Modern language courses seek to promote student proficiency in the target language in four areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. These skills should be mastered so that the student will, according to her level, be able to engage in conversation about general subjects, pronounce the language well enough to be understood by a native speaker, read and comprehend prose addressed to the general reader, and write correct prose. Latin, naturally, focuses more on reading and writing. The student should also gain a basic knowledge of the geography, customs, and, to some extent, the history and literature of the various countries where the target language is spoken. All course offerings in foreign languages are subject to sufficient enrollment.
Requirements
The Language Department requires students to complete three consecutive years of the same language while in the Upper School in order to meet the minimum requirements for graduation. However, in order to gain a degree of fluency, to enhance their educational experience and to meet the admission standards of competitive colleges, most students include four (and in some cases Advanced Placement) courses in the Upper School.
Prerequisites and Standards of Performance
The Language Department requires that students meet the following criteria for advancing from one level to another:
- An average of C- or better to advance to the second level.
- A recommendation of the instructor to advance to subsequent levels.
Course levels for new students will be determined by their previous school record and by completion of the Walker’s placement test.
The Ethel Walker School offers formal, classroom instruction in three languages: Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and Latin. For those interested in studying either French or German, we offer the option of online courses via Middlebury Interactive Languages (MIL), an online language school taught in the world-famous Middlebury College method. If a student wishes to study any other language not currently offered at Walker’s, she may enroll in an online course at another, approved online school. Students will work online independently and then meet once a week with a member of Walker’s language department to track their progress. Courses taken in this manner will fulfill the language requirement at Walker’s. These online courses are offered at an additional expense and are not included in our gross tuition.
Latin
Latin 1
This course serves as an introduction to the Latin language. Students will cover lessons 1-20 of Jenney’s First Year Latin. By then they will have a good grounding in many of the inflections of Latin verbs, nouns, pronouns and adjective, a vocabulary of some four hundred words and the ability to translate some basic prose passages. The stories encompass the Trojan here Aeneas’ journeys after the Trojan War and are based on Vergil’s Aeneid. The linguistic elements are the most important part of the course, but students also learn about a variety of distinctive institutions and customs of the Romans such as local government, architecture and interior design, and gladiators, and gods. Students will also take the National Latin Exam in the spring.
Grades 9-12
Credit: 1
Latin 2
This course is open to those who have successfully completed Latin 1. Students will reinforce and add to their knowledge of Latin accidence and vocabulary by covering stages 21 - 40 of Jenney’s First Year Latin. In particular, there will be an introduction to complex sentence structure. There will be practice in grammatical drills, comprehension, and unseen translation. Reading passages continue with the story of Aeneas and continue through his family line to the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus. Cultural material will include Roman medicine, business practices, and funerary customs. Students will learn about the cultural and political contexts of the prescribed literature. Students will also take the National Latin Exam in the spring.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Completion of Latin 1 with a grade of C- or better
Credit: 1
Latin 3
Students will utilize unit 4 of the Cambridge Latin Course, as well as continue review and practice of the grammar and vocabulary covered previously. Students will cover material that will make their knowledge of the accidence and syntax of Latin almost complete. It is now that a start is made in reading passages from some Latin authors in the original language. There will be study of the poets Martial, Ovid and Catullus and Virgil; prose reading will include some of the correspondence between Pliny and the emperor Trajan, and some stories from Suetonius and Livy. As well as translation of the material, there will be an examination of the meter and literary style of the works, and of their cultural and historical setting. Students will also take the National Latin Exam in the spring.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Completion of Latin 2 of equivalent
Credit: 1
Honors Latin 3
This course covers the same content as Latin 3 at a pace and depth that is greater and more challenging for our top Latin students at this level.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Completion of Latin 2 or equivalent and approval of department
Credit: 1
Latin 4/5
This course is open to those who have completed Latin 3 or Honors Latin 3 and are hoping to continue their study of Latin to the AP level. The course will consist of a two-year rotating curriculum in which one year AP Vergil is studied and the next the poets Horace, Ovid, and Catullus are studied. In this way, the students have the opportunity to investigate a broader range of Roman authors while still being able to take the Latin AP exam during their studies at Walker’s. Both courses will focus on the intricacies of Latin grammar and poetic devices in Roman poetry. In addition to being able to translate the material, there will be an examination of meter and literary style of the authors, as well as discussions about the culture and history surrounding these works.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Completion of Latin 3/4 or equivalent and approval of the department
Credit: 1
Greek
Ancient Greek
This elective language course, open to all students, will consist of two parts. During the first semester, the class will study the Ancient Greek language at a college pace, completing the equivalent of an Ancient Greek I course. During the second semester, the class will study the works of Plato and Aristotle (primarily in English with Ancient Greek supplements.)
