The World Language Department of the Laboratory Schools has the following philosophy of world language teaching:
- To foster an attitude of openness and appreciation of language, culture and history;
- To empower students to function effectively and appropriately in another language;
- To instill a disciplined and serious attitude toward language learning while developing an awareness of the individual process of language acquisition.
University High School offers French, German, Latin, Mandarin Chinese
and Spanish. Every student is required to study at least one world
language in a two-year consecutive sequence; however, the department
encourages students to continue their study beyond this two-year
requirement in order to develop true proficiency. Because we are a
college preparatory school, most students continue their language study
for a third and a fourth year. Students may, and many do, take more
than one language. Students who are already fluent in a world language
must select another language at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. We do not offer
a program for bilingual students. Such students may take the Advanced
Placement Exam in the language in which they are fluent, but may not
take the Advanced Placement course in that language.
University High School students will gain proficiency in a world
language and be exposed to the cultures of their chosen language in a
number of ways. Modern language instruction will include the four basic
language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In Latin,
emphasis is placed on reading proficiency and written expression.
Students who perform consistently well in the two-year sequence can
expect to gain a sound foundation in grammar and the ability to
function at an elementary level in speaking, listening comprehension,
reading and writing. Students may have the opportunity to travel to
China, France, Germany, or a Spanish-speaking country with the
school-sponsored exchange programs and to use their language skills in
these respective countries.
Students new to University High School must list a first and second world language choice. These students will be given a placement interview by a world language teacher in the department who will make a recommendation to the department chair regarding the best placement for the student.
Students must consult their current world language teacher for correct
world language course registration for the next year. The World
Language Department will verify online registrations to ensure that
students are properly placed. Placement in any course other than the
next course in a sequence requires prior written approval by the
student's current teacher together with the consent of the department
chair. If a student wishes to change levels either to a higher or a
lower level course in a course sequence, he or she must consult his or
her current teacher, the World Languages Chairperson and his or her
counselor. In exceptional circumstances, a student may be allowed to
move to a more advanced level or sequence. Before being allowed to move
into a more
advanced level, he or she must do the following:
1) have a final grade of an A
2) the teacher's permission
3) complete summer course work
4) show proof of the course work and a grade
5) take a written and oral exam during the first week of school before officially being
registered for the higher level course.
Students may not register for a world language class, or change to a different level world language class, after the fourth week of the Fall Quarter. Again, any changes must be done with consent of the department chair.
All world language courses are offered provided that there is sufficient enrollment or unless otherwise indicated below.
Chinese
Chinese 1
Course Number: 1290
Credit: 1
Pre-requisite: None
This course is intended
for students with no previous experience in Mandarin Chinese. It will focus on
basic everyday Chinese speaking and listening, reading, typing via pinyin
system, and writing basic and high frequency Chinese characters of fewer strokes.
The special emphasis will be on the differentiation of five different tones and
on identifying Chinese radicals and their meanings. Chinese art, history, and
culture related to the textbook will also be discussed.
Chinese 2
Course Number: 1291
Credit: 1
Pre-requisite: Successful
completion of Chinese 1 or
language teacher
recommendation
The course continues the
development of all the skills acquired in Chinese 1. The special emphasis will
be on practicing writing high frequency Chinese characters of more strokes,
learning how to consult the dictionary through the use of strokes counting
skills and /or the knowledge about radicals, and on further accuracy in the
pronunciation of tones in the context of sentences and paragraphs and better
fluency in conversations about everyday situations. The grammar will focus on
sentence patterns, differences in sentence orders and certain prepositions. In
addition to the textbook, related topics on Chinese art, history and culture
will be discussed.
Chinese 3
Course Number: 1292
Credit: 1
Pre-requisite: Successful
completion of Chinese 2 or
language teacher
recommendation
The course continues the
development of all the skills acquired in Chinese 2. More high frequency
characters and the components of a character will be emphasized. Students will
work on using sophisticated sentence patterns to express opinions on familiar
topics and social events either current or past. Chinese holidays, regional
foods and modern movies will be discussed.
Chinese 4
Course Number: 1293
Credit: 1
Pre-requisite: Successful
completion of Chinese 3 or
language teacher
recommendation
The course continues the development of all the
skills acquired
in
Chinese 3. High frequency characters, components of a character, five different
tones, and stroke order will be emphasized. Students will work on using
sophisticated sentence patterns to express opinions on topics such as important
news, daily life, historical events and social issues. Quantifier words and
composition will be emphasized.
