World Languages
Placement Requirements
The placement process for new students is different from that for returning students. Please review the placement requirements for the appropriate group at the links below.
All placements are subject to review by the head of the department.
Department Courses
Spanish
Spanish 5 Semester Courses
Spanish 5 semester courses each meet during a single semester. The offerings change from year to year. The registrar will work with seniors to request particular semester senior Spanish courses in May of the previous year.
List of Courses
French 1
Available to: all students
This first-year proficiency-based course introduces basic elements of francophone language and culture by way of a student-centered, communicative, and immersive classroom environment. Students engage in regular study of introductory grammar topics including basic sentence structure, conjugation of verbs in the present tense, adjective and adverb placement, as well as the beginning stages of more complex topics that they will master in their second year of language study. A linguistic toolkit provides students with the building blocks to express themselves in a diverse array of everyday, authentic situations including introducing themselves, ordering in a restaurant, asking and answering basic questions, and explaining likes and dislikes. A strong emphasis is placed on pronunciation, listening and reading comprehension, as well as spoken and written production. By the end of the first year of language study, students are able to construct sentences, answer simple questions, and understand clear and slowly spoken French. Students can expect work to be based largely around the four language competencies: writing, reading, listening and speaking. Homework and assessments are designed to engage and motivate students to achieve a novice level of French in their first year.
French 2 / French 2 Honors
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
The second year of French language study is a continuation of French 1, adding new structures to their repertoire. Students improve upon their grammar and vocabulary, by applying them to everyday contexts and participating in fun communicative activities that quiz them on their knowledge. The primary focus of the French 2 curriculum is to give students the tools and confidence to approach intermediate proficiency by the start of French 3 and communicate in francophone environments. Students will engage with a variety of authentic texts, including videos and short stories. A continued focus will be placed on pronunciation, listening and reading comprehension, as well as spoken and written production. Students can expect work to be based largely around the four language competencies: writing, reading, listening and speaking. Students in the Honors section will demonstrate the ability to organize and express individual and unique thoughts based on the tools they have acquired in class. The honors course will provide students with opportunities to complete extension work and to apply their knowledge and skills to topics beyond the regular French 2 curriculum.
French 3 / French 3 Honors
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
The third year of French continues to foster students’ development in reading, writing, listening, and speaking the language. Throughout the year, students revisit important grammar and vocabulary from years 1-2 while also learning new concepts. Students apply their growing command of the language through games, daily partner and group conversational activities, personal and collaborative writing exercises, and engagement with authentic print, audio, and video sources. All the while, they develop their own projects that demonstrate their skill with the French language and their passion for the francophone world. Students read a sequence of several longer texts throughout the year. Students in the honors section read a more challenging slate of texts and engage in more rigorous cultural and grammatical study.
French 4 / AP French Language and Culture
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
The AP French course is structured around the six major themes of the AP French Language and Culture examination: global challenges, science and technology, contemporary life, personal and public identities, families and communities, and aesthetics and beauty. The course enables students to hone their French language skills and offers opportunities to complete practice exam activities. Students prepare for the AP exam, and most students elect to take it. At the same time, they design projects that demonstrate their passion for the language and the francophone world. Taught in conjunction with AP French, French 4 is intended for students who wish to apply the grammar they have learned in years 1 through 3 to more advanced conversation and deeper comprehension of advanced authentic reading sources. Students study articles, news reports and videos that expose them to a variety of francophone contexts. Regular study of pronunciation and advanced vocabulary/expressions round out students’ proficiency.
Japanese 1
Available to: all students
This first-year course serves as an introduction to the study of both Japanese language and culture for students with no prior experience or a novice level of proficiency. An emphasis is placed on mastery of basic grammatical structures and elementary vocabulary as a preparation for further study at more advanced levels. By the end of the year, students are to master all 46 hiragana and 46 katakana characters with 35 kanji. They cannot only read or write on very familiar topics using a variety of words and phrases and expressions they practiced, but they can also present and communicate on very familiar topics such as their families and school activities. Students will be exposed to the Japanese language and culture through authentic cultural materials and an immersive and fun classroom environment.
