EHS students are required to complete one credit in a World Language in order to graduate. Currently most colleges and universities require or highly recommend a multi-year, same-language sequence of study for admission. Consequently many EHS students take multiple credits of one or more languages. The languages offered at EHS are French, Spanish, and Japanese.
EHS World Languages courses focus on interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive communication through literature, music, film, media, and the study of cultures related to the target languages.
Students are encouraged to participate in linguistic and cultural exchanges. Students with pre-existing language skills may contact the World Languages office to schedule an appointment with a teacher of that language to discuss the proper level of placement for the student.
FRENCH COURSES
FRENCH I
Course Number G201 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
This course is an introduction to the French language and the cultures of francophone countries and regions. The course emphasizes practical speaking and listening skills, while introducing basic reading comprehension and writing skills. kills.
FRENCH II
Course Number G204 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
This course is the foundation for the intermediate and advanced levels of French at Essex High School. Students continue to develop speaking and listening skills, but also develop reading and writing skills. Students continue to study French-speaking cultures through literature, art, music and geography. This course is designed for students who have taken French I in middle school or high school.
Prerequisite: French I
FRENCH III
Course Number G206 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
In this course, students will continue to develop their interpersonal, presentational and interpretive French language skills. Through readings, film, video, music, and communication with students abroad, students will learn to express themselves at an ever more sophisticated level and achieve a greater understanding of written and spoken French. Students will continue to gain more cultural knowledge through the study of French-speaking cultures and through a comparison of cultures. The course will be conducted almost entirely in French.
Prerequisite: French II
FRENCH IV
Course Number G207 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
Students will develop French interpersonal, presentational and interpretive language skills through the study of more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary. Students will navigate a variety of resources, including authentic oral and written materials, including correspondence with sister schools abroad, to gain a broader perspective of the French language and French-speaking cultures. This course will be conducted 90% of the time in French.
Prerequisite: French III
ADVANCED FRENCH CONVERSATION AND CULTURE V
Course Number G108 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
This course is designed for students interested in developing a high level of linguistic and cultural competency. Students will work toward ease of communication and greater cultural knowledge through the study of film, literature, media, and correspondence with VIA Collaborative schools in France, Belgium, and Spain. This course will also focus on professional communication skills and cultural competency as preparation for working in an international environment. Advanced French Conversation and Culture takes a practical approach for students desiring to apply the French language in everyday life, within and outside of the school setting. This course will be conducted entirely in French.
Students who use a dual enrollment voucher or pay 50% tuition for college credit and pass the course could earn 3 UVM credits through the College of Arts and Sciences’ department of Romance Languages and Cultures in addition to 1 EHS credit.
Prerequisite: French IV
ADVANCED FRENCH CONVERSATION AND CULTURE VI
Course Number G111 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
In this course designed for students seeking a high level of linguistic and cultural competency, students will have ongoing opportunities to develop and sustain oral and written fluency in French and gain greater cultural knowledge through the study of film, music, literature, and the media, and through our high school’s relationship with collaborative schools abroad. Concurrently, this course focuses on practical and professional communication skills and cultural competency as preparation for study, travel, and work in an international environment. This course will be conducted entirely in French.
Students who use a dual enrollment voucher or pay 50% tuition for college credit and pass the course could earn 3 UVM credits through the College of Arts and Sciences’ department of Romance Langages and Cultures in addition to 1 EHS credit.
Prerequisites: Advanced French Conversation and Culture V
JAPANESE COURSES
JAPANESE I
Course Number G229 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
This course emphasizes conversation and cultural information necessary to communicate in this non-Western language. Students master two new alphabets: Hiragana and Katakana. Students are encouraged to take two credits of Japanese at the high school.
JAPANESE II
Course Number G230 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
This course continues language development in the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in Japanese. There is expanded cultural study and use of language in the classroom. Students master up to 200 Kanji.
Prerequisite: Japanese I
SPANISH COURSES
SPANISH I
Course Number G217 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
This course is an introduction to the Spanish language and culture. The course emphasizes speaking and listening comprehension, basic reading comprehension, and basic writing skills. Spanish I is a proficiency-based course. Students have the opportunity to move at their own pace by demonstrating understanding and skills required to reach each of the eight milestones of the course. Credit is granted based on the number of milestones successfully completed throughout the course. Students may also have the option to continue to Spanish II material at any point during the course after demonstrating understanding of all Spanish I milestones.
SPANISH II
Course Number G219 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
In this course, students create the foundation for the intermediate and advanced levels of Spanish at Essex High School. Students will continue to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Students will study Spanish-speaking cultures through readings, art, music and geography. Spanish II is a proficiency-based course. Students have the opportunity to move at their own pace by demonstrating understanding and skills required to reach each of the eight milestones of the course.
Credit is granted based on the number of milestones successfully completed throughout the course. Students may also have the option to continue to Spanish III material at any point during the course after demonstrating understanding of all Spanish II milestones. By the end of the course, students are expected to use Spanish 75% of the time.
Prerequisite: Spanish I
SPANISH III
Course Number G221 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
In this course, the student will maintain and develop listening and speaking skills, with increased emphasis on reading and writing. The introduction of more advanced grammar and vocabulary will equip students with the tools to express themselves at a more sophisticated level. Students will continue to study Spanish-speaking cultures through readings, media, music and film. This course will be conducted at least 75% of the time in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Spanish II
SPANISH IV
Course Number G222 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
In this course, students will maintain and develop listening and speaking skills, and will develop more advanced reading and writing skills through the study of more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary. Students will focus on the reading of selected literary works. The study of cultures will give students a broad perspective of Hispanic peoples throughout the world. This course will be conducted 90% of the time in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Spanish III
SPANISH V
Course Number G104 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
In this advanced language course, students will review grammar and be introduced to new, more complex grammatical structures. Conversation will be expanded to incorporate the three communicative modes: interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive. Students will explore Hispanic and Spanish literature and culture, both present and past, through literature and film. This course will be conducted entirely in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Spanish IV
AP SPANISH LANGUAGE VI
Course Number G105 1 World Language credit Grades 9-12
This course will help students continue to develop more advanced proficiency across the three communicative modes: interpersonal, presentational and interpretive. Language skills will become more refined and will emphasize more sophisticated oral and written expression, as well as linguistic accuracy and fluency.
Authentic sources, including literature representing Hispanic and Spanish authors, printed text, and audio material, will serve as the basis for the course and will incorporate historical, political and contemporary perspectives. The course is compatible with a fifth or sixth semester college course and will prepare students to take the Advanced Placement exam in May. This course will be conducted entirely in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Recommendation of previous Spanish teacher