French
French 1
Course Number: 1304
Credit: 1
Pre-requisite: None
This course is intended for students with no
previous experience in French. It focuses on the formation of good linguistic
habits (understanding, speaking, reading, and writing) through communicative
practice. Supplementary materials include: short readings, recordings and
videos by native speakers, and an exercise book stressing writing and
application of basic points of grammar.
French 2
Course Number: 1306
Credit: 1
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of French 1 or language teacher recommendation
This course continues the development of the
skills introduced in the first year course: listening, speaking, reading, and
writing, but at a more advanced level. Conversation and accuracy in writing are
emphasized. A reader with selections focusing on francophone culture,
vocabulary building, and grammar may be used.
French 3
Course Number: 1307
Credit: 1
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of French 2 or language teacher recommendation
This course will progress from an emphasis on
imitation, retention, and simple variation to a broader set of skills of aural
and reading comprehension. Students will work on vocabulary from specific
contexts and vocabulary-building skills. Accuracy in writing will be
emphasized. The geography, customs, and daily life of France and francophone
countries will be studied.
French 3 Advanced
Course Number: 1308
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation
The course will include a review of
grammatical structures, emphasis on vocabulary accretion, and on working toward
“freer” oral and written
expression. Readings will be from a wide variety of sources (cultural, the
press, literary). Life in France and francophone countries will be studied in
further detail.
French 4
Course Number: 1309
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Successful completion of French 3 or
teacher recommendation
This course will continue to focus on all language skills at a
more advanced level. It will include work on grammar and vocabulary and longer
reading selections. Accuracy in writing will be emphasized. The culture and
history of francophone countries will be studied.
French 4 Advanced
Course Number: 1310
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Successful completion of French 3
Advanced or teacher recommendation
This course continues to develop speaking fluency, aural
comprehension, reading and writing skills. Grammatical concepts are reviewed
and expanded. Literary and cultural texts are read and discussed.
French 5
Course Number: 1313
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Successful completion of French 4 or
teacher recommendation
Grammar and vocabulary will be reviewed and expanded. Oral
proficiency and reading skills will be emphasized. Much of the supplementary
vocabulary, as well as the readings, conversation topics, and composition work
will reflect the skills of the class members.
French 5 Advanced
Course Number: 1314
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Completion of French 4 Advanced with
distinction and teacher recommendation
This course will continue the work of French 4 Advanced with
increasing difficulty of the material, both oral and written. It will begin to
prepare the students for the French AP class. The course will include a
thorough, in-depth review of grammar, the introduction of new grammatical
structures and an emphasis on reading longer passages to include literary and
popular texts.
French 6
Course Number: 1315
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Successful completion of French 5 or
teacher recommendation
This course will continue to review and expand the student's
oral, aural and written skills and their knowledge of grammatical concepts and
vocabulary. Students will continue reading and discussing literary and cultural
texts.
French AP
Course Number: 1317
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Completion with distinction of French 5
Advanced or World Language Department recommendation
This course will continue the work of French 5 Advanced.
Increasing emphasis will be placed on preparation for the AP French language
exam, with exercises and activities based upon it.
Students will do the following:
• Readings: Various types which may include French
literature, French popular literature, reference works and current French
periodicals.
• Grammar: An in-depth grammar review concentrating on
difficult constructions (le subjonctif, les pronoms, le participe passé, le présent...)
• French Culture and Civilization: These will be
studied using a variety of sources.
• Writing: Extensive training in the organization and
writing of compositions.
• Oral Communication Skills: The ability to express
ideas accurately and resourcefully both orally and in writing with reasonable
fluency.
• Aural/Oral Comprehension: The ability to comprehend
long spoken passages in French and to answer questions based on them, both orally
and in writing.
Intensive French
Course Number: 1319
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Previous experience in a language other
than French, junior/senior standing and completion of language requirement.
This course is limited to juniors and seniors with
previous foreign language experience who have already completed their language
requirement. It is designed to give these upperclassmen an opportunity to
complete two years of work in French in one year, thus enabling them to be
better prepared for college language courses and/or to go into French or French
3A areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The emphasis will be on an
active use of the language by the teacher and the student. French will
gradually become the language of instruction. This course will be offered in
alternate years with Intensive Spanish.
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German
German 1
Course Number: 1320
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: None
In this beginning course, the student is
trained in
• aural comprehension: understanding simple
spoken German
• oral facility: speaking simple German with
proper pronunciation and sentence structure
• grammar: writing simple translations from
English into
German, and
• reading: students explore a wide range of
simple German
texts including short stories by well-known
German authors,
excerpts from novels and novellas, poetry,
cartoons,
advertisement and numerous realia, all of
which serve to
enhance the student's reading skills while
deepening his/her
understanding of German culture.
