Modern Languages

S.T.A. offers French as a second language instruction from Grades 8 to 12, as well as Beginner's Spanish 11 and Spanish 11. Students who enter S.T.A. in their grade 8 year, must complete up to and including French 10. Students will be permitted to enroll in Beginner's Spanish 11 in their grade 11 year and in Spanish 11 in their grade 12 year. Proficiency or credits in another language does not exempt a student from taking French 10. Spanish is offered only as an alternate Grade 11 language credit course for university entrance and not as a parallel program to French. Please note that in order to fulfill the university requirements for a grade 11 language credit, both Beginner's Spanish and Spanish 11 must be successfully completed.

Students who have attended a French immersion elementary school will be asked to write a placement exam in June of their Gr. 7 year. This, and an oral assessment, will help us determine the appropriate grade level placement.

Maximum acceleration: 2 years.

BEGINNER'S SPANISH AND SPANISH 11 CHALLENGE

Students of Hispanic background and who are proficient in Spanish, are given the opportunity to challenge a course and receive credit without taking the course year-round.  This can only occur in their grade 10 year or later. This challenge is not offered to students in grades 8 or 9.

The challenge consists of one-hour classes after school over two weeks and ends with an oral assessment and a 2-hour final exam. Students that score 80% or better (as per Ministry requirements) will be granted 4 credits for the course. The marks will be sent to Victoria and will appear on their official transcript.

MODERN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

At St. Thomas Aquinas we offer French as a Second Language from grades 8-12. We also offer Beginner's Spanish and Spanish 11. The program that we are currently using for French from grades 8-10 is: Entre Amis 1-3. the program that we are currently using for French for grades 11-12 is:En Direct 1-2. The program that we are using for Beginner's Spanish and Spanish 11 are: Realidades 1-2. These programs are designed to teach language elements through thematic studies that are pertinent to the student's every-day lives. Students are evaluated in a variety of capacities and assignments are designed to encompass all learning styles, abilities and interests. In this way, students are ensured great success in some aspect of the course.

French 8
Begins with basic vocabulary and language structures to enable students to begin expressing themselves in a second language. Some of the themes studied are: school, food, sports, activities in the different seasons, health and healthy eating. Students are evaluated in the following capacities: Reading Comprehension, Oral Output, Written Output and Listening skills. This holds true for all students from French 8-12.

French 9
Expands on the basic vocabulary and language structures and enables students to formulate simple dialogues and discussions in a second language. The major themes covered are: movies (different types and opinions) music, feast days and organization of parties, qualities of good friends and relationships.

French 10
Builds on the basic skills and begins to develop into a more complex expression in a second language. Some of the themes covered are: fashion, advertisement, family, travel, employment opportunities and resume writing.

French 11
Enables the students to express themselves and give their opinions on various topics using more advanced language structures and elements. Some of the themes covered are: health, fitness and physical activities, relationships between friends, family members, and dating, and comparisons of school structures within Canada and abroad

French 12
Encompasses all the skilled learned in previous years and enables the students to produce oral and written assignments of high linguistic quality. Students are able to express their opinions and formulate discussions both orally and in written form that include complex language elements and structures. Students also receive practice and training to score successfully on the Provincial Exam.

Beginner's Spanish
Is the first of a two-year program designed to give students the opportunity to acquire a grade 11 language credit if French has not been an option throughout their high school education. The course begins with elementary and fundamental language structures and vocabulary and then quickly progresses to slightly more complex structures as the year progresses. The concepts and materials taught advance rapidly as the curriculum to cover is extensive and the internalization is critical if students wish to continue and be successful in Spanish 11. Upon completing this course, students will be able to understand the written language and express themselves both in oral and in written forms at a beginner to an intermediate level. Students are evaluated in the following capacities: Reading Comprehension, Oral Output, Written Output and Listening skills. This holds true for all students for Beginner's Spanish and Spanish 11.

Spanish 11
Is the second of a two-year program that offers students an alternate grade 11 language credit besides French 11. Upon completion of this program, students will be able to express themselves both orally and in written form using advanced and complex vocabulary, language elements and sentence structures. Some of the themes covered in the two-year program are: school (building and subjects), daily routines, activities, pastimes, sports, family, fashion, food, shopping, travel, employment and environmental care (recycling, saving energy etc...)

USEFUL FRENCH LINKS (How can I improve?)

USEFUL SPANISH LINKS (review and test preparation)