Grades 9-12
Does not fulfill the language requirement; elective only.
Credit: 1
Classical Mythology
This semester long course will provide students with an in depth overview of Roman and Greek mythology. Topics of discussion will include, but are not limited to: the creation of the universe, the Titans and Olympian gods, the ages of man and the qualities that make a hero. The class will also discuss the Trojan War at length and the aspects of the Iliad that make it a cautionary anti-war epic. This class will provide excellent supplementary knowledge for any current Latin students as well as for anyone interested in myths and legends.
Grades 9-12
Does not fulfill the language requirement; elective only.
Credit: .5
Mandarin Chinese
Introduction to Chinese
This is a beginning course in Mandarin Chinese. Students learn the principles and practices of Pinyin pronunciation system to correctly pronounce the Chinese characters from the very start. Emphasis is placed on conversational skills and correct character writing habits. Reading and listening skills are also introduced so that students can begin to feel comfortable expressing themselves verbally and in writing. By the end of the first year, students will have mastered a working written vocabulary of roughly 400 characters and have exposed themselves to roughly 450-470 characters. Students are expected to be able to introduce themselves, their friends, and family members; discuss their hobbies and school; and to hold simple dialogue, paying particular attention to the tones and proficiency in handling everyday situations in the Chinese language.
Grades 8-12
Credit: 1
Intermediate Chinese
This is a continuation of Introduction to Chinese, this course’s prerequisite. Students will learn additional vocabulary in order to handle increasingly complicated situations in the language. Students will master most of the basic grammatical structures of the Chinese language. Character writing and computer inputting gradually replace the use of Pinyin symbols in writing. Emphasis is also placed on oral proficiency and short written works using the structures learned. Individual and group projects focus on learning the different provinces, physical geography, ethnic groups and languages, and current political and environmental issues facing China. History, traditions, social customs, holidays, movies, music, and food are also introduced. By the end this course, students can expect to have mastered a total of around 700-750 characters, and to have been introduced to about 825 characters.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Introduction to Chinese or equivalent
Credit: 1
Advanced Chinese
This course follows the successful completion of Intermediate Chinese (Chinese 2) and continues to develop the students’ Chinese language proficiency at advanced levels. Students will have opportunities to study selected works of Chinese literature and learn some of the most important Chinese proverbs and expressions to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture. The reading and writing of Chinese characters are continued and intensified. Writing skills will be enhanced through reading authentic materials. Original movies and related TV programs will also be introduced as discussion topics. This course is taught mostly in Chinese.
Grades 10-12
Pre-requisite: Successful completion of Intermediate Chinese (Chinese 2) or the equivalent.
Credit: 1
Honors Chinese
The objective of this course is to provide students with the acquisition of more refined Chinese linguistic skills, exposure to a wider range of Chinese culture, and the experience of some of China’s rich heritage of literature. Taught exclusively in Chinese in small class settings, it enables the students to advance their knowledge and skills to higher linguistic and literary standards, and subsequently, empowers them to communicate more proficiently and professionally in speaking and writing. Through linguistic practice and appreciation for Chinese culture and literature, students will be highly motivated to continue their studies of Chinese at the college level and beyond.
Grades 10-12
Pre-requisite: Completion of Advanced Chinese or equivalent
Credit: 1
AP Chinese
The AP Chinese Language and Culture course is designed primarily for proficiency in Chinese and along with the national AP Board standards. It develops the students’ ability to interpret difficult authentic materials (meant for native speakers), and to communicate in a culturally appropriate manner. Students not only learn to perform in Chinese to accomplish tasks, and interpret and exchange information, but also utilize analytical skills in conjunction with linguistic and cultural knowledge to function in Chinese. In addition, it exposes students to the challenge of rigorous Chinese course work, similar to, or even exceeding college level Chinese, and prepares the students for future studies or academic research in Chinese. As a culminating assessment in this course, students will take the AP Exam in Chinese.