A grammar text is used throughout the year
providing the
student with a solid foundation of German
language structure.
An important aspect of this course is the
development of a
personalized language learning method.
German 3
Course Number: 1322
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation
German 3 builds upon the foundation laid by
the Middle School
German curricula. The course aims to further
increase the
student's facility in the 4 language skills:
listening, speaking,
reading and writing. Readings will cover a
variety of genre such
as: age-appropriate German magazines, Graded
readers, and
detective stories. Cultural components
include German popular
culture, daily life in Germany, foods and
German schools.
Students expand their knowledge of the German
language
through the systematic study of grammar
focusing on verbs
tenses, modal verbs, word order, case and
prepositions.
German 4
Course Number: 1323
Credit: 1
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of German 3 or teacher recommendation
German 4 builds upon the foundation laid by
German 3 and aims to further increase the student's facility in the 4 language
skills:
listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Written expression and
reading comprehension are expanded through a
continued,
challenging study of German and English
grammar. Grammar units will include such points as: idiomatic use of time expressions,
subordinating and coordinating conjunctions, reflexive verbs, comparative and
superlative, recognition of the passive voice. Editorial skills will be
stressed. Listening comprehension and speaking skills will be sharpened through
formal presentation skills for oral presentations, role-playing and class
discussion. Cultural components include 20th century short prose and related
cultural background, contemporary German film, television programming for
children, and current events.
German 5
Course Number: 1324
Credit: 1
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of German 4 or teacher recommendation
German 5 reinforces the High School Curricula
of German 3 and German 4. The course engages in a comprehensive and systematic
review of German grammar including the case and
declension systems, prepositions, adjectives
and verbs in the present, simple past, past perfect and future tenses and the
idiomatic use of these items. Listening and speaking skills will be honed
through the use of authentic materials from the German press available on-line
as well as thorough in depth classroom discussion. The course aims to challenge
the student's reading skills and vocabulary through the study of authentic
German texts including such items as the Grimm's fairy tales, German newspaper
and magazine articles and continued readings in 20th century German literature.
Writing in the target language will be developed through weekly essays,
including literary analysis of fairy tales, summary and opinion papers based on
articles concerning current events and other topics as needed. Cultural
components include German fairy tales, an introduction to German politics and
current events from the German perspective, German film. Deutsch macht absolut
Spaß!
German AP
Course Number: 1325
Credit: 1
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of German 5 or World Language Department recommendation
AP German prepares students to take the
German Advanced Placement Exam. The course reinforces and completes
comprehensive and systematic review of German grammar begun in German 5 and
includes the subjunctive II, the future perfect, passive voice, verb prefixes,
the use of flavoring particles, the use of prepositions as verbal complements
and the idiomatic use of these items. Listening and speaking skills will be
honed through the use of authentic materials from the German press available
on-line as well as through in-depth classroom discussion of the course reading
material. The course aims to challenge the student's reading skills and
vocabulary through
the study of
authentic German texts including such items as Ludwig Thoma's
Lausbubengeschichten, works from Kafka, and the novel "Damals war es
Friedrich." The course aims to continue an investigation of current events
and contemporary German culture through readings of German newspaper and
magazine articles. Writing in the target language will be developed through
weekly essays, including literary analysis, summary and opinion papers based on
the course readings and other topics as needed. Cultural components include the
historical and cultural contextualization of the reading materials. Deutsch
macht bis zum Ende Spaß!
Sprache in Bild und Wort
(German in Pictures and Words)
Course Number: 1329
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: All students with some knowledge of
German are welcome to enroll. However, the course may not be taken to fulfill
the World Language requirement.
Films and readings (which may include newspaper and magazine
articles) will serve as the basis for classroom discussion in this
German course which
is meant for enrichment and enjoyment.
Students in the course will decide with the teacher which
contemporary films will be viewed. We will attempt to select films that are
also available in book form or have English subtitles.
This course is ideal for students who have fulfilled their
language requirement and want to maintain their language skills through
listening, or for
those students who speak German at home, or
have an interest in learning a
little German informally.
Spanish
Spanish 1
Course Number: 1335
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: None
This course is intended for students with no previous experience
in Spanish. Emphasis is on understanding spoken Spanish and speaking with
correct pronunciation and structure. To develop their listening and speaking
skills, students listen to recordings and songs, play games, perform skits and
view videos by native speakers. Students also read short articles and complete
thematic projects in Spanish. The textbook contains grammar, vocabulary, cultural
readings and dialogues which form the basis for reading and conversation. A
workbook is used to enhance comprehension of grammatical points and to develop
writing skills.
