World Languages and Cultures

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: None
In this introductory course, you will learn to communicate in Mandarin Chinese through simple, interactive conversations with your teacher and classmates. We start with the most useful words and phrases, so that you are soon able to express your likes, dislikes, wants, and needs in Chinese. Class conversations center around student experiences and interests, and the teacher uses a variety of methods to make these conversations easy to understand. You will be introduced to reading Chinese characters through the use of simple stories, and by the end of the year, you will be able to write your own story by hand in Chinese characters! As we study different topics, you will explore different facets of daily life in China and Taiwan via online video clips and articles, and a variety of apps and websites will use games to help you review everything that you’ve learned.

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Chinese 1.

This course is designed to take your Chinese skills to the next level. As your vocabulary expands, you will be able to express yourself on a wider variety of topics, such as hobbies and skills, getting to school and around campus, and seasonal weather, activities, and foods. At the same time, you’ll develop a broader understanding of contemporary life in China and Taiwan via videos and films. You’ll learn the grammatical structures that will allow you to describe, narrate, compare, and explain in writing and speech, and you’ll share what you learn in short presentations and written paragraphs. A variety of apps and websites will use games to help you review everything that you’ve learned.

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Chinese 2.

In this intermediate course, you will explore the geography of the Chinese-speaking world, delving into famous tourist attractions, regional cuisines, the differences between urban and rural lifestyles, and the diversity of China’s 56 ethnic groups. Videos, films, images, and songs bring these topics to life and help paint a nuanced picture of life in China and Taiwan. As we study these topics, you will learn to use Chinese to compare and contrast, draw connections, and express and support your opinions with increasing precision. You will complete small research projects on living and traveling in various locations in China and present your findings in a variety of creative formats. 

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Chinese 3.

In this upper intermediate course, you will explore the stories that have shaped the Chinese worldview over thousands of years. From the origins of popular holidays to philosophical tales, romantic legends to battle sagas and assassination attempts, well-loved tales serve as entryways to important moments and concepts in Chinese history. You will increase your language proficiency as you develop your cultural and historical knowledge, demonstrating understanding by analyzing the stories for the perspectives and values they promote. We will also examine contemporary issues related to the topics raised in the stories, such as holiday celebrations, education, work, family structure, and gender roles. Your work will take the form of class discussions and debates, creative and analytical writing tasks, and research projects presented in multimedia formats. 

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Chinese 4: Tradition and Transformation

In this advanced course, you will investigate various facets of Chinese culture and society, with a focus on the enormous changes that have taken place in China and Taiwan since the mid-twentieth century. Specific topics will be chosen based on student interest and current events to allow you to investigate a wide variety of issues related to topics such as social justice, pop culture, history, art, politics, literature, and economics. Pedagogical materials, authentic online resources, podcasts, and films illuminate cultural topics and serve as a basis for discussion and analysis. As you deepen your understanding of Chinese culture and society, you will continue to hone your listening and reading comprehension skills, expand your vocabulary, and strengthen your grasp of grammatical structures, allowing you to communicate in Chinese in greater depth and with growing precision. You will also undertake independent reading and research projects using Chinese language sources and create multimedia presentations to share your findings with your classmates.

Year - 6 credits

Students will be immersed in simple, comprehensible conversations and stories that will allow them to begin to talk about themselves and their daily lives in French. Priority is given to high-frequency vocabulary and structures that will enable students to discuss common interests and events. Emphasis is placed on listening and reading comprehension with the understanding that students will develop accuracy in speaking and writing over time. Over the course of the year, students in this high school language course learn to narrate events, describe people and things, and express their opinions as they learn about people, places, products, and practices around the francophone world.

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of French 1 or its equivalent

This course provides continued development and practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Language structures and vocabulary learned in the first year are reviewed, expanded, and refined. New vocabulary and grammatical concepts are introduced within the context of culturally rich and relevant thematic topics, such as pastimes, personal characteristics, physical features, and community.  Communication is enhanced and reinforced through movement, authentic resources, readings, and through consistent daily use of French in the classroom. Additionally, you will watch a French-language film. Assessments include quizzes, recordings, conversations, short compositions, projects, and presentations.

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of French 2.

