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Middle School World Languages Curriculum

The World Languages Department at Durham Academy believes that learning other languages, both modern and classical, is vital to providing students with an education that will enable them to live a moral, happy and productive life.

  • We build the skills for lifelong learning by fostering curiosity and intellectual risk-taking. 

  • We encourage students to travel abroad.

  • We believe that studying other languages and cultures leads to deeper understanding, respect, and empathy for people across the globe.

  • We study the world's languages to become more self-aware, to embrace our responsibilities as engaged global citizens, and to create positive change.

Every Durham Academy student can and should learn another language.

Our program is built on developing and integrating the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. A foundation of spoken language proficiency lies at the heart of our instruction. As students refine their language, they hone their interpersonal communication skills. Rich, varied, and differentiated activities with authentic content allow us to meet the individual needs of each student. As we foster joyful language learning, we create opportunities for students to think critically, creatively, and collaboratively.
 

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STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY USE THEIR LEARNING TO:

  • Interact and behave appropriately according to contexts and cultural norms.
  • Decipher, identify and interpret tone and style including formal and informal language in spoken or written texts.

  • Create, present and convey information for a specific audience.

  • Demonstrate cultural proficiency, including cultural self-awareness, to achieve empathy towards others and increase the respect for target cultures.

  • Go beyond the linguistic comfort zone when encountering authentic sources.
  • Critically examine their native language(s) through learning the target language.
  • Actively engage in and embrace opportunities to interact with native speakers, both in and outside of class.
  • Develop the ability to compare and contrast target cultures to their own.

  • Recognize another language/culture through the process of learning, express how their own language and social behaviors follow cultural norms.
  • Seeks out and enjoys language learning opportunities and cultural experiences.
  • Communicate, connect, and collaborate with their local and global community.
  • Recognize and pursue professional and intellectual opportunities in the global market.
ACTFL Levels

Durham Academy uses the ACTFL Proficiency guidelines for aligning classes at the Novice, Novice Mid, and Novice High levels. Students who complete Novice High in Grade 8 typically place into an Intermediate Low class at our Upper School. Latin courses are guided by the American Classical League Standards for Classical Language Learning.

Middle School World Languages Course Offerings

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Novice Chinese

This course is an introduction to Mandarin (guoyu or putonghua). The course begins with simple words and phrases, the pronunciation and cadences of Mandarin, Romanization, Chinese characters, and simple vocabulary items, all taught in the context of practical and meaningful communication.

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Novice Mid Chinese

Novice Mid Chinese is a continuation of Novice Chinese. This course continues the introduction to Mandarin (guoyu or putonghua), simple words and phrases, the pronunciation and cadences of Mandarin, Romanization, Chinese characters, and simple vocabulary items, all taught in the context of practical and meaningful communication.

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Novice High A Chinese

Novice High A Chinese is a continuation of Novice Mid Chinese and is a communicative Novice High course according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages World Readiness Standards.

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Novice High B Chinese

Novice High B Chinese is a Novice High course as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) World Readiness Standards. It is for students who have demonstrated proficiency in Novice High A Chinese or are placed into the course through a placement assessment.

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Intermediate Chinese

Intermediate Chinese caters to students with a robust proficiency at the Intermediate level in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

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Novice French

Novice French is an introduction to the study of French and Francophone language and culture. It is designed for students with little or no prior exposure to the French language. Students will attain a Novice level of proficiency necessary for carrying out basic tasks and informational exchanges in everyday life, primarily through speaking but also by writing short dialogues, paragraphs, and poems.

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Novice Mid French

Novice Mid French builds upon the skills, vocabulary, and grammar structures presented in the Novice French course. Students continue to build their proficiency by developing increasingly complex communication skills, primarily through speaking but also by writing short dialogues, paragraphs, and stories.

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Novice High A French

Novice High A French is a Novice High course as defined by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) World Readiness Standards. Students will continue developing proficiency in French through a variety of tasks that involve culture, interactions, communication strategies, vocabulary, and language control.

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Novice High B French

Novice High B French is a Novice High course as defined by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) World Readiness Standards. It is for students who have demonstrated proficiency in Novice High A French.

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Latin 1A

Latin 1A introduces students to the study of the Latin language. Students will discuss the roots of the Latin language and its effect on modern languages. Grammar lessons will cover both the mechanics and syntax of noun declensions and verb conjugations, as well as the indirect statement.

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Latin 1B

Latin 1B is the continuation of Latin 1A. In Latin 1B, students complete all noun declensions, as well as verb tenses in the indicative mood. Latin 1B students will encounter more elegant Latin constructions, such as clauses and participles.

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Novice Spanish

Novice Spanish is an introductory course designed to facilitate communicative proficiency at the Novice level, aligned with the ACTFL Standards. Throughout the course, students will embark on a journey to develop their proficiency in the Spanish language through a diverse array of tasks encompassing cultural exploration, interactive engagements, communication strategies, vocabulary acquisition, and learning skills.

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Novice Mid Spanish

The goal of Novice Mid Spanish is to continue progressing toward the Novice Mid level, as specified by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines.

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Novice High A Spanish

Novice High Spanish spans two years at Durham Academy Middle School. Novice High A Spanish aims to progress towards the High B level, as specified by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines.

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Novice High B Spanish

The Novice High level spans two years at Durham Academy Middle School. The goal of Novice High B Spanish is to demonstrate Novice High proficiency, as specified by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines.

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Phenomenon of Language

The Phenomenon of Language (POL) course is open to eighth-grade DA students by teacher recommendation only and is also for eighth-grade students new to DA with no previous language experience.

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