Spanish 2
Course Number: 1338
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 1 or
teacher recommendation
This course continues the development of the skills introduced
in the first year including understanding, speaking, reading and writing, but
at a more advanced level. A reader with more complex grammar, vocabulary, and
cultural readings may be introduced. Conversation and a greater awareness of
Hispanic culture is emphasized.
Spanish 3
Course Number: 1341
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 2 or
teacher recommendation
This course will continue work on: grammar study and structure;
vocabulary skills; dictionary skills; composition writing and organization and
oral comprehension and proficiency. The geography, customs, and daily life of
the Spanish-speaking world will be an integral part of the course.
Spanish 3 Advanced
Course Number: 1342
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation
In this course, there will be a more intense, accelerated
grammar study, more emphasis on composition skills and vocabulary acquisition. Oral
comprehension and proficiency will be stressed. Readings will be from varied
sources of the Spanish-speaking world with emphasis on active and passive
vocabulary development. Spanish will become the language of instruction.
Spanish 4
Course Number: 1344
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 3 or
teacher recommendation
This course will continue to work on the development of all
language skills at a more advanced level than that of the previous course. It
will include a review of grammatical structures, continued work on vocabulary
accretion, and readings of short stories. Students will write compositions and
work on personal oral expression. Geography, customs, and daily life in the
Spanish-speaking world will continue to be studied.
Spanish 4 Advanced
Course Number: 1345
Credit: 1
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Spanish 3 Advanced
or teacher recommendation
This course will stress proficiency in all language skills with
a strong emphasis on grammar. The culture of the Spanish-speaking world will be
examined as well as reading from a variety of sources. Literary excerpts will
also be studied. Spanish will be the language of instruction.
Spanish 5
Course Number: 1347
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 4 or
teacher recommendation
This course will continue to review and expand the students’
oral, aural, and written skills, and more complex grammatical concepts. New
vocabulary will be introduced. Students will continue reading and discussing
literary and cultural texts. Outside resources, such as newspapers and
magazines, may also be used to highlight discussions of political, social, and
cultural issues.
Spanish 5 Advanced
Course Number: 1348
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish 4
Advanced and teacher recommendation
This course will continue the work of Spanish 4 Advanced with
increasing difficulty of the material, both oral and written. It will begin to
prepare the students for the Spanish AP class. A thorough review of grammar
will be done, and an emphasis will be placed on reading longer passages to
include both popular and literary texts.
Spanish 6
Course Number: 1350
Credit: 1
Prerequisite Successful completion of Spanish 5 or
teacher approval
This course will continue to review and to expand the students’
oral, aural, and written skills and their knowledge of more complex grammatical
concepts. Students will continue reading and discussing Spanish texts that are
arranged thematically. Such texts will solicit student reactions and will
enable them to discuss contemporary cultural issues of the Hispanic world. The
class will be conducted in Spanish.
Spanish AP
Course Number: 1353
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Completion with distinction of Spanish 5
Advanced, or World Language Department recommendation
This course will continue the work of Spanish 5 Advanced.
Increasing emphasis will be placed on preparation for the AP Spanish language
exam, with exercises and activities based upon it.
The course will consist of the following:
• Readings: A variety of readings from Spanish and
Latin American literature and periodicals from the Spanish-speaking world.
• Grammar: A comprehensive review of complex
grammatical structures.
• Hispanic Culture: A study of Hispanic culture
through a variety of readings and other sources.
• Writing: Preparation and study of written expression
in Spanish integrating new grammatical structures and vocabulary.
• Oral Communication Skills: The ability to express
ideas accurately and resourcefully both orally and in writing with reasonable
fluency.
• Aural/Oral Comprehension: The ability to comprehend
long spoken passages in Spanish and to answer questions based on them, both
orally and in writing.
Spanish for Spanish Speakers
Course Number: 1356
Credit: 1
This course is limited to juniors and seniors who are heritage
speakers of Spanish and have completed their language requirement. Students
must already speak Spanish fluently but wish to perfect their ability to read
and write the language. Grammatical concepts will be reviewed; readings in
Spanish and Latin American Literature will be analyzed and discussed in
Spanish.
Latin
The major objectives of the introductory sequence are:
• to teach comprehension of the Latin language through
practice in reading
• to develop, through these readings, the students’
understanding of the social and political history of the Romans, particularly
during the first century C.E.
