Foreign Language Department

Graduation Requirements

There are no Foreign Language requirements for graduation; however many universities, such as the University of Illinois, accept a three-year foreign language component in applicants' transcripts to fulfill the foreign-language requirement. Additionally, years of research have indicated that mastery of foreign language has been strongly correlated to mastery of English itself.

Special Note

The three courses of studies offered at both high schools are:

• French (I, II, III, and IV Advanced Placement)
• German (I, II, III, and IV Advanced Placement)
• Spanish (I, IA, II, III, IV Conversational, and IV Advanced Placement)

Students interested in studying a foreign language should consider the following:

• There are no advantages of one foreign language over another, but an underlying universal truth for all of them is this: mastery of English itself is required for success in any foreign language. All students would be expected to understand the parts of speech, the basics of syntax and general grammatical structure. Students who struggle in English as their native language may also struggle in the pursuit of a foreign language.
• Mastery of a foreign language is most readily achieved by a minimum of three consecutive years of study. It is extremely ill advised to think that a year off before taking the next course in a sequence would have no negative consequences. The classes should be taken in sequence in consecutive years.
• Students should also know that every college and university has its own policies concerning foreign language credits. Every student should have checked with the school he or she wishes to attend before registering for a course of study in foreign languages. The Guidance Office at each high school can assist students with obtaining this information.
• As a rule, level I classes are taught primarily in English; level II classes in a combination of English and the target language, and level III and IV classes solely in the target language.
• Finally, as an additional consideration, parents and students should be aware that many universities are very generous in rewarding good Advanced Placement scores on a foreign language Advanced Placement exam. For example, the University of Illinois awards between 11 and 13 hours of credit for students scoring a "4” or better on an Advanced Placement Foreign Language exam—that’s more hours of credit than for any other Advanced Placement field.

The course descriptions that follow serve as a guide to assist students in picking the classes that best suit their needs. We encourage parents to read all the descriptions carefully and to remain an active partner in their child’s education throughout his or her high school education. If you have any questions prior to registering, please call the Foreign Language Department Chair of the high school.

Foreign Language Graduation Check List

Graduation Requirements: There are no Foreign Language requirements for graduation; however many universities, such as the University of Illinois, accept a three-year foreign language component in applicants' transcripts to fulfill the foreign-language requirement. Additionally, years of research have indicated that mastery of foreign language has been strongly correlated to mastery of English itself.
 

Required Foreign Language Courses

Freshman

There are no required freshman foreign language courses, but since so many universities have a foreign language requirement, many students wisely elect to begin their foreign language study in the freshman year.

Sophomore

There are no required sophomore foreign language courses, but students who seek to fulfill a college entry requirement must be in a foreign language class during their sophomore year.

Junior

There are no required junior foreign language courses, but many colleges consider completion of the third year of a foreign language the mark of real mastery. As a result, many juniors take a third year course.

Senior

There are no required senior foreign language courses, but many students who have taken three years of a foreign language choose to finish the fourth course in the sequence.

Electives

How do I know which course to take?

French I (Grades 9,10,11,12)
French has been called the language of love and the language of diplomacy. A mastery of French can lead students into a deeper understanding of literature, culture, government, and foreign affairs. In addition, French is more and more associated with breakthroughs in technology and it continues to be the only global language after English. For all these reasons, many students choose French to be the most rewarding language to study. (One credit)

French II (Grades 10,11,12)
Students successfully completing French I and wishing to continue the study of French should take this class. French II builds on the skills of French I. Students expand their vocabulary and begin to learn more complex syntactical structures with an emphasis on oral communication. The class is conducted in both English and French. (One credit)

French III (Grades 11,12)
Students who have successfully completed French II, and who wish to continue the study of French, should take this course. Even though the two-year requirement for many colleges has been satisfied, most universities agree that mastery of a foreign language requires three years of high school study. For this reason, many students choose to continue into French III. (One credit)

French IV Advanced Placement (Grade 12)
Students who strongly finished French III and wish to pass the Advanced Placement exam in the spring, with a possibility of earning college credit, will want to take this class. This is an advanced class stressing French grammar, vocabulary and reading of literature in French. This course also requires a number of projects that are to be completed in the preceding summer. (One credit)

German I (Grades 9,10,11,12)
German is the only non-Romance language offered at either high school. English is a Germanic language and truly has it roots in this mother tongue. In addition, the study of German correlates well with music and architecture. Since our area has a large German-American population, many students choose to take German as their foreign language option. (One credit)

German II (Grades 10,11,12)
Students successfully completing German I and wishing to continue the study of German, should take this course. This course also develops students' written and oral expression in German. Students are better able to function in the larger community using skills learned in German II.
(One credit)

German III (Grades 11,12)
Students who have successfully completed German II continue their study of German by taking this class. As mentioned earlier, more and more colleges are requiring three years of high school foreign language, in which case this is the class to take. Even those which only require two years often voice the opinion that mastery of a language takes a minimum of three years of study. (One credit)

German IV Advanced Placement (Grade 12)
Students who have strongly finished German III and who wish to attempt the Advanced Placement exam in the spring, with a possibility of earning college credit, will want to take this class. This is an advanced class stressing German grammar, vocabulary and reading of literature in German. This course has a summer work requirement. (One credit)

Spanish I (Grades 9,10,11,12)
It is evident that Spanish offers the most immediate practical application with America’s large Hispanic population. The opportunities to use Spanish in this area are many. This is a logical course for students interested in careers which would bring them into contact with Spanish speaking people, or for students who would simply like to be able to reach out to others in their community. (One credit)

Spanish IA (WVHS) / Spanish I Plus (NVHS) (Grade 9)
Regardless of what it’s called—Spanish I A at Waubonsie Valley or Spanish I Plus at Neuqua Valley— this is a unique course for a select group of students. If a student completed Spanish I at the middle school, but does not meet the suggested requirements for Spanish II, then this is the course for him or her. Sometimes an eighth-grade teacher recommends this course because that teacher felt the student wasn’t quite ready for the pacing of Spanish II. In either case, this is the transition course between eighth-grade Spanish I and Sophomore Spanish II, but a course at a more rapid pace than Spanish I. (One credit)

Spanish II (Grades 9,10,11,12)
Students who have successfully completed Spanish I who wish to continue the study of Spanish should take this course. (One credit)

Spanish III (Grades 10,11,12)
Students who successfully completed Spanish II may continue their study of Spanish in this course. This class will begin to investigate the nuances of Spanish as can be found in the different Spanish- speaking countries throughout the Western Hemisphere. (One credit)

Spanish IV Conversational (Grades 11,12)
Students who have successfully completed Spanish III often continue the study of Spanish by taking this class. Unlike the Advanced Placement class, this course stresses conversational Spanish although reading of Spanish literature is also included. While this course does not focus on passing the Advanced Placement exam, it is a strong class, preparing students with a deep appreciation of the language and the ability to function in a Spanish-speaking environment. (One credit)

Spanish IV Advanced Placement (Grade 12)
Having strongly finished Spanish III, students who wish to attempt the Advanced Placement exam in the spring, with a possibility of earning college credit, will want to take this class. This is an advanced class stressing Spanish grammar, vocabulary and reading of literature in Spanish. There is summer work required for students electing to enroll in Spanish IV Advanced Placement.
(One credit)