Modern Languages

All students must take and complete two (2) consecutive years of a modern language to graduate from St.Dom's. Listed below are the courses and descriptions offered to students to fulfill their requirement.

All students must have French/English or Spanish/English dictionary.

An Honors course requires a “B” average in the preceding French course or permission of the Guidance Department in order to enroll. An enrollment in French III Honors or French IV Honors also requires permission of the Guidance Department.
 

This course presents a good foundation in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in French. Emphasis is on vocabulary, reading, and comprehension, the study of sentence structure, regular and irregular verbs, along with some of the many grammar rules and their exceptions. Exposure to Francophone culture takes place with readings in French.

French II presents a solid review of the structural elements of French I and two past tenses. There are additional irregular verbs studied and parts of speech such as object pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs. Vocabulary naturally expands thematically, chapter by chapter. The composition is explored, reading is intensified, and French culture and the spoken language are reinforced.

This course provides a thorough overview of previously learned material in French I and French II. Vocabulary, grammar, and verb study are continued, with an emphasis on the indicative, subjunctive, and conditional moods, along with simple and compound verb tenses, and varied sentence structure. Students will develop their knowledge by reading a variety of texts: from ads to interviews, from essays to stories, from natural history to literature. Francophone cultural exploration is included and students will demonstrate responding to actual situations and forming and sharing opinions. Students will also demonstrate their understanding of concepts and culture by working collaboratively with other students in the classroom. Students must be willing to attempt to speak French for the majority of class time.

This is an advanced French course for students who have successfully completed the French III Honors Course. The study of grammatical structure is intensified through the use of extensive writing, reading, and speaking in French. Students learn independent vocabulary enrichment as they develop their responses to particular readings, literary excerpts, analyzed dictation, and viewing and analysis of French-language films. Students delve into areas of French cultures, such as art, cuisine, music, and history of various areas of the world. The central texts to this course adapt to students’ needs and preferences, as they work collaboratively on focus areas. Students must be willing and able to communicate in French, as this course is conducted primarily in French.

This course presents a good foundation in reading, speaking, and writing Spanish. It aims at a thorough comprehension of materials nationally required in the first year of high school Spanish, such as vocabulary, reading and comprehension, structures made up of regular and irregular verbs in the present, preterit and immediate future tenses, possessive, adjectives, pronouns, objects, and more.

Spanish II presents a solid review of the structural elements of Spanish I, followed by the past tenses, future and conditional tenses, and the introduction of the subjunctive tenses, irregular verbs and adverbs, object pronouns, comparison of adjectives and adverbs, and expanded vocabulary. The directed composition is further explored, reading is intensified, and Spanish culture and the spoken language are reinforced. The second year of Spanish is devoted to grammar instruction, intensive vocabulary and enhanced reading and writing.

Spanish III (Honors) is conducted primarily in Spanish; therefore, students should be willing to converse in the spoken language. The course is designed to be a grammar intensive course; this means that students should have mastered the present, future, conditional and past tenses in Spanish II. Students learn more about the collective subjunctive tenses. In this course, students enhance reading comprehension by reading short stories, listening, speaking, and writing skills as well as expand their knowledge of the Spanish culture.
PREREQUISITE: "B" or better in Spanish II

This is an advanced course for students that have successfully completed a Spanish III Honors course. Students should be willing to converse only in Spanish. This course is a grammar intensive course, meaning students should have mastered not only the present and preterite tenses; but also the conditional, imperfect and future tenses. Students learn more subjunctive tenses as well as informal and formal commands. The students enhance their reading, listening, and writing skills by working with different readings and literature, as well as expanding their knowledge of Spanish Culture.
PREREQUISITE:  "B" or better in Spanish III - Honors