Foreign Language...Es Muy Bueno!

The Foreign Language Department offers a variety of course offerings:.

• Junior High Course Offerings (Grade 8 Only)
• Senior High School Course Offerings (Grade 9-12)
• 7th Grade FLEX Program
• Language Sequences

Seventh grade students are enrolled in the Foreign Language Exploratory Program referred to as [FLEX]. This program exposes students to French, Italian and Spanish basics. This exposure is beneficial when having to select a language to be studied starting in the 8th grade.

The FLEX objectives include:

• To recognize and be able to reproduce the sounds of the language;
• To respond to and offer greetings;
• To carry out directive statements from the teacher in the target language;
• To learn to orally identify vocabulary words from such topics as colors, time, weather, months, and seasons, classroom objects, days of the wek, numbers, etc.;
• To understand and give answers to simple questions relating to themselves such as name, age, etc.;
• To sing songs, play games and engage in a wide variety of activities in the target language;
• To identify the countries in which the target language is spoken;
• To explore cultural similarities and differences via discussions of customs, traditions, holidays, the family unit, etc.

Two years of foreign language study are mandated by State Regulation.  In the Sewanhaka Central High School District, this mandate is satisfied in grades 8 and 9.  Students are required to pass a foreign language in grade 8 before continuing with the next level course in grade 9.  In order to meet the graduation requirements set forth by the State Education Department, all students must complete 2 (two) units of study and earn 1 (one) High School credit in a language other than English (LOTE) by grade 9.  In the Sewanhaka Central High School District, this mandate is satisfied in grades 8 and 9.  Students are required to pass a foreign language in grade 8 before continuing with the next level course in grade 9. 

Students in the 8th grade will be scheduled into one of two programs, based on their academic record.  A student in the accelerated program will complete Checkpoint A of the NYS syllabus after one year, and will receive one high school credit upon passing the NYS Modern Language Proficiency Examination.  Accelerated students will complete Checkpoint B of the NYS syllabus in the following two years, after which they will take the NYS Comprehensive Regents Examination.

Students in the regular Regents program will complete Checkpoint A after TWO years of study and Checkpoint B after an additional two years of study.  Both programs lead to a Regents Diploma after the student has successfully passed the Comprehensive Foreign Language Regents Examination.  Students pursuing the Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation may elect the 5 unit sequence in occupational (career and technical) education, art, or music in lieu of the 3 unit sequence plus the NYS Comprehensive Regents exam in a language other than English (LOTE), but these students are still required to fulfill 1 (one) unit of high school foreign language credit for graduation.

rev. 10/3/08