The Foreign Language Department offers elementary, intermediate and advanced courses in French and Spanish. Students must have two units of credit in the same foreign language to meet graduation requirements.
Course: French I
Prerequisite: None
1 Credit
During the first course of foreign language study, students will be introduced to the four key areas of learning a language: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will learn how to engage in social situations in culturally-appropriate ways, how to give basic information about themselves and topics that are familiar to them, and how to use learned strategies for reading and listening comprehension to interpret authentic texts. Students will study the countries and cultures associated with the language and be able to draw comparisons between the target cultures and their own. The course follows TN State Standards for Modern Languages, which is centered around the research and guidance provided by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
Course: French II
Prerequisite: French I
1 Credit
The second course of foreign language study is to be completed after the level 1 course. Students will continue their practice in the four key areas of language study: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. This course focuses heavily on the ability to use learned words and structures to communicate in the target language through writing and conversation. Authentic resources, such as poems, videos, and short stories, are used to foster interpretation of level-appropriate texts. Students will continue their study of the target cultures, including research on the products and practices common in those parts of the world.
Course: Honors French III
Prerequisite: French II and Student, Parent, Teacher Recommendation
1 Credit
This course is designed for students who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the language they studied in levels 1 and 2. Through reading, writing, speaking, and listening, this course encourages students to communicate on meaningful topics, such as health, childhood experiences, and unique aspects of the cultures studied. By the end of the course, students should be able to use the vocabulary and structures learned, as well as to incorporate new ones, to share opinions, feelings, and experiences in the target language.
Course: Spanish I
Prerequisite: None
1 Credit
During the first course of foreign language study, students will be introduced to the four key areas of learning a language: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will learn how to engage in social situations in culturally-appropriate ways, how to give basic information about themselves and topics that are familiar to them, and how to use learned strategies for reading and listening comprehension to interpret authentic texts. Students will study the countries and cultures associated with the language and be able to draw comparisons between the target cultures and their own. The course follows TN State Standards for Modern Languages, which is centered around the research and guidance provided by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
Course: Spanish II
Prerequisite: Spanish I
1 Credit
The second course of foreign language study is to be completed after the level 1 course. Students will continue their practice in the four key areas of language study: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. This course focuses heavily on the ability to use learned words and structures to communicate in the target language through writing and conversation. Authentic resources, such as poems, videos, and short stories, are used to foster interpretation of level-appropriate texts. Students will continue their study of the target cultures, including research on the products and practices common in those parts of the world.
Course: Honors Spanish III
Prerequisite: Spanish II and Student, Parent, Teacher recommendation
1 Credit
This course is designed for students who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the language they studied in levels 1 and 2. Through reading, writing, speaking, and listening, this course encourages students to communicate on meaningful topics, such as health, childhood experiences, and unique aspects of the cultures studied. By the end of the course, students should be able to use the vocabulary and structures learned, as well as to incorporate new ones, to share opinions, feelings, and experiences in the target language.
Course: Heritage Spanish
Prerequisite: Native Spanish speaking students
1 credit
Spanish for Heritage Speakers offers Spanish-speaking students the opportunity to study formally in an academic setting in the same way the native-English-speaking students study English language arts. Students in this course have 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, and/or need to fulfill a foreign language requirement.
In this course, students will demonstrate appropriate communicative skills in the target language based on writing, speaking, reading, and listening using cultural materials with and without guided resources. They will demonstrate a better understanding of grammatical usage through formal and informal writings. They will improve upon their speaking abilities by conducting formal and informal conversations based upon culture and new vocabulary, and they will demonstrate the ability to comprehend authentic readings based on history and culture.
Course: AP Spanish Language and Culture
Prerequisite: H Spanish III
Additional Fee: $96 exam fee
1 credit
Develop your Spanish language skills and learn about the cultures in Spanish-speaking parts of the world. You’ll practice communicating in Spanish and study real-life materials such as newspaper articles, films, music, and books. Students who are eligible for fee waivers with the school system may be eligible for a fee waiver on the AP exam through the AP Program.
Course: AP French Language and Culture
Prerequisite: H French III
Additional Fee: $96 exam fee
1 credit
Develop your French language skills and learn about the cultures in French-speaking parts of the world. You’ll practice communicating in French and study real-life materials such as newspaper articles, films, music, and books. Students who are eligible for fee waivers with the school system may be eligible for a fee waiver on the AP exam through the AP Program.