FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

A three-year sequence of high school credits in one foreign language is required for graduation. Students may take two sequences, if their schedules permit.

McQuaid Jesuit offers four years of French, German, Italian, Latin and Spanish, if sufficient numbers of students qualify for each level. Credit is given for each year of language when it is completed successfully. Departmental approval, which is based on success in prior language study, placement testing and observation in the classroom, is required for language placement.

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Modern Languages

Level I Level One modern foreign language begins the comprehensive study of the target language. Students will attain an acceptable degree of proficiency in the four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing through the emphasis of active communication. Vocabulary and grammatical structures are presented in dialogues, readings and practiced in oral and written drills. These are chosen for their usefulness in everyday conversation, while dialogues prepare students to communicate topics of interest to them. Readings include cultural information to give students an understanding and appreciation of the contemporary world of the target language. English is used for grammatical explanations, but the target language is utilized as much as possible. Students are tested using a variety of techniques.

Level II Using the basic vocabulary learned in Level I, this course emphasizes vocabulary development, more complex grammatical structures and idiomatic usage. As in first year, each lesson begins with a reading which becomes the basis of vocabulary acquisition. Much of the classroom time is spent on the assimilation and oral transposition of newly acquired structures. Emphasis remains on the development of communicative skills, specifically the ability to understand, to speak in correct idiomatic usage of the target language, to read and to write. It is structurally more demanding in that it presents various tenses and more complicated grammatical constructions.

Level III This course builds upon the first two years of study and emphasizes the ability to comprehend and to relate details of various topics in the target language, both orally and in writing. Commonly useful vocabulary, language structures, culture and reading skills are also included. Authentic materials are used as a springboard for discussing current events, prices, cultural items, etc. and as a tool in the composition-writing process. A supplementary grammar exercise book keeps students in touch with the detail and precision that this study requires. The course brings students from the novice level of oral proficiency to the intermediate level where they can create with the language, participate in progressively more challenging conversations and communicate successfully in basic survival situations. The course is supplemented with target-language films and newspapers. Evaluations include vocabulary and structure quizzes, dictations, speaking tests, as well as vocabulary and structure tests given during and at the end of each unit.

Level IV This is a course in advanced idiomatic study in written and spoken language as well as an introduction to literary style. It includes conversational practice on given topics, a variety of literary works in several genres, expository writing, listening comprehension of contemporary programs from the mass media and vocabulary expansion. Language structures are reviewed as needed. Various works are studied for literary style and philosophical content. Discussion and criticism of all texts are the core of class work which will be in seminar form. This course is recommended to students who have excellent achievement in Level III or who have had substantial outside experience with the spoken language. (NOTE: This course will be scheduled if a sufficient number of students enroll and staffing requirements are met.)

Prerequisite for Level IV: Achievement of 90% or above in Level III and approval of instructor required.

Advanced Placement Foreign Language:

This course is designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement Exam in Language. It includes an intensive review and amplification of language structures. Previously learned vocabulary will be reviewed and new vocabulary will be introduced from a variety of sources. Students will practice the writing, listening and speaking components of the exam on a weekly basis.

Prerequisite: Achievement of 90% or above in Level IV and approval of instructor required.

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Classical Languages

Latin I This course is designed to develop a concrete foundation in the basics of Latin grammar and vocabulary. Great attention is placed upon a logical analysis of the structure of the language, both for its own sake and also as an aid to general language skills. The skills learned in Latin I are used in English and modern languages. Translations of sentences and paragraphs are included from the very beginning in order to develop reading skills rapidly. The course also includes an introduction to Roman civilization and history. Christian (Church) pronunciation is used.

Latin II After a detailed and thorough review of first year Latin, the remaining elements of Latin grammar not treated in first year along with a growing mastery of vocabulary specific to Caesar's Gallic War are learned as a preparation for extensive reading from that text. In addition to Caesar's Gallic War, selections from the Vulgate are read to show the first changes in the Classical Latin which ultimately lead to the development of the Romance Languages.

Latin III Third year Latin is dedicated to reading selections of the Aeneid in Latin and the whole Aeneid in English translation. The purpose of the course is to appreciate Vergil’s poetry in the original and to understand Vergil’s answers to some of the great questions that face all reflective and thoughtful human beings. A constant review of grammatical forms and structures is maintained throughout the course.

Latin IV This course introduces the student to the poetry of Catullus, Horace and Ovid and to the prose of Cicero, the orator, and of Livy, the historian. As time permits, selections from early Christian Latin and from Augustine will be studied. A constant review of grammatical form and structures is maintained throughout the course.

Prerequisite for Latin IV: Approval of Instructor requi red.

Electives

One-year intensive language elective in German The one-year language elective is designed for the student who has completed a three-year sequence in another foreign language and would like to explore a second foreign language. Its emphasis is on practical vocabulary, conversation skills, and topics of social and cultural relevance. This course meets every day.

(NOTE: This elective course will be scheduled if a sufficient number of students enroll and staffing requirements are met.)