Foreign Language

Bienvenue!
¡Bienvenidos!

For the fourth year now, Spanish is being offered to Rossman children in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 6. As the school transitions from the teaching of French to Spanish, children in Grades 3 through 6 may choose to continue their French study, or they, too, may choose to study Spanish.

During Upper School years, Rossman students also enjoy a limited study of Latin, focusing on the study of root words. This not only gives them an introduction to another language but also helps their understanding of English.

Teachers
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Sarah-Marie Land — French
Keylah West — Spanish

Grades Taught and Length of Class Periods

Junior Kindergarten through Grade 2 — 30 minutes twice a week
Grade 3 through Grade 6 — 45 minutes twice a week

Review of Content by Grade Levels

Junior Kindergarten through Grade 2 —
Spanish — 100% of class time

Grade 3 through Grade 6 —
French or Spanish — 75-80% of class time

Latin — 20-25% of class time

French and Spanish

• Focus on meaning of communication rather than stressing perfect form of communication
• Classroom instruction and interaction primarily in French or Spanish
• Instruction via meaningful cultural and linguistic contexts
• Limited error-correction by the teacher in order to foster a low-risk and non-threatening environment
• Individual, pair, small group, and full class activities that employ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills
• Creative projects that are both culturally and linguistically enriching

Latin

• Latin roots, English root-forms and derivatives
• Connections between English and Latin, the Romance languages and Latin
• Latin expressions in English usage
• Ancient Roman history and civilization