World Language Courses

Courses

French 2
Prerequisite: French 1 or demonstrated proficiency 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

In French 2 students will build on the skills they developed in French 1 to listen, speak, read, and write in French using the language to explore a variety of topics from the Francophone world, including current issues, sports, music, art, food, and geography. 

French 3
Prerequisite: French 2 or demonstrated proficiency 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

French 3 expands upon work begun in previous levels and gives students additional tools to communicate in a variety of situations in French. We will continue to explore the cultures of the Francophone world and read Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry as a class. Students will complete a collaborative project to apply their language skills to something that interests them.

Advanced Topics in French 
Prerequisite: French 2 or demonstrated proficiency 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

Advanced Topics in French allows students to build their French skills through the lens of a new topic each year. Lessons based on authentic sources including media, literature, music and film create learning opportunities for students to explore Francophone histories and cultures. Students review and master basics and study advanced grammar points.

Spanish 1 
Open to: Grades 9-12 
Prerequisite: None 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

In Spanish 1, students will learn the tools for basic conversation about daily life, including greetings, question words, numbers, preferences, and activities. The course will introduce basic reading and writing skills and will allow students to explore a variety of topics related to the Spanish-speaking world. 

Spanish 2 
Open to: Grades 9-12 
Prerequisite: Spanish 1 or Intermediate Spanish credit and student demonstrates proficiency at that level by passing the World Language & Culture Proficiency Assessment. 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

Spanish 2 is an expansion of Spanish 1. Students will listen, speak, read, and write in Spanish, using the language to explore a variety of topics from the Spanish-speaking world, including sports, poetry, music, art, geography, and current events. 

Spanish 3
Open to: Grades 9-12 
Prerequisite: Spanish 2 credit and student demonstrates proficiency at that level by passing the World Language & Culture Proficiency Assessment. 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

This course expands the skills practiced in Spanish I and II and introduces additional language structures to talk about the past and the future. Students will practice the tools they need to navigate daily life and travel situations. Students can expect articles, essays, and presentations in Spanish about Spanish-speaking communities around the world in order to improve written and verbal communication skills. 

Advanced Level Spanish Classes 
Advanced Topics in Spanish covers complex grammar points and helps students to build vocabulary through the lens of a new topic each year. The course runs each fall and leads to an advanced credit. The course can stand alone or serve as a bridge to the AP Spanish course offered in the Spring. 

Advanced Topics In Spanish: España - Historia, Cultura y Actualidad 
Open to: Grades 10-12 
Prerequisite: Spanish 3 credit and student demonstrates proficiency at that level by passing the World Language & Culture Proficiency Assessment. 
Scheduled: 1 Block, Fall Semester, every other year. This course will be offered in 2022-23. 

In this advanced-level class, students will use the Spanish language to look at history, geography, popular culture, current events, sports, the arts, and cuisine in Spain. It may be taken after Spanish 3 or another Advanced Topics in Spanish seminar. Learning experiences focus on authentic sources, including newspapers, magazines, literature, poetry, music, and film.  

Advanced Topics In Spanish: La actualidad en Latinoamérica 
Open to: Grades 10-12 
Prerequisite: Spanish 3 credit and student demonstrates proficiency at that level by passing the World Language & Culture Proficiency Assessment. 
Scheduled: 1 Block, Fall Semester, every other year. This course will be offered in 2021-22. 

In this advanced-level class, students will use the Spanish language to look at history, geography, popular culture, current events, sports, the arts, and cuisine in Latin America. It may be taken after Spanish 3 or another Advanced Topics in Spanish seminar. Learning experiences focus on authentic sources, including newspapers, magazines, literature, poetry, music, film, and guest speakers. 

AP Spanish Language & Culture (Advanced Placement) 
Open to: Grades 10-12 
Prerequisite: A credit of one or both Advanced Topics in Spanish courses. Students MUST take one of the courses the semester immediately prior to taking AP Spanish, and demonstrates proficiency at that level by passing the World Language Culture Proficiency Assessment. 
Scheduled: 1 Block Spring 

AP Spanish Language and Culture continues the work students begin in Advanced Topics in Spanish. As students prepare to take the AP exam, they will learn about a variety of Spanish-speaking cultures and demonstrate proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication. The course is comparable to a third-year college course. Learning experiences require students to integrate reading, writing, listening, and speaking in order to analyze and synthesize information from authentic Spanish language sources. 

Exam expectation: Students will take the AP exam in May for a fee of approximately $90. (The fee should not deter any student from taking this course. The College Board offers fee reductions, and the school will cover the fee for students with additional financial need.) 

Students enrolled in an AP course are expected to take the AP exam in the spring as part of the course requirements. The decision not to take the exam will change the identification of the course on the transcript to read "Advanced" rather than "AP" and the grade value will be changed from weighted to unweighted.  

German 1 
Open to: Grades 9-12 
Prerequisite: None 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

This course introduces the student to German language and culture. Students will learn to communicate in German about their families, friends, various sports and activities, travel and food. 

German 2 
Open to: Grades 9-12 
Prerequisite: German 1 credit and student demonstrates proficiency at that level by passing the World Language & Culture Proficiency Assessment. 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

This course will review and build on the work begun in German 1. Students will gain a greater understanding of how the language works and will express themselves in increasingly complex statements.  

German 3 
Open to: Grades 10-12 
Prerequisite: German 2 credit and student demonstrates proficiency at that level by passing the World Language & Culture Proficiency Assessment. 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

This course is designed to strengthen students' knowledge of the German language and German culture, balancing cooperative group work and structured independent learning to achieve these goals. The course will focus on 4 major themes: 1) German music, film, authors and art; 2) German internet and contemporary media; 3) German history and politics; and 4) German geography. This class will balance both independent learning and group learning. It will also be a chance to review and strengthen language skills, as well as work on several advanced research and writing projects. 

Advanced Topics In German: Nach Deutschland!
Open to: Grades 10-12 
Prerequisite: Student must demonstrate proficiency at the German 3 level by passing the World Language & Culture Proficiency Assessment. 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring

For the first half of this advanced-level course, we will focus on themes relevant to our exchange trip to Germany: Daily life in Germany, living with a host family, Food, School, and Community Service. The second half will focus on themes such as German art, film, literature; Fascism, Communism, and Democracy; architecture and innovation; and other specific themes that interest the class. This course can be repeated more than once. 

World Language Lab
Open to: Grades 10-12 (Grade 9 requires instructor's permission) 
Prerequisite: Interested 9th graders need to set up an interview with a World Language Department faculty member before signing up for this course. 
Scheduled: 1 Block Fall / Spring 

This course is designed for students wishing to explore the language of their choice and consists primarily of an independent language program. Students are encouraged to identify their passions and create their own authentic learning opportunities. Students will guide their own learning through connecting to and accessing resources to aid their endeavors. Teachers in this program serve as guides and resources for students to access experts in the community as much as possible; therefore, the experiences available are not limited to the walls or traditional schedule of Hartford High School. Students wishing to pursue this type of education must be able to work independently, collaborate with others and be willing to document and demonstrate their learning in several different forms, including but not limited to: daily reflections and presentation. Students enrolled in this course will receive an elective credit. This course is not intended to replace any language course that is already offered at Hartford High School.