Upper School language offerings are an integral part of the international perspective at The Northwest School. Classes are conducted largely in the language being taught. Each language class involves extensive study of a culture and opportunities to study abroad. Upper School students fulfill a three-year language requirement, with the option to continue into a fourth year of study. Students receiving ESL support take English rather than Chinese, French, or Spanish; the curriculum overview for International and ESL students may be found here.
9th Grade
- Chinese I: Uses both Pinyin system and characters. This class also explores Chinese history, literature and current events.
- French I: Emphasizes listening skills and vocabulary.
- Spanish I: Develops basic proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Includes cultural study of Latino communities in US, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
- Spanish III: Accommodates students with two years Spanish experience and adds more complex grammar.
- Beginning Grammar/Writing - ESL: Helps students develop strong academic English writing and grammar skills.
10th Grade
- Chinese II: Increases reading, writing and speaking skills.
- French II: Emphasizes reading, speaking and writing skills by editing a cookbook, reading of excerpts from Voltaire's Candide in French to integrate with 10th grade Humanities, and doing research and a presentation on the history and culture of the Caribbean.
- Spanish II: Increases speaking, reading and writing proficiency and includes a cultural study of Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, and Ecuador.
- Spanish IV: Parallels with 10th grade Humanities curriculum; essays in Spanish on present-day Latin America.
- Intermediate Grammar/Writing - ESL: Present a more in-depth study of English grammar and helps students use different grammatical structures through essays and writing projects.
11th Grade
- Chinese III: Increases all skills, encourages communication with native Chinese speakers.
- French III: Films and projects link to Humanities curriculum, including World War II and the Holocaust. Writing, reading and speaking skills continue to improve through group research projects and presentations.
- Spanish III: Parallels with Humanities curriculum with reading, research, writing, and speaking skills being honed, in preparation for 12th grade Spanish.
- Spanish V: Studies historical and cultural information in Spanish, including units on the Spanish Civil War, social justice issues in El Salvador, and the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca.
- English Composition & Advanced Grammar - ESL: Advanced course in English language designed to help international students improve skills in all areas including grammar, listening, reading, writing and speaking.
12th Grade
- Chinese IV: Expands conversational and translation skills, increased focus on current events, history and literature.
- French IV: Study of literary texts, translations, debates about current events, and a daily journal. Writing skills are employed to prepare a presidential campaign, paralleling election campaign work of students in Humanities and by creating an online writing project.
- Advanced Spanish: Includes the writing of self-portraits in several literary styles, study of 19th century Latin American artists, Latin American ecology, and the art of translation.
- Advanced English Composition: Prepares students to be successful writers in college and beyond with a focus on the process of writing, audience, purpose, and developing a personal voice and perspective in writing.