Prep School - Foreign Language
Department Overview
The Language Department of Columbia Prep meets the needs of students who are college bound. We require students to complete three consecutive levels of a language so that they will be prepared for the colleges they will attend. We insist that they be able to understand the written and spoken language and that they speak and write it as well. We offer students the opportunity to continue their language studies through electives, including Advanced Placement Language and Literature courses.
Beyond the demands and restrictions that come with a college preparatory setting, the Language Department operates from the conviction that the command of other languages and the knowledge of other cultures allow students to be better citizens of their community and of the world. It is our goal to encourage students to see through other eyes and think in ways not limited by the processes of their native tongue.
Students have the opportunity to choose the language they will study. Seventh graders experience Latin, Japanese, French, Chinese, and Spanish in 6-8 week mini-courses. At the end of the year, they select the language they will study to fulfill the school's requirement. Students who come to Columbia Prep after the 7th grade take placement tests (written and oral) to determine their level of competency. Students with learning disabilities affecting language acquisition may take a two-year sequence in Beginning Spanish before they are mainstreamed into the regular language program.
In the first three years of a language, students learn the basic language skills. They practice vocabulary and grammatical structures. Languages are taught within the context of the social, historical, and cultural backgrounds of the countries where they are or were spoken. In the fourth and fifth years, students learn advanced grammar, syntax, and composition. They read works of classical literature, they are expected to achieve verbal fluency, and they are prepared for the Advanced Placement and achievement tests.
Students' progress is evaluated through daily class work, quizzes, tests, and semester exams. The rate of progress of a particular class is determined by students' performances, and adjustments to the syllabus are made accordingly. Teachers' communicate regularly on an informal basis, keeping themselves and their colleagues informed regarding the nature and the needs of current groups. The performance of students on standardized tests such as the Advanced Placement Exams leads teachers to analyze their approach and to make changes to the process by which students are selected for advanced courses.
The teachers in the Language Department love their subject. Most of us have had first-hand experience of being "speechless" in a foreign country. We convey our respect for the sounds of others, our understanding of the importance of knowing another means of communicating, and our knowledge of the languages we teach to our students. We are available to them if they need extra help; we offer tutorials in areas of particular interest; we identify students who need remedial help and attempt to pair them with other students who can tutor them; we take students on trips to cultural events in the city; we keep them informed about programs available for summer study; we use films, videos, and music in our classes; we provide students with opportunities to use the language in class; we attempt to limit homework to between twenty and thirty minutes each night; we are flexible in our methods and our expectations; we are open to suggestions regarding the languages we could offer; and we change textbooks and other materials frequently. In short, we do our best to have every student leave Columbia Prep with the idea that foreign languages are possible to own.