently scoring in either first or second place at Regionals and in the top 10 at State. Latin, like all the languages at Maclay, is offered through high school, up to the AP level.
LATIN (LATIN IB)
This course is a continuation of the material begun in Latin IA (Seventh Grade Latin) and covers the material taught in the second semester of Latin I in high school. Students who successfully complete Latin IB will be placed in Latin II in 9th grade. Latin, with its unique patterns of inflection and syntax and the acquisition of an extensive vocabulary, is the major focus of the course whose goal is the ability to read and translate. The extended nature of a two-year Latin I course such as this will allow us to explore Roman customs and culture, mythology, and English word derivations at a greater depth than in a standard Latin I course.