World Languages

This new course in Hochdeutsch (High German) is suitable for complete beginners, not for students who already have some German. With the emphasis on a communicative approach, students practice their skills in all four language skill areas, speaking, writing, listening and reading. In the first year, students achieve basic conversation language and vocabulary. They learn how to give and ask for information about themselves and others. In learning to do this, they cover numbers, alphabet and spelling, question words, regular and irregular present tense verbs, and areas of vocabulary such as family members, colors and countries. Students also begin to learn language for everyday situations like ordering food and drink and shopping and have the chance to practice this in fun role-play situations and drama. Students also learn about the cultures and peoples of German-speaking countries.

Note: Open to Grades 7 and 8

This course in Hochdeutsch (High German) is suitable for students who already know some German. With the emphasis on a communicative approach, students practice their skills in all four language skill areas, speaking, writing, listening and reading. The course starts with a brief review of the following from the first course: numbers, alphabet and spelling, question words, regular and irregular present tense verbs, and areas of vocabulary such as family members, colors and countries, vocabulary for everyday situations like ordering food and drink and shopping. Students then continue with more in-depth study of language, verbs and vocabulary, including the past tense. Topic areas include daily routine and time, travel and transport, places in the town and directions, health and body, clothing, holidays and party invitations. Students also learn about the cultures and peoples of German-speaking countries.

Note: Open to Grades 7 and 8

This new course in Hochdeutsch (High German) is suitable for complete beginners, and those with a little German already. With the emphasis on a communicative approach, students practice their skills in all four language skill areas, speaking, writing, listening and reading. In this one year, students achieve A1 level. The course begins with a review of the following: basic conversation language and vocabulary and also how to give and ask for information about themselves and others, numbers, alphabet and spelling, question words, regular and irregular present tense verbs, and areas of vocabulary such as family members, colors and descriptive words, countries and languages, action words and leisure activities etc. Students then begin to learn language for everyday situations like ordering food and drink, shopping and asking for and giving directions, and explaining health problems. They have the chance to practice this in fun role-play situations and drama. They learn more vocabulary and grammar including more present tense verbs and some past tense verbs, cases and word order. Students also learn about the cultures and peoples of the German-speaking countries.

Note: Open to Grade 9 and 10

This continuation course in Hochdeutsch (High German) is suitable for those students who already have A1 level (students who have completed US beginner course, but not MS beginner course.) This is not a course for complete beginners. It is also open to those who have A1 level German from other schools, but it is not suitable for students who already have A2-C1 level. With the emphasis on a communicative approach, students practice their skills in all four language skill areas – speaking, writing, listening and reading. In this course, students learn and perform at A2 level. The course starts with a quick review of language and grammar already learned at A1 level. Grammar focus is on building on the past perfect tense, conditional tense, cases and prepositions, reflexive verbs, more complex word order, conjunctions and word order. Topics of language include house and home, feelings and emotions, describing people and appearance, jobs and work, the weather, and more. Students also learn about the cultures and peoples of the German-speaking countries.

Note: Open to Grade 9 and 10

These courses aim to introduce the French or Spanish language to students in grades 7 and 8. Students entering the Middle School with some background often benefit from the review this course provides. They learn how to communicate and read through games, activities and assessments. In addition, students have the chance to explore the culture and history of French- or Spanish-speaking countries. Those who successfully complete this course move on the French IB or Spanish IB.

Note: Grades 7 and 8

In French IB and Spanish IB, students are expected to remember what they learned in French or Spanish IA and to build on that knowledge. Students learn through games, activities and assessments, as in in French IA or Spanish IA, and begin to feel comfortable having longer conversations in the present tense. In this course, the past tense is introduced. Students also deepen their knowledge of francophone or hispanophone countries and their customs through projects. Students who are 7^th graders and who successfully master the content of French IB class move on to French IC in 8^th grade.

Note: Grades 7 and 8

This course is for students with a strong French background. Due to the advanced nature of this course, students will be expected to read, write, and participate fully in the target language from the beginning of the course. This is a fast-paced class with high expectations and will be very engaging from the start!

Note: Grades 7 and 8. Students must take a placement test to determine if they have the oral, listening and written skills necessary to succeed in this course.

These courses aim to enable beginners to become basic users of these foreign languages. For this purpose, these courses look to develop students’ abilities from the very beginning in three dimensions: as social agents; students progressively acquire the knowledge and skills that allow them to carry out basic tasks relating to immediate needs and to participate in simple social interactions exchanging information on everyday activities and personal issues, as intercultural speakers; students start familiarizing themselves with basic elements of the new cultural system conveyed by the target language and begin to build their intercultural awareness, and as autonomous learners; students are taught how to use strategies and techniques that allow them to plan and control their learning process. Methodologically, both course levels aim to familiarize students from the very first stages with a task-based approach to foreign language teaching and learning.