Prerequisite: Completion of Advanced Chinese or equivalent, approval of department chair
Credit: 1
Advanced Chinese Language & Culture for Heritage Students
This course is designed for native speakers of Chinese in American contexts. It covers the major aspects of the Chinese language and culture, including the writing system, historical development as well as social and cultural traditions. It aims at heritage students of Chinese who need to advance their systematic grammar knowledge and further refine their linguistic proficiency to better communicate in a comparative cultural and bilingual environment. Emphasis is given to the studies of Chinese linguistics and rhetoric to enhance the students’ idiomatic interpreting and translating capacity in the English-speaking contexts. This course is taught in Chinese and English.
Prerequisite: None
Fall Semester
Credit: .5
Spanish
Spanish 1
The course introduces and develops the four basic skills of reading, listening, writing, and speaking. There is a special emphasis on pronunciation, especially in the beginning of the course. Cultural topics from around the world are explored. Vocabulary required for mastery includes greetings, calendar, family members, school, occupations, travel, telling time, numbers, weather, foods, animals, parts of the body, clothing, descriptions of physical characteristics and basic personality traits, sports and pastimes, directions, places around town, the house and question words. Verb conjugation is explored in detail to include all regular and irregular verbs in the present indicative, present progressive, immediate future, formal commands, stem-changing and reflexive verbs. Other grammatical concepts studied in Spanish 1 include: gender and number agreement; subject pronouns; direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns used with gustar; affirmative and negative expressions; differences between ser and estar, saber and conocer; idiomatic expressions with tener, hacer, and gustar; comparisons; the personal “a”; expressing likes and dislikes.
Grades 8-12
Credit: 1
Spanish 2
In this course students will improve communication skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They also will gain additional cultural knowledge and awareness about the areas of the world in which Spanish is spoken. This course begins with the review of basic grammar points along with more complex structures. Grammatical concepts include verb tenses of the present, the preterit, imperfect, present and past progressive, future and conditional, imperative, and a brief introduction to the present subjunctive. Grammatical concepts include: por and para; possessive adjectives; direct and indirect object pronouns; informal and formal commands; personal and reflexive pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; use of prepositions; and adjective and adverbial expressions.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 1A and 1B, 1 or equivalent with a grade of C- or higher
Credit: 1
Honors Spanish 2
This course covers the same content areas as Spanish 2, but with stronger emphasis on effective communication in all areas of the target language. Students read short stories and literary pieces by Spanish and Latin American authors, in addition to readings from the text. They also write more compositions. This course is offered to qualified students having a minimum B average in Spanish 1, with teachers' recommendation.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 1A and 1B, 1 and approval of the department
Credit: 1
Spanish 3
In this course students receive a review of grammar with special emphasis on structures that re particularly problematic. There is a more sophisticated approach to writing and self-expression in the target language. The focus of the course continues to be effective communication with more emphasis on developing writing and speaking skills along with reading and listening comprehension. Students read selections and research material on the Internet that emphasizes issues of current interest in the Spanish-speaking world. Grammatical concepts include: All tenses of the indicative, passive voice, relative pronouns, idiomatic expressions, impersonal se, regular and irregular past participles, all formal and informal commands, pronoun placement with commands, all perfect tenses including present and present perfect of subjunctive, subjunctive versus indicative, subjunctive with impersonal expressions, to express wishes and hopes, with expression of doubt and emotion, review of present progressive and past progressive, and por and para.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 2 or equivalent and approval of the department
Credit: 1
Honors Spanish 3
This course covers the same content areas as Spanish 3, but with stronger emphasis on effective communication in all areas of the target language. Students read additional text short stories and literary pieces by Spanish and Latin American authors. They also write more compositions. This course is offered to qualified students having a minimum B average in Spanish 2, upon teachers’ recommendation.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 2 or equivalent and approval of department
Credit: 1
Spanish Composition/Conversation
This course is designed for students who want to strengthen their speaking and writing abilities. The focus of this course is on conversation and composition writing with topics pulled from the textbook as well as those suggested by students. Students are given the opportunity to sharpen their conversation skills by presenting arguments in class debates, giving oral presentations and putting together theatrical productions. Students are asked to write journal entries and compositions weekly. Students are expected to watch Spanish television and listen to Spanish music as often as possible. Students are also expected to overcome any barriers created by grammar struggles by reviewing these points for homework.
Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 3 or equivalent and approval of the department
Credit: 1
Spanish 4
Spanish 4 continues the development of language skills from Level 3. It broadens vocabulary, increases fluency, and deepens knowledge of the mechanics of Spanish. It also reviews in depth the conjugation and use of Spanish verbs, such as all perfect tenses and subjunctive forms. This course includes the reading of short stories written by Spanish and Latin American authors. Spanish 4 requires students to do the following work: read short stories, answer comprehension questions, complete exercises designed to increase vocabulary, participate in class discussions, cover grammar units independently, write in a journal on a daily basis, and complete listening comprehension exercises. Quizzes that assist students’ development of test-taking adeptness are administered bi–weekly.
Grades 9-12
Credit: 1
Honors Spanish 4
This course is similar to Spanish 4, but with stronger emphasis on effective use of the language in writing and speaking. The students are also exposed to Spanish literature in greater depth. They will be required to read and analyze one additional short story per term and present a written analysis on the readings. This course is offered to qualified students having a minimum B average in Spanish 3 or 3 Honors, upon teachers’ recommendation.
Grades 9-12
Credit: 1
AP Spanish Language
This course prepares students for the AP Spanish language examination in May. Students must be recommended in order to study at this level. Students qualifying for this course have already acquired advanced skills in speaking, writing, reading, listening, and comprehension. The curriculum for this course is designed to refine and perfect these skills as well as to broaden students’ understanding of Hispanic culture. Students are provided with a learning experience equivalent to that of a third year college course in Spanish language and presented with instructional materials, assignments and assessments at this level. Students read and write extensively, listen to authentic sources and participate in discussions and activities frequently. They are also given the opportunity to view, analyze and discuss feature films in Spanish. Classes are conducted completely in Spanish. In addition, students are expected to expose themselves to the spoken language outside the classroom as much as possible. It is also required that they review grammar independently.
Grades 9-12
Credit: 1
AP Spanish Literature
This course is conducted completely in Spanish and prepares students for the AP Spanish Literature Examination in May. Students must be recommended in order to study at this level. The course covers some of the finest literary works written by Peninsular and Latin American authors from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The main goal of the course is to teach students the necessary analytical tools to read, discuss and analyze the literary works on the AP syllabus, and to understand their importance within the cultural and historic context in which they were written.
Grades 9-12
Credit: 1
Languages
Language Teaching Assistantship
This position is open to juniors and seniors in good academic standing who have a strong interest in languages and have completed at least three years of language study. Students will assist in beginning-level language courses. After receiving some training in learning styles and learning strategies, assistants will help beginning students to understand the fundamental concepts of the target language. They may also provide extra help, supervise projects or help present new material. In addition to their involvement during class time, assistants will meet weekly with the teacher to review, assess and preview important concepts and units of study. They will keep a log, to be submitted weekly, and must also do an in-depth evaluation of their performance at the end of the term. Interested students apply to the Language Department in the spring prior to their junior or senior year as part of their course registration. The Department will notify students in June about whether or not their applications have been approved.
Grades 11-12
Fall and/or Spring Semester
Credit: 1
French
French 4 - Only Offered 2012-2013
This course is designed to give students who have studied French previously at Ethel Walker and have covered all basic aspects of language the solid knowledge of grammar required to express themselves correctly in French and to appreciate the reading of journalistic and literary texts. Students practice their oral, written and aural skills on a daily basis through class discussions and exercise drawn from the media, literature, songs, and movies. Student-written analyses are the culmination activity after studying literary texts. Students are continuously exposes to the history, literature, current events and trends of the French-speaking world. Literary selections vary according to the interests and abilities of the students and may include works by Balzac, Ben Jelloun, Cardinal. Flaubert. Joffo, Maupasssant, Oyono, Sartre, Zola and others; poetry by Appollinaire, Baudelaire, Hebert, Philombe, Rimbaud, Tzara and Verlaine.
Grades 9-12
Credit: 1
AP French Language - Only Offered 2012-2013 and 2013-2014
This course is geared toward preparing students to take the AP French Language examination in May each year. It also develops intensive insight into the language, literature, culture, and history of the French-speaking world. Students familiarize themselves with the exam format as well as continue an intensive study of grammar and language on a sophisticated level. They strengthen the breadth of their vocabulary through the reading of authentic materials and literature as well as through videos, films and other media. They continue to use French through class discussions and to improve their written expression through essays, research papers and creative writing assignments. Literary works include selections of Francophone literature, including Albert Camus, L’Etranger, Mauriac, Rabelais and others; poetry selections including Cesaire, La Fontaine, Hebert, Nerval, Romain, Breton, Guillen, Durand, Maalouf, among others.
Grades 9-12
Credit: 1
