Languages

Recognizing the Bay School's commitment to the global community, we believe that the study of another language, and its associated culture, is essential. The overall objectives of the program include the development of language skills, both oral and written, and a cultural objective, i.e., an acquaintance with and appreciation of a different people, their history, civilization, and customs.

Spanish and Mandarin Chinese are the two core foreign languages taught at the Bay School. Students who have previously studied French are given entrance placement tests to confirm their readiness to continue their study of French at an advanced high school level.

Mandarin Chinese

Mandarin I
This is an introductory language course in Modern Standard Chinese (Putonghua), with an emphasis on developing speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. In the first year, students learn the tonal system, pronunciation, basic grammar, and the fundamentals of the Chinese writing system. Students develop the ability to carry out simple conversations in Chinese on a limited range of topics. Additionally, in view of the intimate relationship between language and culture, we dedicate significant class time to learning about Chinese culture, recent history, and geography.

Mandarin II
Mandarin II students review and continue working with the materials introduced in Mandarin I with the expectation that they will continue to master new vocabulary and increasingly complex sentence patterns. There is further focus on the Chinese tonal system and character acquisition. The course employs a variety of approaches so that the students increase their ability to acquire pertinent information through listening, to express themselves with more confidence, and to read and write characters with greater fluency and ease. The ultimate goal of Mandarin II is to equip students with the tools necessary to communicate effectively with native speakers in the target language.

Mandarin III
The goal of this course is to further develop students' communicative abilities in listening, speaking, reading and writing modern Chinese. Students focus on strengthening their listening and reading comprehension skills through increased exposure to authentic material. Upon completion of this course, students are able to handle most daily conversation with relative fluency and are comfortable speaking and interacting in the target language.

Mandarin IV
The goal of this course is to enhance students' abilities to communicate fluently, precisely and elegantly in modern Chinese. The course incorporates Chinese literature and history, and explores current events and youth culture in Greater China. We focus on reading and understanding primary documents, although an advanced-level textbook is used as a supplement. As is true for all levels of Bay's language courses, emphasis is placed on broadening students' understanding of vocabulary, grammar, idiomatic expressions and cultural knowledge. Students will learn to master complex sentence patterns for the purpose of sustaining longer, in-depth conversations. Finally, students will be encouraged to express their opinions and creativity through various modes.

Mandarin V
This upper level course explores the enduring influence of traditional martial arts cultural heroes (real and imagined). In the course, students explore how the Wuxia concept has historically evolved to its present form, as seen in film, comics and pop culture. Potential topics include chivalrous bandit heroes in Ming and Qing fiction, the Boxer Rebellion in Late Imperial China, and anti-dynastic sectarian movements in Ming and Qing history.

Spanish

Spanish I
This introductory course provides students with the opportunity to learn the fundamental grammar and vocabulary necessary for basic communication in Spanish. Students will develop partial capability in the four major communication skills-listening, speaking, reading, and writing. By the end of this course, students will be able to express themselves at a rudimentary level in both the present and past tenses. Focus will be placed on gaining the confidence necessary to speak fluently. In addition, students will develop an appreciation for the various cultures associated with the Spanish language.

Spanish II
Students in Spanish II will have mastered the present, past, and future tenses and will have been introduced to a variety of other tenses. They will increase their facility in the four major communication skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) with an emphasis on clear and elegant communication. Culturally, Spanish II seeks to develop a greater appreciation for how Spanish-speaking communities and cultures continue to reshape and redefine the modern world.

Spanish III
Spanish III is an intermediate-level language course focused on five major goals: (a) to review all of the basic skills and vocabulary learned during the first two years of study; (b) to increase students' core vocabulary base and to expand their understanding and working knowledge of more complex grammatical points; (c) to connect their language skills with other disciplines such as Humanities, Arts, Science and Technology; (d) to increase students' level of fluency, both written and oral, so that they can communicate effectively and elegantly in Spanish; and (e) to make students aware of the richness of diversity in the Spanish-speaking communities both in and outside of the United States.

Spanish IV
Spanish IV is an advanced-intermediate course that integrates language and culture while using topics that reflect global issues of interest and concern to today's youth. The course discusses geography, art, music, and literature from the Spanish-speaking world to synthesize the development of all aspects of language skills and cultural awareness-with particular emphasis on Spain. Although preparation for the Advanced Placement exam in Spanish is not a principal focus of the course, Spanish IV does include bi-weekly workshops designed to help prepare students who wish to sit for the exam.

Spanish V: Cine y la Condición Humana
Spanish V is an advanced interactive course that explores social issues within the framework of a selection of Spanish-speaking films and literature excerpts in the target language. Students' knowledge of themes presented in class is further enriched by classroom exploration of Spanish and Latin cultures through research in Spanish, oral presentations, essay writings, and the study of drama in its cultural and historical contexts.

French

Note: French l-lll courses are not currently offered.

French IV
Littérature et Histoire. French IV is a comprehensive course that will give students an in-depth view of France, its history, culture, and civilization by using a systematic approach to introduce French history and literature. At the same time, this course will continue to review and expand upon the grammar and vocabulary that has been learned in previous years so that students can continue to strengthen their language skills.

This course has been designated as an honors course by the University of California.

French V: France et La Provence
Experience the foods, fragrances, and folklore of La Provence. This class introduces the geography, history, and culture of La Provence through the use of live footage, novels, movies, music, art, and food. The novels of Marcel Pagnol, Le Chateau de Ma Mere, La Gloire de Mon Pere, and Alphonse Daudet's Lettres de Mon Moulin are read as the basis of our study. Students will learn the specialized vocabulary from this area of France, which includes life in the countryside, flowers and perfume, farming, regional dishes, soaps, and herbs.

French V: Personal Journey through Film: A French Experience
This class focuses on meaningful universal themes as presented in thought-provoking French cinema. Twelve films organized in six clusters (two films each) are accompanied by texts (film scripts, literary texts), and exercises (film comprehension questions, journal writing, creative writing, grammatical structures) chosen for their thematic unity. Themes include childhood and adolescence, family, society, memory, creativity, and self-discovery; and these are enriched through creative writing and critical thinking exercises. For a final, students produce a portfolio highlighting the variety of their work.