The main focus of coursework is on bringing authentic communicative contexts into the classroom and using the foreign language as a tool for completing real tasks and for real communicative purposes.

These courses lead to the achievement of the threshold level — the lowest level of general foreign language ability that is academically recognized. Students who reach this level in French or Spanish dispose of the minimal means needed to transact the business of everyday life and to make social contact with those they meet, for example, while traveling in a country where French or Spanish is the native language. These courses aim to broaden students’ linguistic, cultural and strategic knowledge and skills to enable them to carry out less simple tasks relating to needs that go beyond basic survival and that embrace a larger array of communicative settings. Students also learn how to deal with basic intercultural situations and how to identify their language learning needs as well as those resources and strategies that may help them in the process of “learning to learn.”

Task-based learning activities (e.g. establishing classroom rules, relating anecdotes about a trip, inventing a gadget to solve an everyday-life problem, editing a newspaper, participating in a debate on the future of the environment, etc.), which require the actual use of the target language, reflect the communicative expansion that the T-Level represents and strengthen students’ motivation by providing them with an immediate sense of accomplishment and utility. For basic users, these intermediate courses represent two successive stages leading to the completion of the next level of communicative competency.

Prerequisites: Elementary French II  (for Intermediate French I); Elementary Spanish II (for Intermediate Spanish I); Intermediate French I (for Intermediate French II); Intermediate Spanish I (for Intermediate Spanish II)

Advanced French focuses on developing student proficiency in the language and aims at preparing students for the different components of the AP French Exam which they are expected to take in May upon completion of the course. The objectives of the course are:

• The development of student fluency in oral description of a picture or a scene, and opinion making and giving in a limited timeframe. The aim is to have students gather and utilize all their oral communication skills in a short time, obliging them to use their full potential in speaking.
• The ability to complete a text with missing words or logical links, which can only be reached through extensive reading in the target language in addition to the observation of the language structures in authentic documents and texts (literary extracts, press articles, etc.).
• The improvement of student writing skills as this is a major part of the AP Exam. In order to give students a comprehensive understanding of what is expected from them in the AP Exam, the course stresses self-assessment regarding students’ own production and according to precise criteria that help them know where they stand in the grading scale for the exam.

Prerequisites: Intermediate French II

The course aims to enable students to become fully independent users of the Spanish language. They have at their disposal an expanded range of grammar and vocabulary as well as greater control of discourse, conversational strategies and wider socio-cultural awareness. This allows them to be more flexible in dealing with the unexpected and with the normal complexities of daily living. Therefore, an important part of coursework focuses on exposing learners to various kinds of oral and written texts (articles, reports, interviews, TV debates, documentaries, movies, literary extracts etc.) on contemporary topics, which involve argumentation and expression of opinion. Accordingly, the syllabus is flexible and open to negotiation to accommodate the specific interests of students. Listening and reading comprehension activities are integrated into task-based projects that stress writing skills (e.g. elaborating the electoral program of a new political party, preparing the presentation of a product). Students gradually realize a more nuanced vision of Hispanic cultural references. This course is a combined level and prepares students for the AP Spanish Language Exam.

Prerequisites: Intermediate Spanish II

This course is designed for students who have no prior knowledge of the Chinese language and is intended to train students in using basic Mandarin Chinese both orally written. Students are initially introduced to pinyin — a more simplified Romanization of the written language — and basic strokes as guides for pronunciation and writing. Pinyin is gradually replaced as students become familiar with Chinese characters and vocabulary. Chinese culture is an integral part of this course.

This course aims to expand conversational skills, reading practice and grammatical constructions. The course develops students’ reading and writing skills and emphasizes effective spoken communication. Pinyin is gradually omitted. Chinese culture is continually taught as an integral element of the course program.

This course is designed for students who have no prior knowledge of the Chinese language, and is intended to train students in using basic Mandarin Chinese both orally written. Students are initially introduced to pinyin — a more simplified Romanization of the written language — and basic strokes as guides for pronunciation and writing. Pinyin is gradually replaced as students become familiar with Chinese characters and vocabulary. Chinese culture is an integral part of this course.

This course aims to expand conversational skills, reading practice and grammatical constructions. The course develops students’ reading and writing skills and emphasizes effective spoken communication. Pinyin is gradually omitted. Chinese culture is continually taught as an integral element of the course program.

Prerequisites: Elementary Chinese I or an equivalent proficiency

This course continues to focus on the expansion of conversational skills, reading and writing practice and grammatical constructions. The use of Chinese characters takes over the use of pinyin. Cultural components represent a significant part of the course content.

Prerequisites: Elementary Chinese II or an equivalent proficiency

This course builds on skills learned in Intermediate Chinese I and works to build confidence in speaking and writing. Students learn how to use complex sentence constructions to describe a variety of situations about the world around them.  Pinyin is used only for learning how to pronounce new vocabulary, otherwise all reading and writing is in simplified characters.  Cultural norms and Chinese history are also investigated.