This course provides more extensive development and practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as increased awareness of francophone cultures. New vocabulary and grammatical structures are taught through thematic units that may include educational systems, the environment, technology, and family structures. Students increase their language proficiency by discussing films, video clips, and articles on current events. Classroom instruction and interactions are primarily in French. Assessments include quizzes, recordings, conversations, short compositions, projects, and presentations.

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of French 3.

In this class, you will develop your language proficiency as you explore the diverse perspectives, experiences, and identities in the contemporary francophone world. Topics may include personal relationships, urban lifestyles, the influence of the media, politics, and social movements, which students explore through short films, articles, cultural exposés, and literary excerpts. You will demonstrate your growing linguistic competence through writing, class discussions and multimedia presentations. You will welcome a guest speaker who will speak to the class in French, and you will write an essay on that topic.

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of French 4: The Francophone World

This advanced French course will examine current events in Francophone countries. Through the use of newspaper articles, television newscasts, podcasts, modern literature, and contemporary films, we will explore cultural, social, political, and economic challenges confronting countries where French is one of the primary languages. Topics will include immigration, environmental issues, gender equality, economic development, and environmental concerns, with a focus on diverse perspectives of the Francophone world. Student work will take the form of discussions, presentations, and writings as you broaden your understanding of French-speaking cultures and elevate your language proficiency.

Year – 6 credits

In this introductory course, we approach the Latin language through a set of stories centering around people of all backgrounds – Roman and non-Roman, slave and free, young and old, real and fictional.  All of these people made their homes in Pompeii, Italy, and Alexandria, Egypt, two of the most diverse and fascinating cities of the Roman Empire.  The many inflectional forms of Latin are presented in a clear, straightforward way and practiced in various formats from traditional exercises to such online platforms as Kahoot and Gimkit. Class time is devoted to developing the ability to read a Latin text and respond to questions about it, knowledge of vocabulary (with a special emphasis on Latin’s enormous influence on English), and basic grammar. Some of our most interesting work deals with cultural and historical topics:  Roman electoral practices, ancient scientific advances, aspects of Roman religion, and the art and architecture of the Roman world. Students are evaluated through in-class and online practices and quizzes focused on content, grammar, and culture, as well as more encompassing tests, which occur about once per month.

Year – 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Latin 1.

This course is designed to take your knowledge of Latin to the next level.  As your command of the language grows stronger and more nuanced, the stories become more richly detailed as they lead us back to Roman Britain and then to the province of Judaea, ultimately ending up in Rome itself.  Latin vocabulary (including English derivatives) remains an important focus of Latin 2.  In addition to learning the intricacies of Latin participles – which differ in many ways from their English cousins – we learn how to express purpose, result, and futurity.  Cultural and historical topics include the Roman legion and the construction of its army camps (several of which evolved over the years into cities still extant in modern Europe), the siege of Masada, and entertainment in the Roman world. Assessments include homework checks, quizzes, translations, tests, and projects.

Year – 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Latin 2.

In the first semester of Latin 3 you will not only put the finishing touches on your introduction to the language but experience the exciting conclusion of the saga of the Caecilius Iucundus family you met at the beginning of Latin 1.  After that, the students in the class will decide what to read next.  Will it be a comic play by Terence, the very first writer of the African diaspora, entitled The Brothers?  Biographies of women of the Roman world? Quintus Curtius’ history of Alexander the Great?  Cicero’s First Catilinarian? Mythological stories from Ovid’s Metamorphoses?  All of these have been chosen and read by students in previous years and they’re just a few of the possibilities that will be discussed during the first semester. Assessments will continue to focus on grammar, historical context, and translation and will evolve as the source material changes to include more poetry, prose, and epistolary writing.

Year – 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Latin 3.

The chief goal of this course is to provide you, as a student who has enjoyed learning Latin, with a rich and rigorous course in Latin poetry and prose. The texts, always including at least one prose and one poetic work, are selected in consultation with those students of Latin 3 who intend to pursue a fourth year of study in the language.  Texts rotate year to year and may include Caesar’s Gallic Wars, Terence’s comic play Adelphoe, Cicero’s First Catilinarian, passages from Vergil’s Aeneid, selections from Petronius’ Satyricon, the poems of Catullus and Horace, Curtius’ biography of Alexander the Great, various selections from the epic poets Ovid and Vergil, and others. Grammar and inflectional forms are reviewed and exercised regularly. You should expect to read carefully and discuss in detail student-selected works of history and literature. Grades are based on tests, quizzes, essays, and projects.

