Foreign Languages

Through the teaching of Spanish and French, the Smith School’s Language Department hopes to improve students’ communications skills in general as well as in their specific target language of choice. The study of a Foreign Language exposes our students to different cultures,  new ideas and more importantly, diverse points of view. This helps develop empathy and understanding in students which remains as essential in our society today as it always was. Moreover, being able to effectively communicate in more than one language provides students with more tools to navigate future career options. 

As a way to enrich their experience, the students participate in several cultural activities that celebrate the diversity of both the French and Spanish speaking world. These activities include school trips, film screenings, dance classes, themed potlucks and spelling  competitions. In cooperation with the Music Department, the students have the chance to express themselves using music in their target language.

The students in the 8th grade get a chance to try out French and Spanish for one semester each.  Students explore introductory grammar and vocabulary in the target language. The main skills the classes are planned around are : listening, speaking, reading and writing. Along with traditional methods of assessment, students have the chance to practice the skills they acquire  through project based learning which gives them a chance to incorporate their own creativity and self expression into their language learning.