Foreign Language
Spanish/French/Mandarin/Korean
Option 1
9th Grade (World Language I)- Spanish / French / Chinese / Korean
10th Grade (World Language II) - Spanish / French / Chinese / Korean
11th Grade (World Language III) - Spanish / French / Chinese / Korean
12th Grade (World Language IB SL) - Spanish / French / Mandarin / Korean
Option 2
9th Grade (World Language II) - Spanish / French / Chinese / Korean
10th Grade (World Language III) - Spanish / French / Chinese / Korean
11th Grade (World Language IV) - Spanish / French / Chinese / Korean
12th Grade (World Language IB SL) - Spanish / French / Mandarin / Korean
Option 3
9th Grade (World Language II) - Spanish / French / Mandarin / Korean
10th Grade (World Language III)- Spanish / French / Mandarin III
11th Grade (World Languages IB SL) - Spanish / French / Mandarin / Korean
Philosophy
The world we live in today requires us to appreciate and understand other cultures. Business economies and technologies have made it easier to connect on a less provincial level, therefore, bridging world cultures. We want to provide our students with the tools necessary to communicate effectively. Language learning, a process through which we make connections with other people and cultures, determines to a great extent who a person is and what he/she thinks. This opportunity stimulates the desire to learn more about people of the world and to relate to human culture.
With international understanding and global perspective, we appreciate that "within likeness there is diversity; within diversity there is likeness" (A. G. R.).
Aims
Spanish/French/Mandarin/Korean IB prepares students for the Spanish/French/Mandarin/Korean IB examination. The student will acquire an advanced level of proficiency in all four language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The aim of the curriculum is to develop the ability to communicate and understand accurately and effectively the demands in a wide range of social contexts. It provides the students with a sound linguistic base for further study, work and leisure. The students will gain knowledge and understanding of Hispanic/French/Mandarin cultures; connect with other disciplines and acquire information; compare the language studied with their own; participate in multilingual communities.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- understand formal and informal spoken Spanish/French/Mandarin
- process and analyze written language from a variety of sources
- write accurately in a variety of styles
- use Spanish/French/Mandarin/Korean to express ideas orally
- acquire an appropriate amount of vocabulary and grammatical structure to be able to function at the appropriate level
- demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of different cultures
Course Description
Level 1: The first year foreign language course covers the basic elements of reading, writing, speaking and understanding the language. The course introduces the student to basic vocabulary and grammatical structures. The student gains general knowledge about the culture.
Level 2: The second year foreign language course places emphasis on conversation, vocabulary, and structures. It stresses further development of the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. Culture is an integral part of the course content.
Level 3: The third year foreign language course is for the serious student. It stresses the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills at an intermediate level. It covers most complex structures and vocabulary. Culture continues to be integrated.
Level 4: The fourth year foreign language course is for the very serious and motivated student. The structures and vocabulary presented are at a high level. Emphasis is placed on the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills at a more advanced level. The different aspects of culture are further taught.
Level 5: The fifth year foreign language course is for those students who have chosen to develop their proficiency in all four language skills: Reading, writing, speaking and listening. This course covers the equivalent of a third-year college course in advanced aural-oral skills, reading comprehension, grammar and composition. It promotes cultural awareness. There is intensive review of structures and vocabulary.
Assessment Outline Standard level and Higher level External assessment
Written component
70% In order to assist the candidates to evaluate their own progress, the assessment criteria is made available to them from the beginning of the course. The following is the format of the external assessment:
Paper 1:
1 1/2 hours, 40% text handling exercises based on a number of written texts all texts are related to at least one of three course themes and are varies in terms of length, register, style, topic, and level of difficulty question types include multiple choice, true/false, gap-filling, chart-filling, matching items, sentence completion, short answers, reordering sentences or paragraphs, non-linguistic responses dictionaries are not permitted all responses must be written in the language of the examination. The format of the paper is similar for both higher level and standard level though the content differs,
Paper 2:
1 1/2 hours, 30% There is a choice of 6 written tasks. All tasks are related to the themes. Some of the titles are thematically linked to material in paper.
Candidates are required to complete one task only. The tasks are varied and may include such things as essays, reports, letters, advertisements, dialogues or conversations, short narratives, short commentaries Dictionaries are not permitted. All responses must be written. The format is similar for both higher level and subsidiary level, though the content differs. A minimum of 250 words (or their equivalent in non-European languages) at SL.
Internal assessment - oral component 30% Format of the internal assessment
Two of the activities, the individual oral and the group (or paired) oral, are compulsory
At least one of the assessed oral activities should be based on a listening stimulus
At higher level at least one of the assessed oral activities must be based on literature.
Types of internal assessment
The activities outlined in 1 and 2 below are compulsory* at both higher and standard levels.
1. Individual oral (Approximately 10 minutes)
Section B (3-4 minutes): The purpose of this section is to test the candidate's breadth and fluency of language use in a spontaneous, unprepared discussion. The teacher should engage the candidate in discussion of a more general or personal nature. This might include such things as the candidate's own interests and/or social issues affecting young people in general or world problems. The purpose is to test the candidate's breadth and fluency of language in a spontaneous unprepared discussion. Especially at higher level, conversation should go beyond the daily routine or future plans of the candidate and test his/her ability to defend opinions and counter those of another person.
- May take place any time during the final year of the course
- Cassette recordings are required
- Adequate notice is given when individual oral is to take place. The individual oral may take place in or out of the classroom context. However, care should be taken to ensure high quality recordings are sent for moderation
- Consists of an interview between the candidate and the teacher divided into two sections
Section B (3-4 minutes): The purpose of this section is to test the candidate's breadth and fluency of language use in a spontaneous, unprepared discussion. The teacher should engage the candidate in discussion of a more general or personal nature. This might include such things as the candidate's own interests and/or social issues affecting young people in general or world problems. The purpose is to test the candidate's breadth and fluency of language in a spontaneous unprepared discussion. Especially at higher level, conversation should go beyond the daily routine or future plans of the candidate and test his/her ability to defend opinions and counter those of another person.
2. Group (or paired) oral: For the purpose of this compulsory exercise, a group (rather than a paired) oral activity should be undertaken wherever possible. Teachers are free to select any form of group (or paired) activity appropriate to their group, the activity itself should be spontaneous and not rehearsed. The group oral may be enlivened by the presence of an additional person 'animator', whose role it is to help maintain the interaction.
3. Activity based on a listening stimulus: The teacher providing, a listening stimulus, can evaluate listening skills and then organizing discussion is such a way as to make it possible to apply the internal assessment oral descriptions. watching a film, then discussing their impressions summarizing a newscast 4. Activity based on a literary topic (higher level only) Suitable activities for this part of the internal assessment might include: oral commentary on an extract from a work studied as part of the program discussion on a particular aspect of two passages/two characters/two works a presentation of a comparison of two passages/two characters/two works a role-play dialogue between two characters from different works/from the same work, discussing their contracting motivations, explaining their behavior, etc.