World Languages - Flintridge Preparatory School

About the World Languages Program

Students are immersed in their chosen language and experience a curriculum that blends usage with artistic and cultural heritage.

French, Latin, Mandarin, & Spanish Offered

We offer French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish. French, Mandarin, and Spanish stress the communicative aspects of language learning: developing skills in understanding, speaking, reading and writing the language. The Latin program is designed not simply to treat Rome as a civilization of the past, but also to emphasize its cultural and linguistic relevance to modern society. All four programs foster an appreciation for culture and for interdisciplinary connections to history, the arts, literature and science.

*Students take a French cooking class where they made gougères, pommes dauphinoises, quiche lorraine, and chocolate soufflé. *

Beyond the Classroom

Additionally, our program offers students opportunities to explore French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish beyond the traditional classroom. Many students enhance their experience through membership in clubs and honor societies, as well as field trips. Students also have the opportunity to enhance their language and cultural experience through international trips offered by the Global Studies Program.

World Languages Courses

French Course Descriptions

French 1

French 1 is designed for students with very limited or no experience with the French language. Students develop the skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing within units that present authentic written and audiovisual documents from the French speaking world. The course strongly emphasizes phonetics, listening comprehension, and vocabulary development. At the end of this course, students will be able to converse with sympathetic native French speakers using appropriate greetings and share basic information about themselves, as well as ask for information from others. Unit topics include family and friends, school subjects and classes, the date, the weather, professions, clothing, foods, pastimes, and a range of cultural themes. Second semester, students have an opportunity to connect with native French speaking penpals. Students attend the yearly American French Film festival in West Hollywood and also visit a local art museum to learn about the French collections.

French 2 and French 2 (H)

Students continue to develop the skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing while analyzing authentic written and audiovisual documents from the French speaking world. Correct French pronunciation is practiced through regular student recordings of authentic French prose or poetry. The course emphasizes being able to express everyday and survival tasks in French. Mechanics of verb tenses as well as the development of writing and editing skills in a foreign language are also integral to the course. Students converse in French using past, present, future, and conditional tenses about routine activities, as well as travel, sports, traditional regional foods, holidays, and major art movements. All students have an opportunity to connect with native French speaking penpals. Students will attend the yearly American French Film festival in West Hollywood and will also visit a local art museum to learn about the French collections.

Students in French 2 (H) will be assigned additional reading, writing, oral, and aural practice and assessments.

French 3

In this course, students build on core language skills while expanding their cultural competency through a series of creative projects and reading of a short novel. The course emphasizes the cultural diversity of both mainland France and the Francophone world at large, with an emphasis on the linguistic context in West Africa, the Caribbean, Louisiana, and Quebec. Students learn to write more complex compositions, give regular presentations on cultural topics, including current events from authentic resources. Guest speakers from the Peace Corps World Wise Schools program visit once per semester and share their experiences in Francophone West Africa. All students have the opportunity to attend the yearly American French Film Festival in West Hollywood and to learn about the French collections at a local art museum.

French 3 (H) and French 4

French 3 Honors and French 4 build on communicative skills while asking students to analyze longer and more complex written and audiovisual materials. Students continue to make sophisticated cultural comparisons between their own community and the French-speaking communities around the world, with an emphasis on family structures, education systems, food pathways, religion, cities, rites of passage, and national identity. The first semester makes connections between current events and French history through discussions of film and literature, while the second semester focuses on the interpretive and presentational skills of listening, speaking, and reading necessary for the AP French Language and Culture course. Guest speakers from the Peace Corps World Wise Schools program visit once per semester and share their experiences in Francophone West Africa. All students have the opportunity to attend the yearly American French Film Festival in West Hollywood and to learn about the French collections at a local art museum.

This course is cross-listed and is typically taught within the same class.

AP French Language and Culture

This course improves proficiency in speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Students enrich their cultural knowledge about the Francophone world in six broad domains: world challenges, aesthetics, science and technology, family and communities, contemporary life, and personal and public identities. Students analyze and synthesize authentic materials from the Francophone world, including news broadcasts, literature, poetry, films, advertisements, and magazine articles. Assignments such as essays, debates, Socratic seminars, and oral presentations emphasize communication of meaning and problem-solving in French while still focusing on grammatical accuracy. All students have the opportunity to attend the yearly American French Film Festival in West Hollywood and to learn about the French collections at a local art museum.