Year – 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Latin 4: Reading Latin Literature.

Students in the Advanced Seminar work in tandem with Latin 4 students but with substantial differentiation in the pace and rigor of readings and assessments. Advanced Seminar students analyze more complex and lengthy texts and conduct scholarly research connected to course content. Students may serve as teaching assistants preparing and presenting readings, translations, and enrichment material for their Latin IV classmates. The workload in this class both requires and encourages scholarly independence and research skills, preparing students for further Latin studies in college.

Fall Semester – 3 credits

Prerequisite: None

Note: The Malone Schools Online Network (MSON) provides motivated 11th and 12th grade students at participating Malone Schools with a variety of academically challenging courses that enhance each member school’s existing curriculum. These interactive seminars bring students together from across the country with dedicated teachers in real time. MSON joins the best of independent school education with the latest video conferencing technology to chart new territory in online learning. MSON classes do not fulfill Winchester’s graduation requirements, but they are graded and appear as additional earned credits on the WT transcript. 

The purpose of the course is, to quote the textbook, "By teaching ... the root elements of medical terminology – the prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms of Greek and Latin ... not only to teach students modern medical terminology but to give them the ability to decipher the evolving language of medicine throughout their careers." This is in many ways a language course and deals with elements that are used to create terms to meet the specific needs of medical scientists. As material is introduced, students will complete practice exercises during each class meeting, as well as complete approximately one quiz per week. Outside of class, students are expected to analyze and define fifty terms each week. Additional material deals with complex etymologies, the history of our understanding of certain aspects of medical science, and relevant material from Greek and Latin texts.

Year - 6 credits

This course will teach students to interact through comprehensible communication by reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish. Cultural context is infused throughout the year through our daily emphasis on developing the ability to function in everyday situations. By means of everyday discussions and situations, students will learn to greet each other, ask questions, convey information about family, friends, and personal likes and dislikes, request directions, and navigate new environments.

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 1 or its equivalent

Spanish 2 works on honing the skills exercised in Spanish 1 and provides a continued focus on interacting and communicating in Spanish. Through this course, students expand their knowledge of Spanish grammatical structures and vocabulary, which allows them to freely communicate ideas using various tenses. Students will learn to read critically, and narrate events in multiple timeframes. Further, students will start producing longer written texts in the form of everyday communications i.e. letters, brochures, scripts, etc., and will express and explain more of their likes/dislikes in writing and through speaking.

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 2.

Spanish 3 furthers the study of grammar, vocabulary, and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. By reviewing and learning a variety of simple and compound tenses in the past and future timeframes, along with learning thematic vocabulary, students will become more proficient in the four modalities: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Throughout the year, students will engage in different activities that will aid them in honing their interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational skills. Students will talk about themselves and their communities, state opinions, and give suggestions and advice. Students will interpret infographics and read short stories, news, and magazine articles. They will watch videos and listen to audio materials to sharpen their comprehension. Students will also present on Spanish-speaking countries' products, practices, and perspectives and compare them with their own.

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 3.

This class will give students the opportunity to delve into the music, traditions, and contemporary expressions that define the unique identity of Spanish-speaking regions. This course aims to foster both linguistic competence and cultural literacy, providing students with a holistic appreciation for the rich cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Students will develop language proficiency through opportunities to communicate in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentation. This will take the form of discussions, presentations, and written assignments. Students will gain cultural content knowledge through reading and viewing a wide variety of authentic materials from multiple countries and identities in the Spanish-speaking world. This course assumes a foundation in Spanish grammar and covers grammar only on an as-needed basis. 

Year - 6 credits

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 4: The Cultures of the Spanish-Speaking World

This course on contemporary issues and current events in the Spanish-speaking world offers students an immersive exploration of the diverse cultures, societies, and challenges across Spanish-speaking regions. Through engaging discussions, authentic materials, and multimedia resources, students will enhance their language proficiency while critically analyzing topics such as social justice, environmental sustainability, political developments, and cultural trends. Emphasizing the development of advanced language skills, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking, the course encourages students to express informed opinions and engage in thoughtful dialogue on issues shaping the Spanish-speaking world today. By the end of the course, students will not only have strengthened their linguistic abilities but also gained a nuanced understanding of the complex and dynamic realities within the global Spanish-speaking community.