Language

Chinese

The rise of Asia is reshaping politics, economics and culture in the twentieth-first century. Central to this phenomenon is China, which is home to one-fifth of the world's population. Now second only to English in Internet usage, Chinese is growing in popularity throughout schools and universities in the West. Chinese language courses prepare students to take an active part in China's astonishing development. In addition to gaining conversation skills that they can employ the world over, this classes will explore the evolution of China's written language through stories and poetry. Students will examine the Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist philosophies to understand how Chinese culture has flourished over thousands of years. In Summer 2007, SAS offered a study tour of China and intends to repeat this program in future years.

Chinese I

In this course students learn pronunciation patterns, tones, and basic grammatical structures. While the focus of the class is primarily on oral proficiency, with students learning phrases and conversational Chinese, students will also learn to read, write, and type basic Chinese characters. At the end of this course, students will have acquired the ability to ask and answer questions, and conduct meaningful conversations in Chinese. Units on Chinese history and culture will complement the language portion of the course.

Chinese II

English as a Second Language (ESL)

ESL classes are offered on the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. In the beginning level, focus is on acquiring basic survival skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. As students advance, emphasis moves towards developing higher level academic skills, especially reading and writing. Grammar is addressed throughout the program in contextualized situations. Occasionally supplementary work is offered to help students in their grade-level disciplines, especially for American History. At the highest level, students improve their advanced English proficiency skills and test-taking strategies in preparation for the TOEFL and eventually for college-level courses. Students who test out of ESL are expected to meet the two-year foreign language requirement with a language other than English.

French

A global language spoken in more than 40 countries, French opens doors to fashion, food, film, art, literature, music, dance, design, high-tech engineering, travel, and of course, love and romance! Because of the strong influence of the French language on English, an understanding of French aids English language comprehension and has been shown to result in consistently higher SAT verbal scores. Students learn to understand and appreciate values and cultural differences grounded in the language itself from the first day of class and benefit from opportunities to use their newly acquired language skills in making presentations; keeping up with French and world news through French TV; delving into history through literature, film, music, and art; and creative writing. In Summer 2006, SAS sponsored a faculty-led study tour of France.

French I

In an introduction to French language and culture, students develop speaking and listening skills in class, partner and small-group activities. Class activities include accomplishing tasks reflective of daily life in France, writing short, descriptive paragraphs and learning about current French culture through various media. The culminating activity is a student led "tour" of Paris. Grammar and vocabulary are studied in context.

French II

As a continuation of the work in French I, students review and expand their communication skills through interviewing, role-playing and individual and group presentations. Further study of French culture is enhanced by the use of films and instructional videos. The year's work culminates in an oral and written autobiography project that fully integrates the language skills learned to this point.

French III

Students continue to review and further their knowledge of French with more emphasis on reading and writing than in the first two years. Students read, discuss, and write about poems and short stories, and they start writing their own fiction. They also practice supporting opinions in class discussion and in writing. Films from France and other francophone countries are used to help students become aware of and familiar with other ways of looking at the world around us. During class projects, students work in small groups and make presentations to the class.

French IV-V

Students develop more clarity and confidence in speaking and writing French and continue to review and learn more advanced grammar. The level of sophistication in reading materials increases and writing includes expository prose, fiction, and some beginning literary analysis. Films and other video materials are used to supplement the literary study. Units of study have included literature from Provence, World War II, and francophone Africa. Students who wish to take the SAT II French exam, or the Advanced Placement French Language Exam receive the necessary preparation. French is the primary language of communication in the classroom.

Latin

Latin opens up worlds of opportunity: students experience a far better grasp of English after having studied Latin, in part because English vocabulary is about 70% Latin in origin—also a reason why Latin students tend to perform higher on SAT and GRE verbal sections than other students. Learning other languages is also an easier task for Latin students: the Romance languages (Italian, French, Spanish) are direct descendants. So many aspects of Roman culture still affect us in a number of ways, and studying Latin connects us to that culture via prior generations of intelligent writers and thinkers, and it furthermore allows us to read some of the greatest authors--Vergil, Horace, Cicero, Caesar--in their original tongue. The Latin program at SAS currently uses the Cambridge Latin Course, supplemented with extra-curricular approaches (during one term we read parts of Harry Potter in Latin). Complementary to the study of Latin, SAS frequently offers elective classes that deal with Classical subjects such as Mythology, Classical History, and Ancient Drama. In Spring 2007, thirteen SAS students completed a study tour of Italy and Greece.

Latin I

Students approach Latin using Units One and Two of the Cambridge Latin Course, which are reading-based and have abundant pictorial associations and excellent cultural information, both of which help students remember linguistic material and vocabulary more easily. Unit One follows an imaginary family in Pompeii, while Unit Two does the same in Britannia. Both texts use reading and associative methods to teach vocabulary and grammar fundamentals during the first year, including noun and verb morphology, basic sentence syntax, and vocabulary study (although the texts avoid stuffy grammatical terminology).

Latin II

Students continue the Cambridge series in Unit Three, which supplements the basic grammatical study of Units One and Two with more advanced notions of complex sentence structure such as the use of non-finite verbs and subjunctive syntax (but again, without using professional grammatical terms such as “non-finite” or “syntax”).

Latin III

Unit Four of the Cambridge Latin series is a transitional text that helps students successfully cross the bridge from simple stories and fables to real Latin literature. A focus on acquiring a solid vocabulary predominates each chapter, and the cultural information is also at a more advanced level.

Latin IV-V

Experience reading an abundant survey of great Roman authors is the goal of Latin IV and, when offered, V. Vergil, Cicero, Livy and Ovid all find place along with other writers as the occasion demands. Further review of derivatives and etymological concepts rounds out frequent discussions about the nature of Latin and its influence in contemporary America.

Spanish

With almost 500 million Spanish speakers worldwide, Spanish is the world's third most spoken language after Mandarin Chinese and English and the US Census Bureau estimates that the nation's Hispanic population will be 12.5% of the population by 2015. With the U.S. Spanish-speaking population no longer concentrated in just a few large cities, opportunities to put Spanish language skills to use are as close as the nearest Mexican restaurant. Because of its similarities to English and it phonetic spelling, Spanish is often described as one of the easiest foreign languages for English-speakers to learn and useful to improve English vocabulary and grammar comprehension as well as the acquisition of other languages. Although Spanish grammar can be a challenge, basic grammar is straightforward enough that students can have meaningful communication after only a few lessons. Proficiency in Spanish is a prerequisite to participate in St. Andrew’s-Sewanee’s exchange program with the Cloud Forest School in Costa Rica and each spring the school sponsors a faculty-led study tour of Mexico.

Spanish I

In an introduction to Spanish language and Hispanic cultures, students learn grammar and vocabulary and gradually develop and expand their speaking and listening skills. They construct, practice, and present simple dialogues and essays.

Spanish II

Students begin the year with a thorough review of grammar and basic skills of conversation and continue through the year to strengthen those skills. In pairs and in groups they write paragraphs and short stories, working to expand vocabulary.

Spanish III

Students review earlier grammar and are gradually responsible for using more sophisticated constructions in written and oral communication. Students work in pairs and in groups to research topics and present their findings in Spanish to the class.

Spanish IV-V

The focus will be on improving communication and comprehension skills through a study of some of the most important legends of Latin America. We will also continue to focus on some of the finer points of the language, such as vocabulary and grammar.