World Languages and Cultures
The World Languages and Cultures Department regards our students as people of one world, made up of many nations, languages and cultures. Committed to the holistic development of our students and our mission to educate them to learn, lead and serve, we seek to broaden their view of the world by providing opportunities to cross boundaries, both linguistically and culturally. We acknowledge that the world, though vast and ever changing, is shrinking with the widespread use of technology, and the ease and availability of travel. We advocate that language is the expression of culture, and that the teaching of world languages goes hand in hand with the teaching of cultural perspectives, practices, products, traditions and beliefs. We model for our students that cultural and historical knowledge affects our choices to participate in the local and world community. We believe in the importance of a four-year program to enable our students to communicate proficiently with those whose first language is not English, both in the United States and abroad. We make every effort to recognize the dynamics of life in the 21st century, which includes the promise of unique career, service and leadership opportunities to students who are successful at becoming bilingual. We encourage the integration of various disciplines taught at Magnificat, together with the rights of all world citizens, and the themes of Catholic social justice teachings.
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This course seeks to increase students’ appreciation, understanding, and tolerance toward other people. Students will gain a perspective of different languages, cultures, and geography from around the world. The course fosters interest in traditions and customs and provides insights for those who might travel, work, or study with people from different cultures.
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The World Culture course expands students' understanding of global communities, customs, and perspectives. Students will gain an appreciation of the histories of diverse cultures through a thematic approach. Topics will include music, art, religions, discoveries and inventions, cooking, fashion, education, and important figures. This course will also highlight the role of women in various cultures.
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First level students will develop the skills to communicate by listening, speaking, reading and writing. They will gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures, explore the structure of language, make connections with other disciplines, and become aware of Spanish and French influence in the community.
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First level students will develop the skills to communicate by listening, speaking, reading and writing. They will gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures, explore the structure of language, make connections with other disciplines, and become aware of Spanish and French influence in the community.
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First year students will learn to speak Modern Standard Arabic, read from right to left, and use the Arabic alphabet to write in cursive handwriting, which incorporates rules for connecting letters. They will gain knowledge and understanding of linguistic and cultural variations of the Arabic-speaking world, and become aware of Arabic influence in the community.
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Second year students continue to develop language skills by listening, speaking, reading and writing in Spanish. Verb tenses, sentence structure and cultural perspectives and practices taught in the first year will be further developed. New vocabulary as well as grammatical concepts and linguistic comparisons will be introduced through a variety of communicative tasks including dialogues, compositions, and creative projects. Concepts continue to be presented in a cultural context, including geography and communities.
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Second year students continue to develop language skills by listening, speaking, reading and writing in French. Verb tenses, sentence structure and cultural perspectives and practices taught in the first year will be further developed. New vocabulary as well as grammatical concepts and linguistic comparisons will be introduced through a variety of communicative tasks including dialogues, compositions, and creative projects. Concepts continue to be presented in a cultural context, including geography and communities.
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Second year students continue to develop language skills by listening, speaking, reading and writing in Arabic. Verbs, sentence structure and cultural perspectives and practices taught in the first year will be further developed. Students will continue to learn pronunciation, and the rules for writing and connecting letters in cursive. New vocabulary as well as grammatical concepts will be introduced through a variety of communicative tasks including dialogues, and creative projects. Concepts continue to be presented in a cultural context, including geography and communities.
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This third-year language course, largely conducted in the target language, offers students an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of language structures, greater proficiency in speaking, writing, listening and reading comprehension and a global awareness of the language's cultural impact in our world. Students will read and comprehend authentic articles, cultural and historical novelettes, videos and songs, as well as familiarize themselves with current events and justice issues, to discover and make cross-cultural comparisons. Skills proficiency will be developed through student assignments targeting speaking, reading, writing and listening comprehension skills. The use of technology will be integrated. Student performance will be measured through assessments in vocabulary, language structures and skills-based activities such as creative projects, presentations, compositions and conversations.
