The mission of the World Language Department is to foster communication and cultural understanding of the products, practices, and perspectives of the target languages and cultures in order to participate successfully as citizens in the global society. Courses are offered in the following languages:  French, Spanish, Chinese, and Latin.  Instruction is designed to develop language proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational, while engaged in thematic units that promote cultural awareness. Modern language classes are conducted primarily in the target language at all levels.  A state of the art language laboratory offers students increased opportunities for cultural and linguistic exposure and reinforcement of communicative skills. World Language Course Sequence

Students completing a full sequence in any one language should possess the following competencies according to National and State Foreign Language Standards:

• Communication: communicate effectively in more than one language in order to function in a variety of situations and for multiple purposes

• Cultures: interact with cultural competence and understanding

• Connections: connect with other disciplines and acquire information and diverse perspectives in order to use the language to function in academic and career-related situations

• Comparisons: develop insight into the nature of language and culture in order to interact with cultural competence

• Communities: communicate and interact with cultural competence in order to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world.