• to heighten the students’ awareness of how language
functions, utilizing a basically inductive approach to grammar and a
contrastive analysis of the grammatical structures of English and Latin
• to help students increase their English (and Romance
language) vocabularies through attention to principles of word formation,
derivation, etc.
Latin 1
Course Number: 1360 (MCCCLX)
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: None
This
course begins to familiarize students with the basic structural features of the
language. Students learn to focus upon individual structural signals indicating
the function of words in the sentence. The first, second, and third declensions
of nouns and the present, imperfect, and perfect tenses of verbs are covered.
The Latin narrative (the primary vehicle through which the grammatical points
are introduced and practiced) gives the students a sense of the truly
cosmopolitan nature of the Roman world, being set first in Pompeii, moving next
to rural Britain, and then on to Alexandria, Egypt. In addition, well-known
myths of the Greek and Roman world are read and discussed.
Latin 2
Course Number: 1365 (MCCCLXV)
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of Latin 1 or
its equivalent
This course furthers the work begun in Latin 1, with the gradual
introduction of more complex structures, including participles, the passive
voice, and the forms and uses of the subjunctive. The emphasis of the course is
increasingly on reading and interpreting long passages in Latin. Some
selections from Latin authors are read, and the cultural background material
highlights the Roman Empire in the first century C.E.
Latin 3/4
Course Number: 1370 (MCCCLXX)
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of Latin 2 or
its equivalent
The primary goals of this course are to complete the study of
Latin grammar and to bring students into closer touch with the history,
culture, and everyday life of the Roman world. The particular focus of the
course, whether upon specific authors, literary genres, themes, historical
periods, etc., will be determined by the instructor each year. In general,
authors of prose, such as Pliny, Cicero, and Tacitus, and of poetry, such as
Virgil, Ovid, and Catullus will be read in the original Latin. Since the course
will vary each year, students may take it to fulfill both third and fourth
years of their language credits.
The Politics of Performance and Competition in Ancient Greece
Course Number: 1374
Credit: 1
Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing
Ancient Greek culture was profoundly musical and competitive. In
this year-long course we will explore how this plays out in Greek religion and
politics, the two dominant spheres of social activity and the driving contexts
for musical performance and athletic competition. Our goal is to appreciate
more fully the complexity and interconnectedness of Greek musical performance,
athletic competition, religion, and the notion of citizenship in ancient
Greece. This course requires close reading of both primary and secondary texts;
it is part lecture, but primarily discussion. Assessment is based on
participation during discussion, short papers and presentations on assigned or
chosen topics, and a final paper at the end of the year. Throughout the year,
students will have the opportunity to dialogue with noted scholars from the
University of Chicago and some of our own Lab School faculty, who will serve as
guest lecturers.
FALL QUARTER: Epic,
Lyric & Oral Tradition
In the first quarter, we will formulate a basic picture of
archaic Greek life prior to the emergence of the city-state, and in that
context examine the mechanics of oral epic, as well its social role in the
dissemination of culture, the canonization of myth, and the affirmation of
national identity. Students will examine epic content and performance, with
selections from Homer and Hesiod. A changing concern from how heroes lived to
how people should live will be further examined in seventh-century lyric
poetry, in which poets’ concerns are distinctly personal. We will explore this
shift in artistic themes within the historical framework of the archaic
period, which saw the emergence of the city-state and the establishment of the
pan-Hellenic games.
WINTER QUARTER:
Sanctuaries, Games & Glory
In the second quarter, students will explore athletics, with particular
focus on the "circuit games" established at the religious centers of
Olympia, Nemea, Delphi, and Isthmia in the 8th to 6th centuries BCE. Pindar's
victory Odes, performed in honor of the victors in these games, will give
students a sense of the prestige involved - the games’ importance to their host
region, to the larger Greek world, and to the individuals competing in them.
Students will also explore the emergence of "chrematitic" (money)
games that were modeled on, and competed with, the circuit games in size and
prestige. Our goal is to further our understanding of the role of athletics in
the development of civic identity - both of state and of individual.
SPRING QUARTER:
Athens as Stage and State
In the third quarter, after becoming familiar with the
traditional types of choral performance central to Greek religious and civic
life, students will explore the origins, development, innovative form, and
socio-political role of drama as it emerged and developed in democratic
Athens. Students will read eight plays closely and investigate the entire
process of theatrical production that culminated in competitive performance at
one of two religious festivals. The influence of epic, myth and lyric will be
examined, as well as the role and development of the dramatic chorus. More
importantly, students will explore the active (and interactive) social role of
drama in the context of Athenian history.