The symbol of the world with its variety of flags represents our department’s goal to make “global citizens” of our students by developing their communicative competence in Italian, French or Spanish as well as their understanding of and appreciation for the people, products, practices and perspectives of the countries where these languages are spoken.
Students at Arlington Catholic are required to take a minimum of two consecutive years of Italian, French or Spanish. However, as many colleges favor three to four years of a world language, we encourage the study of a language beyond the minimum requirement.
College Prep and Honors Courses are offered in Italian. AP Italian is also available to qualified studients. Students in upper level courses have the opportunity to take the National Italian Exam and be inducted into the Italian Honor Society.
College Prep, Honors and Advanced Placement courses in French and Spanish are also offered. In levels 3 and 4, students have the opportunity to take the National French Exam or the National Spanish Exam. In addition, students who are particularly strong in their study of a world language may be inducted into our chapters of la Société Honoraire Française (French Honor Society) or la Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish Honor Society).
The extracurricular World Language Club provides our students the opportunity to explore other cultures through field trips and holiday celebrations.
For information on Latin courses, which fulfill the Language requirement, please see the Classics section.
SPANISH 1 – 410
1 Credit
Spanish 1 is for students who have never studied Spanish before or have had very little Spanish at the middle school level. Emphasis is on developing communicative competence by practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills with basic structures and vocabulary. Developing an understanding of the customs and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world is also emphasized. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted mostly in Spanish and students are encouraged to speak as much Spanish as possible.
HONORS SPANISH 1 – 411
1 Credit
Honors Spanish 1 is for students who have never studied Spanish before or have had very little Spanish at the middle school level and are generally strong students academically. This course is taught at a more rigorous pace than Spanish 1. Emphasis is on developing communicative competence by practicing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills with basic structures and vocabulary. Developing an understanding of the customs and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world is also emphasized. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted mostly in Spanish and students are encouraged to speak as much Spanish as possible.
SPANISH 2 – 420
1 Credit
Spanish 2 is for students who have completed a Spanish 1 course either at the middle school level or at the high school level. This course builds on the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills developed in level 1 and continues to explore the customs and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in Spanish and students are expected to speak only Spanish during class time. Please note: Incoming freshmen must take the department placement test to be considered for this level.
HONORS SPANISH 2 - 421
1 Credit
Honors Spanish 2 is for students who have completed a Spanish 1 course either at the middle school level or at the high school level and are generally strong students academically. Taught at a more rigorous pace than Spanish 2, this course builds on the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills developed in level 1 and continues to explore the customs and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in Spanish and students are expected to speak only Spanish during class time. Please note: Incoming freshmen must take the department placement test to enroll in this level.
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12SPANISH 3 - 430
1 Credit
This course emphasizes a building of the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills learned in Spanish 2 with focus on more advanced structures, vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. The course also develops a greater understanding of the customs and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in Spanish and students are expected to speak only Spanish during class time.
HONORS SPANISH 3 – 431
1 Credit
Honors Spanish 3 emphasizes building fluency and accuracy through more advanced listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. Taught at a more rigorous pace than Spanish 3, the course also develops a greater understanding of the customs and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. The Level 3 National Spanish Exam is taken in the spring. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in Spanish and students are expected to speak only Spanish during class time.
SPANISH 4 – 440
1 Credit
Spanish 4 continues to emphasize the building of fluency and accuracy through advanced listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. It also focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the customs and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in Spanish and students are expected to speak only Spanish during class time.
HONORS SPANISH 4 – 441
1 Credit
Honors Spanish 4 continues to emphasize the building of fluency and accuracy through advanced listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. Taught at a more rigorous pace than Spanish 4, the course also focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the customs and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. The Level 4 National Spanish Exam is taken in the spring. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in Spanish and students are expected to speak only Spanish during class time.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE – 461
1 Credit
This is a challenging, college-level course for students who have had a minimum of four years of Spanish (at least one year in middle school and Honors Spanish 2, Honors Spanish 3 and Honors Spanish 4 in high school). Taught exclusively in Spanish, the course prepares students for the various components of the AP exam: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, a formal email response, a persuasive essay using three sources, a recorded conversation, and a recorded cultural presentation. Students must take the AP exam in the spring in order to receive AP course credit. In addition, students may opt to take the Level 5 National Spanish Exam in the spring.
Grade: 12FRENCH 1 – 412
1 Credit
French 1 is for students who have never studied French before or have had very little French at the middle school level. Emphasis is on developing communicative competence by practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills with basic structures and vocabulary. Developing an understanding of the customs and cultures of the French-speaking world is also emphasized. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted mostly in French and students are encouraged to speak as much French as possible.
