World Languages
The World Language Department meets the goals of the New York State curriculum through a four year program. With the successful completion of this program, middle school students are able to earn high school credit in Latin or Spanish.
Program Overview:
The World Language Department aids students in developing increased language proficiency and cultural competence as they advance from grade to grade gaining both linguistic and cultural knowledge. Through the investigation of other languages, students gain the capacity to be effective participants in a global community, improve comprehension of language structure, and create a mindfulness that there are various methods for viewing the world. World Language teachers utilize the power of technology and differentiated resources to address the needs of a varied student population.
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Why Study Spanish? Spanish is the official language of 22 countries with about 352 million native speakers and 417 million second language speakers, primarily in Spain and Latin America. It is the second most spoken language in the world and is quickly gaining ground in the United States. Spanish is seen and heard throughout the country and benefits so many. Why Study Latin? Though Latin is considered a dead language, since there are no longer native speakers, it still has many benefits. It is the official language of the Vatican and official papal decrees are released in Latin first. Latin is the best preparation for any language, especially its derivatives, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, and Italian. Though English doesn’t come directly from Latin, 60% of the vocabulary that we use today are derived from Latin root words. Latin is useful in deciphering polysyllabic, scientific, legal, and governmental English words. With a Latin background, students can learn any subject more easily because he/she can access the vocabulary more readily. Latin is also the most efficient way to learn English grammar. |
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