Students who enroll in this course are required to take the Advanced Placement exam.

Mandarin Course Descriptions

Mandarin 1

This introductory level course is designed for students with little or no Chinese language background. Students will build their fundamental skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Mandarin 1 will establish a solid language foundation, give the ability to speak and recognize the correct tones, teach how characters are interpreted, build an understanding of Chinese culture, and also develop logical thinking. Chinese traditional culture and modern society along with a global perspective will provide context for language acquisition. In the language learning process, this introductory Chinese class pays attention to practicality and the exceptional nature of language expression. When learning different topics and acquiring the basic vocabulary, modern Chinese media, idioms, historical allusions, and ancient poetry will enhance learning. Topics to be covered include Chinese culture and values, festivals, family and social structure, school and education, diet and health, sports and hobbies, Chinese history and current events, etc.

Mandarin 2

In this course, students review the vocabulary, sentences, and expressions learned in Mandarin 1 in order to expand and deepen the mastery and cognition of the topics; learn to use more advanced expressions; and strive for precise grammar. Mandarin 2 focuses on training dialogue and presentation of language paragraphs. Students participate collaboratively in guided conversations and presentations in both written and oral format on their way to a higher proficiency level.Students simultaneously deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and thought. Topics to be covered include Chinese culture and values, festivals, family and social structure, school and education, diet and health, sports and hobbies, and Chinese history and current events. Mandarin 2 aims to consolidate language foundation and further improve language ability, dialogue skill, and expression ability.

Mandarin 3

Mandarin 3 builds upon basic Mandarin foundations of pinyin, characters, radicals, simple grammar structures, and culture upon the four modes of communication in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The course goes further in depth in grammar through more complex phrase and sentence patterns, learning to express analysis through a wide variety of different types of comparisons to different degrees, and expressing potentials, results, and aspects, in making reports, recalling past experiences, and expressing opinions. Students learn and build up their skills through lectures, discussions, notes, exercises, group work, class games, role play, projects, research, presentations, formal and informal assessments.

Mandarin 4 & Mandarin 4 (H)

Mandarin 4 continues the program’s progression by offering intermediate-level learners a practical, engaging, and student-centered experience in both language and cultural learning. The course focuses on advancing communication abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through exposure to authentic, real-world content across a variety of meaningful themes, with project-based learning that develops student inquiry. A central feature is the exploration of culturally rich texts and authentic narratives from the Chinese-speaking world, which helps students gain insight into diverse perspectives and develop a deeper appreciation for Chinese culture. By the end of the course, students will be more confident using Mandarin and more culturally aware, preparing them to engage with the world as thoughtful global citizens. Students in Mandarin 4 (H) will be assigned additional reading, writing, oral, and aural practice and assessments.

Students who perform at a high level in Mandarin 4 (H) and are interested in taking the AP Chinese Language and Culture exam will need to engage, on their own initiative, with a set of more advanced, AP specific tasks that go beyond the intended outcomes of the Mandarin 4 (H) curriculum. These include expanding vocabulary, strengthening reading comprehension, practicing written tasks such as composing formal email responses and creating structured narratives based on visual prompts, and developing coherent oral cultural comparisons. All students in Mandarin 4 and Mandarin 4 (H) are required to take the final exam, regardless of their taking part in the AP Chinese Language and Culture exam.

Latin Course Descriptions

Latin 1

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of Latin vocabulary and morphology while providing opportunities to translate from Latin to English and vice versa. Students frequently compare the grammar of both languages. The course pays special attention to the Latin roots of English vocabulary and to other aspects of Roman civilization which have influenced the modern world.

Latin 2

Students deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Latin language with more advanced grammar and morphology, as well as a closer look at how to carry meaning between Latin and English in translation. In addition to learning more about the customs and circumstances of urban life in ancient Rome, students center their study of history and culture on Rome’s transition from Republic to Empire. The course focuses on legendary figures such as Caesar and Augustus whose stories blur the line between history and mythology and are crucial to the foundation of Western civilization as we know it.

Latin 3

Following a review of forms and grammar, students read a variety of works in Latin. Each quarter focuses on a specific topic. In the first quarter, students read about mythology with passages from Homer’s "Odyssey." In the second quarter, they read passages from the Vulgate and assorted Medieval/Renaissance writers. The third quarter moves back to classical Latin with passages from Cicero’s letters, his "De Amicitia" and discussion of his oratory in general. The year ends with the lyric poetry of Catullus.