Prerequisites: Intermediate Chinese I or an equivalent proficiency

Advanced Chinese is a new course at King's Academy, breaking new ground in raising students' proficiency and fluency in the language. The course culminates with the students sitting for the AP Chinese Exam in May. As preparation for this examination, students engage in intensive work targeting all four critical areas of learning a language: speaking, reading, writing and listening. In addition, in keeping with the goals of the AP course, there is a heavy emphasis on understanding and appreciating culture from Chinese-speaking parts of the world.

Students utilize a variety of textbook materials to continue to develop their understanding of grammar and vocabulary. In addition, they engage with the language in a variety of real-life settings, from conversations, notes, interpreting scenarios to excerpts from movies and television shows. The emphasis is on interpreting and summarizing main points and details, while also being able to infer contextualized information according to each situation. Students also work on expressing themselves in more realistic and comprehensive ways, both orally and in written form. Capitalizing on the presence of native Chinese speakers on campus, students also explore themes and topics that shape contemporary Chinese society, from the lingering influences of Confucianism to the ethnic and regional diversities found in foods and holidays.

Prerequisites: Completion of/placement out of Intermediate Chinese

Students are introduced to Arabic language and the culture of the Middle East in a course that stresses progressive acquisition of effective communication skills in both the written and spoken language (fus-ha and aamiya). In this level, students learn the alphabet, essential grammar rules and level-appropriate words to build the necessary vocabulary in order to carry out basic conversations. Students then begin learning how to produce short conversations related to everyday situations. Emphasis is placed on learning phonetics and proper pronunciation of words, in addition to rudimentary cultural connotations essential for spoken dialogues.

Note: This program caters for non-native speakers of Arabic as well as to heritage speakers who have difficulties in reading, writing and expressing themselves in Arabic. Three levels of Arabic are offered to attend to the needs of students of different stages. Through written and oral placement tests, student levels are assigned upon admission to the school.

Students are exposed to longer conversational texts and are familiarized with more detailed grammar rules. During this stage, students are introduced to short and guided writing, acting and role playing. Students are also expected to write short descriptive paragraphs. They will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the use of the language in its cultural context, as well as to handle simple daily life situations that they may encounter. Students will be able to hold lengthier dialogues on important subjects, especially daily necessities and needs.

Note: This program caters for non-native speakers of Arabic as well as to heritage speakers who have difficulties in reading, writing and expressing themselves in Arabic. Three levels of Arabic are offered to attend to the needs of students of different stages. Through written and oral placement tests, student levels are assigned upon admission to the school.

Students are exposed to more complicated sentence structures. The highlight in this level is placed on the functional learning of the language, in which speaking takes place within more detailed life situations. Students will be able to reason and support opinions especially on topics related to culture and tradition. They will also be engaged in conversations, provide and obtain information, and express ideas and feelings effectively. Moreover, students attain the ability to write extended paragraphs while expanding on the base of vocabulary initiated in Elementary I and II.

Note: This program caters for non-native speakers of Arabic as well as to heritage speakers who have difficulties in reading, writing and expressing themselves in Arabic. Three levels of Arabic are offered to attend to the needs of students of different stages. Through written and oral placement tests, student levels are assigned upon admission to the school.

The curriculum of Arabic Year at King's Academy (AY) is designed to fulfill AY's mission to provide an intensive one-year program in Arabic language, an immersion into Middle Eastern culture and values and the integration of classroom learning with beyond-the-classroom experiences. In practice, AY students are required to enroll in two sections of Arabic language, which meet for 90 minutes five days a week. Arabic Year offers multiple levels of Arabic as a Second Language according to ability, in addition to courses dedicated to understanding and analyzing Arabic literature. Students learn both formal and spoken Arabic, and reach an advanced level of reading that allows them to deepen their knowledge of the language. Students learn commonly used expressions related to certain occasions and situations, at the same time develop their skills in listening, reading, writing, forming grammatically correct structured sentences, and most importantly, conversation. The intensity of this course attracts students to continue with Arabic studies, either when they return home or by enrolling at King’s in the following year.

Note: This program caters for non-native speakers of Arabic as well as to heritage speakers who have difficulties in reading, writing and expressing themselves in Arabic. Three levels of Arabic are offered to attend to the needs of students of different stages. Through written and oral placement tests, student levels are assigned upon admission to the school.

This unique language course blends students of differing levels of Arabic skill in one communal classroom, where they deepen their understanding of the language and culture through various means, including studying Arabic literary genres, watching movies, listening to music and going on cultural excursions. The emphasis is on conversation, reading and writing using the Atwood method of instruction. Students develop their interpersonal communication in the Levantine dialect, as well as the confidence to dissolve the barrier standing between them and the language. This course serves as a hub for language immersion in the Arabic language and culture.