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According to the school’s “Statement of Philosophy,” a Loyola education focuses on “cura personalis.” Where the program of study strives to provide an awareness of the contemporary world, the ability to be part of it and the courage to shape it. To effect these goals the study of foreign languages is essential and crucial.

Language is a means of communication, and the philosophy of Loyola’s Foreign Language Department is that this communication can be developed through listening, speaking, reading and writing a foreign language. The emphasis in Classical Language (Latin) is on reading and writing. Through the development and practice of these skills, a Loyola student is afforded the opportunity to be more open to growth, more tolerant of other cultures, more intellectually competent and more committed to understanding and accepting his own as well as others’ way of thinking. In short, the time spent studying a foreign language at Loyola can help the student to become a more fully empathetic person for others.

Beginning with the first level and advancing through the highest level, the student learns to manipulate the language for a dynamic, level – proficient mode of communication. He or she actively employs all four skills outlined above in real-life and authentic situations and contexts.

In addition to using the language for communicative purposes, the student is exposed to the study of other cultures, which in turn allows him or her to develop an understanding and appreciation of other people.

COURSE OFFERINGS

French I - 9th year
This course is designed to help students gain beginning proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in French. Students will be given opportunities to gain the competencies to participate in a face-to-face interview with a French speaker, answering questions about themselves and their immediate environment in French. They will begin to read simple texts and to scan more complex ones for specific information. They will write lists, short notes and short narratives.

French II - 9th / 10th year
This course is designed to move students further toward proficiency in oral and written French. Students will begin to have more sustained conversations with each other and their teacher. They will read more complicated texts. They will study the linguistic elements of grammar and pronunciation necessary to begin to ask questions spontaneously and to do role playing of situations they might encounter in a French speaking country. They will write short narratives, descriptions and letters, and will learn about French life and culture.

French III - 10th /11th year
In the third year course, students will be given opportunities to master French well enough to live in a country where it is spoken. They will study grammar and structures necessary to use French with sufficient accuracy to be understood and to sustain sentence level discourse. They will engage in conversation with their classmates and teacher, listen to authentic audio tapes and view video cassette material, write letters and reports, read articles in a journal for French young people. They may read about French art, literature, music, entertainment, etc.

French IV - 11th /12th year, Elective
This course is for students who are strongly interested in French. They will communicate with their classmates and teacher in French, and give class reports in French. They will read authentic texts on a variety of subjects and may explore French culture and history. They will continue to study grammar and structures to improve the accuracy of their use of the language.

AP French - 11th /12th year, Elective
For very strongly motivated and well-prepared students, this course prepares students to take the AP French Language Examination. Students study grammar and structures intensively to increase accuracy of expression in writing and speaking. They write essays and speak on a variety of topics. They read a variety of texts including short works of modern French fiction, newspaper articles, and other authentic texts. They listen to audio tapes and view videocassette tapes to improve listening skills.

Italian II - 9th /10th year
The second year course continues to develop the student's ability to communicate in concrete everyday situations, utilizing dialogues, readings, pictures, tapes, lab manuals, and computer programs.

Italian III - 10th /11th year
The third year course develops conversation and composition skills by viewing and analyzing situations and experiences of everyday Italian life through vignettes and drawings. Students begin to read stories. Grammatical structures and verbs are reviewed with continuous emphasis on the development of vocabulary.

Advanced Italian IV - 11th /12th year, Elective
This two-semester course is offered in cooperation with Fordham University which awards 8 transferable college credits upon its successful completion.

Spanish I - 9th year
In the first year program, fundamental vocabulary and the grammatical structure of the language are emphasized through conversation. Elementary creative writing is introduced with special emphasis on original written dialogue.

Spanish II - 9th /10th year
In the second year program, students further develop their speaking and listening comprehension abilities through the study of more extensive vocabulary and more difficult grammatical structures. Conversational skills are emphasized through class discussions, question and answer practice, and listening to tapes. Greater emphasis is placed on reading and writing skills as the students' proficiency in speaking increases.

Spanish III - 10th /11th year
Integration of skills in considering the content of selected readings characterizes much of the activity in the third year program. Students read texts which deal with a variety of contemporary and cultural topics. Further complexities of grammatical structure are studied and intensified mastery of vocabulary is stressed.

Spanish IV - 12th year, Elective
This fourth year Spanish course resembles the Advanced Placement course in content. However, the grammar review is less intensive and the required compositions are shorter.

AP Spanish - 11th /12th year, Elective
This Advanced Placement course is designed for strongly motivated and well prepared students. This course prepares students to take the AP Spanish language examinations. Students study grammar and structures intensively to increase accuracy of expression in writing and speaking. They write essays and speak on a variety of topics. They read a variety of texts including short works of modern Spanish fiction, newspaper articles, and other authentic texts. They listen to audiotapes and view videocassette tapes to improve their listening skills. The course is taught in Spanish.

Latin I - 9th year
The primary aim of this course is to provide a solid foundation for reading Latin. To this end, students learn vocabulary, do drill work in declensions and conjugations, and study the basics of Latin grammar. Stress is placed on English-to-Latin translation during the first semester.

Latin II - 10th year
The second year of Latin study begins with a review of the material covered in first year. Students then learn such constructions as the ablative absolute, gerund, and gerundive. Vocabulary and grammar are studied, particularly with a view to recognition in reading. During the year, students read the story of the Argonauts and selections from Caesar and Ovid, and are introduced to some Christian poets and to Catullus.

Latin III - 10th/11th year
After a summary review of the material covered in the first two years of study, students then concentrate upon the different uses of the subjunctive mood and the passive voice, with a view to reading selections from Cicero, Virgil and Horace, and to developing a deeper understanding of the Augustan Period in Roman history.

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