The goal of the foreign language program is to educate students in a language and culture in order to make them knowledgeable and active members of a global society. Students will learn to use foreign languages for meaningful communication in both spoken and written form.
The foreign language program emphasizes language as it is used in real-life situations that students are most likely to encounter. Through foreign language study, students develop sensitivity to the cultural and linguistic heritage of other groups, understand their influence on American culture, and become prepared to participate in a society characterized by linguistic and cultural diversity.
Enduring Understandings:
- As the world moves towards a global community, it is increasingly important to be able to communicate in languages other than English.
- It is important to understand the perspectives of a culture that generate its patterns of behavior, ways of life, worldviews, and contributions.
- Proficiency in a foreign language is a vehicle to gaining knowledge that can only be acquired through that language and its culture.
- The study of a foreign language enables students to develop insights into the nature of language and culture.
- Learning a foreign language enables an individual to participate in multilingual communities.
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Basic Core Category 1 courses are French and Spanish, Levels 1 through 4.
Basic Core Category 2 courses are French and Spanish, Levels 5 and 6, plus two levels (four semesters) of one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, or Russian.
All courses are open to students in Grades 9–12.
If students select a foreign language to fulfill the Maryland diploma requirements, it is recommended that the two foreign language credits be in the same language. Foreign language courses must be taken in sequential order. The prerequisite for all courses, except 1A, is successful completion of the preceding course |
