Program of Studies - Acton-Boxborough Regional School District ...

WORLD LANGUAGES
The primary goal of the world language program is to develop learners who
become proficient in at least one language other than English, and who gain
knowledge and understanding of another culture.
Student objectives in all world languages are as follows:
*to develop proficiency through conversing, reading, writing, listening,
viewing, and presenting in the target language
*to communicate with local and international speakers of the target
language
*to increase awareness of our place and the relationships within the global
community
Student objectives in the classical language are as follows:
*to read and understand Latin
*to improve one’s ability to communicate in English
*to make linguistic connections to other languages studied
Student objectives in all world languages are as follows:
*to develop an understanding of the target culture: its daily life, history,
literature, and arts
*to develop insight into languages and cultures through comparison and
contrast
*to develop critical and creative thinking, as well as organizational,
cooperative, and study skills
*to acquire information about and make connections with other disciplines,
e.g. the arts, English, social studies
*to use technology as a tool for developing language skills and accessing
authentic material
Students are grouped homogeneously in Honors (H), Accelerated/Enriched (AE),
or College Preparatory (CP) when feasible in year I through V courses.
Minimum prerequisite grades to advance from course to course are noted in the
individual course descriptions. Of equal importance are teacher
recommendations, made in the spring of each year, which will help students to
select a course based upon the student’s achievement, motivation, and
proficiency in each language skill. The language laboratory is an integral
component of all modern language courses. Classes access the laboratory
biweekly to utilize digitalized fields and/or audio cassettes, audio CD’s, video
cassettes, DVD's, laserdiscs, video information displays, and computer software,
ACR recording and the Internet; student activities and assessments in the
laboratory may be individual, paired, or grouped. World language students are
assessed through a variety of instruments: written tests and quizzes, oral
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