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This honors-level course is a faster-paced course conducted in the target language with an emphasis on independent learning, skill development and a culture of curiosity. Students who qualify at this level will be life-long learners, motivated to set personal goals and reflect on their performance and progress. The honors-level course offers a more challenging workload with skills-based assessments and assignments in speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension. The use of technology will be required to develop interpersonal communication, interpretational and presentational skills. Those considering taking honors-level courses should speak to their current language teacher to determine whether their goals and proficiency levels match honors course expectations. Evidence of student proficiency is measured through student performance.
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This third-year, fast-paced language course, largely conducted in the target language, offers students an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of language structures, greater proficiency in speaking, writing, listening, and reading comprehension, and global awareness of the language's cultural impact in our world. Students will study and analyze folk tales and literature, authentic films and songs, as well as familiarize themselves with current events to discover and make cross-cultural comparisons. Skills proficiency will be developed through student assignments targeting speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension skills. The use of technology will be required. Student performance will be measured through assessments in vocabulary, language structures, and skills-based activities such as presentations, writing compositions, and current event summaries.
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Third year students acquire a broader and deeper understanding of language as they effectively integrate learned structures and vocabulary to further develop proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students will continue to learn pronunciation, and the rules for writing and connecting letters in cursive. They will use the language they have learned by reading excerpts from literature, writing compositions and participating in projects and presentations.
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Fourth year is an intermediate to advanced course, taught almost exclusively in the target language, in which students are expected to integrate the linguistic concepts they have learned in prior levels. The objectives of this level incorporate communication and cultural standards from the Ohio World Languages Curriculum. The courses consist of cultural units, considered within the context of the Spanish-speaking world, its people, literature, current events, music, arts, and media. Upon completion of the course, students will communicate in the target language at an intermediate level using interpersonal speaking and writing, interpretive listening and reading, and presentational speaking and writing.
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Spanish 4 Honors is a fast-paced Pre-AP course taught in the target language. There is great emphasis on skill development, independent learning, and a culture of curiosity. This course is devoted to the refinement of vocabulary and the practice of communicative language skills. The students will build their proficiency through cultural units with authentic materials on a wide range of topics and media such as video clips, news broadcasts, magazine articles, literature, art, and culture from different Spanish speaking countries of the world.
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French 4 Honors is a fast-paced Pre-AP course taught in the target language. There is great emphasis on skill development, independent learning, and the integration of linguistic concepts learned in prior courses. The students will build their proficiency by using authentic materials such as video clips, news broadcasts, current events, magazine articles, art, and music to explore topics such as personal relationships, human rights, global challenges standing up for others, media, publicity, and beauty in the world. Student performance will be measured through presentations, writing compositions, current event summaries, cultural comparisons, and assessments on vocabulary and language structures.
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Fourth year students acquire a broader and deeper understanding of the Arabic language as they effectively integrate learned structures and vocabulary to further develop competency, and to continue to perfect their Arabic pronunciation and cursive writing. Students interpret written and spoken language, and express opinion and persuasion in compositions, letters and essays. They will listen to authentic materials, read excerpts from literature, and study current events in the Arabic speaking world in order to prompt discussions, projects and presentations.
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Advanced Placement Spanish Language and Culture follows a curriculum that is approved by the College Board. It integrates Spanish language and culture through the study of the six themes of Beauty and Esthetics, Contemporary Life, Family and Communities, Global Challenges, Personal and Public Identities, and Science and Technology. Each theme incorporates several related contexts which facilitate the teaching of interpersonal and presentational communication, interdisciplinary connections, cultural comparisons, and community participation. Students will use authentic reading, listening, and video resources as they explore the six cultural themes in context.
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Students prepare for the AP French Language and Culture Exam by studying the following themes proposed by the College Board: Global Challenges, Beauty and Aesthetics, Families and Communities, Personal and Public Identity, Science and Technology, and Contemporary Life. Students work toward competency, by integrating vocabulary, grammar and culture in a variety of ways such as, writing letters and essays, and creating oral presentations and extemporaneous conversations. There is emphasis on the use of authentic French materials, which incorporate the six themes.