Japanese 2 / Japanese 2 Honors
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
The second year seeks to build off the progress made in Japanese 1, and continues the study of basic grammar, verb forms, and everyday vocabulary through oral and written practice. Students will practice the various modes of communication as they explore more of the Japanese culture. An emphasis is placed on continuing to develop all language skills and to understand Japanese cultural elements. In Japanese 2, students will immerse themselves in the language, as they seek to improve upon the proficiency they have built in the first year. At the honors level, the focus shifts to the acquisition of grammar forms used in daily conversation as well as written work in an attempt to build a more sophisticated understanding of the language. The Japanese 2 students are to add about 120 kanji while Japanese 2 Honors students add nearly 200 kanji to what they have mastered in the previous year.
Japanese 3 / Japanese 3 Honors
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
Japanese 3 continues to build upon the framework established in the first two years of study, as students work with more sophisticated grammar, verb forms, and more elaborate vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. The ultimate goal of this course is to continue to emphasize conversation with the hopes that students will not only improve their language skills but also become able to communicate with native speakers. At the honors level, students will be asked to express themselves in a variety of forms, both written and spoken, as they continue to improve their language proficiency at the ACTFL Intermediate-Low level for Japanese 3 and Intermediate-Mid for Japanese 3H. The Japanese 3 students are to add about 120 kanji while Japanese 3 Honors students add about 200 kanji to what they have mastered in the previous year.
Japanese 4 / AP Japanese Language and Culture
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
The fourth year of Japanese helps students strengthen their speaking and writing skills as well as their listening and reading comprehension. The course involves a variety of opportunities for both interpersonal and presentational communication, including frequent oral presentations, written reports, and class discussions. Classes are conducted principally in Japanese, emphasizing students’ increasing ability to speak freely and accurately. An immersive environment is essential at this level of a student’s language development, and students are encouraged to continue honing their language proficiency. The Japanese 4 students are to add about 120 kanji while Japanese AP students learn 40 more new kanji in the fall term and focus on reviewing the total of about 500 kanji in the spring term. At the AP level, students prepare for the AP Examination in May through a careful review of the AP curriculum and can reach the ACTFL Intermediate-High level or even higher for their proficiency in their four skills.
Latin 1
Available to: all students
In this first-year course, students learn Latin grammar and vocabulary by reading and translating Latin every day. Through grammar and vocabulary exercises they deepen their understanding of the language. The course also introduces students to the culture and history of ancient Rome with a focus on Pompeii; and challenges them to critically examine connections between Roman and modern culture.
Latin 2 / Latin 2 Honors
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
In this second-year course, students continue to refine their understanding of the Latin language through the daily reading of increasingly more difficult Latin passages. Exercises in grammar and vocabulary deepen their understanding of the language. Their study of the larger Roman world continues with a focus on Roman Britain and Egypt, as well as a critical examination of Romanization and colonization.
Latin 3 / Latin 3 Honors
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
Students in Latin 3 continue to explore the Latin language through the daily reading of complex Latin passages, as well as through grammar and vocabulary exercises. Students also continue to critically examine Rome’s role in the Mediterranean by focusing on the Roman army and the campaigns of Vespasian and Titus in Judea. Lastly, they learn about the city of Rome itself.
Latin 4 / AP Latin
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
This course is the culmination of the students’ previous years of study. They will learn to translate, analyze, and respond to prose and poetry as mature Latin readers through the in-depth study of Caesar’s Bellum Gallicum and Vergil’s Aeneid. They practice translating Latin at sight and scanning dactylic hexameter. In preparation for the AP Exam, students in this section also write analytical essays on passages from Caesar and Vergil.
Spanish 1
Available to: all students
Spanish I is intended for students with little to no previous experience with the Spanish language and a novice level of proficiency. This course lays the foundation for all future Spanish courses at Stevenson and offers an introduction to the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish. Students are introduced to the Spanish-speaking world and are exposed to a variety of cultural elements through level-appropriate books, articles, videos, and other authentic Spanish artifacts. An emphasis is placed on building fundamental language-learning proficiency and cultivating a genuine curiosity for the language and culture of Spanish-speaking countries. In order to build both oral and written proficiency, the classroom is an immersive environment in which priority is given to communication and the practical application of the language. This course represents the first step in a student’s language learning adventure and seeks to cultivate a community of life-long language learners.