HONORS FRENCH 1 - 413
1 Credit
Honors French 1 is for students who have never studied French before or have had very little French at the middle school level and are generally strong students academically. Emphasis is on developing communicative competence by practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills with basic structures and vocabulary. Developing an understanding of the customs and cultures of the French-speaking world is also emphasized. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted mostly in French and students are encouraged to speak as much French as possible.
FRENCH 2 – 422
1 Credit
French 2 is for students who have completed a French 1 course either at the middle school level or at the high school level. This course builds on the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills developed in level 1 and continues to explore the customs and cultures of French-speaking countries. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in French and students are expected to speak only French during class time. Please note: Incoming freshmen must take the department placement test to enroll in this level.
HONORS FRENCH 2 – 423
1 Credit
Honors French 2 is for students who have completed a French 1 course either at the middle school level or at the high school level and are generally strong students academically. The course builds on the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills developed in level 1 and continues to explore the customs and cultures of French-speaking countries. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in French and students are expected to speak only French during class time. Please note: Incoming freshmen must take the department placement test to enroll in this level.
HONORS FRENCH 3 – 433
1 Credit
Honors French 3 emphasizes building fluency and accuracy through more advanced listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. The course also focuses on developing a greater understanding of the customs and cultures of French-speaking countries. The Level 3 National French Exam is taken in the spring. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in French and students are expected to speak only French during class time.
HONORS FRENCH 4 – 443
1 Credit
Honors French 4 continues to emphasize the building of fluency and accuracy through advanced listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. It also focuses on developing an even greater understanding of the customs and cultures of French-speaking countries. The Level 4 National French Exam is taken in the spring. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in French and students are expected to speak only French during class time.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE (VHS)– 444
1 Credit
This is a challenging, college-level course for students who have had a minimum of four years of French (at least one prior year to high school and Honors French 2, Honors French 3 and Honors French 4 in high school). The course prepares students for the various components of the AP exam: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, a formal email response, a persuasive essay using three sources, a recorded conversation, and a recorded cultural presentation. Students must take the AP exam in the spring in order to receive AP course credit. In addition, students may opt to take the Level 5 National French Exam in the spring.
Grade: 12
AP ITALIAN
1 Credit
This is a challenging, college-level course for students who have had a minimum of four years of Italian (at least one year in middle school and Honors Italian 2, Honors Italian 3 and Honors Italian 4 in high school). The course prepares students for the various components of the AP exam: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, a formal email response, a persuasive essay using three sources, a recorded conversation, and a recorded cultural presentation. Students must take the AP exam in the spring in order to receive AP course credit. In addition, students may opt to take the Level 5 National Italian Exam in the spring. This course will likely be taught remotely in an asynchronous fashion for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Grade: 12
HONORS ITALIAN 1 – 415
1 Credit
Honors Italian 1 is for students who have never studied Italian before or have had very little Italian at the middle school level and are generally strong students academically. Emphasis is on developing communicative competence by practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills with basic structures and vocabulary. Developing an understanding of the customs and culture of Italy is also emphasized. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted mostly in Italian and students are encouraged to speak as much Italian as possible.
HONORS ITALIAN 2 - 429
1 Credit
Honors Italian 2 is for students who have completed an Italian 1 course either at the middle school level or at the high school level and are generally strong students academically. The course builds on the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills developed in level 1 and continues to explore the customs and cultures of Italy. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in Italian and students are expected to speak only Italian during class time. Please note: Incoming freshmen must take the department placement test to enroll in this level.
HONORS ITALIAN 3
1 Credit
Honors Italian 3 builds on the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills developed in level 2 and continues to explore the customs and cultures of Italy. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in Italian and students are expected to speak only Italian during class time.
Grades: 10, 11, 12
HONORS ITALIAN 4
1 Credit
Honors Italian 4 will encapsulate the skills learned in Italian 1, 2, and 3 (listening, reading, writing, and speaking) while continuing to explore the customs and culture of Italy. In order for students to have an immersive language experience, the entire course will be conducted in Italian and students will be expected to speak, read, and write the language proficiently.
Grades: 11, 12
ITALIAN 1 – 414
1 Credit
Italian 1 is for students who have never studied Italian before or have had very little Italian at the middle school level. Emphasis is on developing communicative competence by practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills with basic structures and vocabulary. Developing an understanding of the customs and culture of Italy is also emphasized. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted mostly in Italian and students are encouraged to speak as much Italian as possible.
ITALIAN 2 – 428
1 Credit
Italian 2 is for students who have completed an Italian 1 course either at the middle school level or at the high school level. This course builds on the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills developed in level 1 and continues to explore the customs and cultures of Italy. In order for students to have an immersive language experience which facilitates acquisition, the class is conducted in Italian and students are expected to speak only Italian during class time. Please note: Incoming freshmen must take the department placement test to be considered for this level.
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