Latin 4 and Latin 4 (H)

This course continues with the lyric poetry of Catullus that began in Latin 3. Students read a substantial portion of his opus. In addition to translation, students scan a variety of meters and analyze the use of figures of rhetoric. After Catullus, students make the transition to the lyric poetry of Horace with a smaller but equally important sampling. Students spend the remainder of the year with Virgil’s Aeneid, reading passages from Books I and IV in Latin and most of the six books in English. Here students can explore many facets of the Roman epic in general, as well as Virgil’s influence both on his age and our own.

Students in Latin 4 (H) will be assigned additional reading and analytical writing practice and assessments.

Spanish Course Descriptions

Spanish 1

This course is an introduction to the formal and classical study of Spanish. It emphasizes daily reading, writing, listening, and speaking, along with grammatical structures in real-world contexts. Students learn an array of vocabulary covering themes like family and friends, hobbies, school life, vacations, sports, and daily routines. The course highlights cultural aspects of Latin American communities, with assessments through interpersonal and presentational modes of communication. Technology for audio, video, and online resources further facilitates language acquisition and enhances familiarity with cultures studied from the Spanish-speaking world.

Spanish 2 and Spanish 2 (H)

Spanish 2 builds on the skills taught in Spanish 1. Reading comprehension and oral communication skills continue to be an integral part of the program. At this level, language instruction emphasizes the various Spanish verb tenses in the past and reinforces the present tenses. In preparation for the more advanced courses, students use their writing skills to develop compositions. Through speaking and writing, students strengthen their presentational skills and interpersonal modes of communication. Students also continue their study of Spanish and Latin American culture. Some sections will be designated honors, which is a prerequisite for Spanish 3H.

Spanish 3 and Spanish 3 (H)

In the Spanish 3 course, students continue to develop a strong communicative ability with the interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes. The course places special emphasis on communicative accuracy and fluency through conversing face-to-face, making oral presentations, writing, and reading literature. Throughout the year, the course exposes students to a variety of authentic sources in Spanish in order for students to better understand the language and culture. Through engagement with the language, students make connections to their own experience through an awareness of the cultural perspectives of Spanish-speaking communities.

Spanish 4

This course provides additional practice to help students attain a higher level of linguistic accuracy and skill development in listening, speaking, reading and writing. The course emphasizes a skills-based approach in which students gain mastery of the language through a considerable amount of discussion, reading and writing on a variety of contemporary topics and current events in the news. The course concentrates on expanding vocabulary and strengthening grammatical accuracy as an aid to overcome a variety of communication challenges. The cultural study of Spain and Latin America is an integral component of this course. Music, film and literature appear throughout the course to enhance students’ understanding of Hispanic culture and society.

AP Spanish Language and Culture

This course is a continuation of students’ study of the Spanish language and Hispanic communities and enables students to further refine their command of the language and deepen their familiarity with and understanding of the culture(s) of the Spanish-speaking world. Throughout the AP curriculum, students are exposed to authentic written, audio and visual materials that allow them to hone their understanding of the language and culture and provide a diverse learning experience both in and out of the classroom. The course focuses on six content areas: Families and communities, personal and public identities, contemporary life, science and technology, global challenges, and beauty and aesthetics. Students engage in interpersonal, interpretive and presentational communication. In addition to the classroom experience, this class encourages students to communicate outside of the classroom and experience the language in real-life, to connect with the local community, and to deepen their understanding of the language and culture. Teacher recommendation required.

Students who enroll in this course are required to take the Advanced Placement exam.

AP Spanish Literature and Culture

The AP Spanish Literature and Culture course introduces the breadth and depth of Hispanic Literature through the study of different authors, genres, and cultural movements in Spain and Latin America. The course focuses on several thematic areas to enrich students’ understanding of Spanish and Latin American literature: societies in contact, gender and identity, space and time, interpersonal relationships, and literary creation. Students read, analyze and discuss works in Spanish. Literary criticism, film, music, art, and other authentic sources serve to enhance students’ understanding of these works. The course emphasizes the relationship between texts and literary movements and allows students to better appreciate Hispanic culture.

Prerequisite: Spanish AP Language and Culture is a prerequisite for this course. Students who enroll in this course are required to take the Advanced Placement exam.