Spanish 2 / Spanish 2 Honors
Type: honors available
Available to: all students
Spanish 2 is focused on building upon the language skills learned in year one. With continued work to build proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing, students are immersed in the language through culturally relevant and authentic materials. Students read short novels in order to enhance their reading proficiency, while also expanding their cultural understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. Classroom activities are designed to push students out of their comfort zone, explore cultures far different from their own, and ultimately nurture an appreciation for the world around them. Grammar plays a role in Spanish 2; however, the main focus of the class is to create opportunities for students to hear, respond to, and interact with the language. Activities are student-centered and communicative in nature, all in an effort to foster a commitment and desire to learn and improve. Students who demonstrate greater proficiency can be placed into Spanish 2 Honors, which is a faster-paced and more immersive environment. Both Spanish 2 and 2 Honors courses invite students to immerse themselves into the Spanish language on the path towards discovering the joy of sustained language learning.
Spanish 3 / Spanish 3 Honors
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
Spanish 3 is an opportunity for students to put into practice and reinforce the oral and written communication skills they have honed in years one and two, while broadening their understanding of the Spanish-speaking world through an increasingly immersive classroom. Students are asked to engage in daily conversation and debate a variety of topics. Spanish 3 aims to offer students a deeper understanding of grammatical structures and idiomatic expressions through collaborative projects and presentations that simulate real-life applications of the language. With a focus on proficiency, this course is ultimately an exploration of identity both for students’ daily life on campus and the world as a whole. In the Honors section, students will engage with a variety of authentic texts, expand their grammatical and lexical repertoire, push themselves to engage in higher level thinking in the target language, and make progress towards an intermediate-high proficiency level.
Spanish 4 / AP Spanish Language and Culture
Type: honors available
Available to: all qualified students, see placement requirements link above
In Spanish 4, students are invited to apply their Spanish language knowledge in an immersive setting. Assignments and activities are designed to push students toward advanced proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities. Grammar is seldom explicitly taught, rather analyzed contextually. Students navigate the language within the context of real-world applications like debate, discussion and reflection of current events, culture and experiences of native Spanish speakers. A major component of the course is a project in which all students are tasked with a deep dive into an immersive and communicative experience in an area of their choosing. Past projects have included an economic analysis of the situation in Venezuela, a rating of the authenticity of local Mexican restaurants, a study of the challenges of coffee farming in Bolivia, among others. In all, students complete Spanish 4 with a broader view of the world around them and a greater comfort communicating in speaking and writing. In the AP Spanish Language and Culture course, students work their way through the AP curriculum and hone their proficiency in listening, reading, writing and speaking through a variety of activities and creative projects. This course is an exploration of the world (exclusively taught in Spanish), and provides students an opportunity to critically analyze and question the world in which they live, while also preparing for the AP examination.
Spanish 5: Advanced Spanish Conversation
This semester-long course provides intense conversational practice in the context of a panoramic approach to current social, psychological, political, bioethical, philosophical, and linguistic issues. Classes are conducted totally in Spanish in a variety of contexts and registers, from informal, colloquial, conversations to formal discussions on diverse topics. Students will be asked to engage thoughtfully with a variety of source material and participate in discussions, debates, and oral presentations. Through different communicative tasks such as elaborating, explaining in detail, hypothesizing, synthesizing, and summarizing students will develop an ability to distinguish main ideas from supporting information, facts and evidence from opinions, both in written texts and oral speech.
Spanish 5: Hispanic Short Stories
Over the course of the semester, this class offers students an introduction to modern Hispanic short stories. Drawing from fiction, the course focuses on the complex relations between literary production, aesthetics, and sociopolitical transformations. Among other topics, we will discuss the cultural elements integrated or represented in the lives of the characters in the stories, how to approach literary texts, and how to interpret them. Through readings, discussions, and interpretations of these short stories, students will continue to expand their conversational skills, enrich their vocabulary, and deepen their grammatical knowledge while reflecting about what literature says about history, politics, and society in Spanish America.
