World Languages
World Language Curriculum Overview
The Maple World Language curriculum seeks to develop the linguistic and cultural skills of today’s learners ensuring they are able to engage in meaningful and purposeful communication by expressing, interpreting and negotiating meaning in real-world contexts. Students engage in curriculum that is focused around the following essential questions:
- What does it mean to communicate effectively?
- How do I develop proficiency in a second language?
- What is culture? How can I develop a multicultural perspective?
- Why do I value the ability to communicate in a second language?
- What self-knowledge am I acquiring as I study another language and its cultures?
- What strategies will I use to better understand the target language and culture?
At each grade level, the curriculum:
- is thematically organized around the Advanced Placement (AP) themes.
- is both vertically and horizontally aligned to allow for development of language proficiency at each grade.
- addresses the 5 Goal Areas of the Illinois Learning Standards for World Languages (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities).
- Is designed to assess growth in proficiency in the 3 specific modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal and presentational).
Throughout the world language experience, students will acquire knowledge, skills and perspectives that will prepare them for living and working in a world of diverse people and cultures. Students will be able to connect language learning to other disciplines and to real-world experiences while developing the skills of reading, listening, writing, and speaking in the target language.
World Language Department Syllabus
Maple School World Language Team Members
- Mrs. Heather Cherney, 6-8 Spanish Teacher
- Mrs. Shelby Cavnar, 6-8 Spanish Teacher and Department Chair
- Ms. Samantha Youseph, 6-8 French Teacher and General Studies
- Ms. Iris Zhang, 6-8 Mandarin Chinese
- Mrs. Kathryn Schmeckpeper, 7th Grade Spanish Teacher
More specific information on grade level curriculum can be found at:
