The World Language curriculum at the high school level begins with Level 1 courses and progresses to Honors and Advanced Placement level courses for students who are interested in mastering all aspects of a given language and culture. Courses at this level are intended to develop proficiency in the language, to articulate to college-level language courses, and to provide the credits students need to meet and exceed college entrance requirements. Although a student entering grade 12 can enroll in a beginning Level I course, it is recommended that the study of a world language begin much earlier, and a delayed start is unlikely for students who are planning to advance their education beyond the high school level.

Language studies available to high school students are in the areas of Spanish, French, German, Arabic, and Mandarin Chinese. In addition, American Sign Language, Level I, is offered at only one of our high schools and is only available to students in grades 9-11. The course is designed to assist the student in obtaining a basic introductory knowledge of sign language. The student will learn basic sign language, sign vocabulary, grammatical structure, facial expression, and body language. A proficiency exam will be given at the end of the course.

South View High School currently offers courses in French, Spanish, and German through the International Baccalaureate® (IB) program, which is a college preparatory program. South View High is the only school authorized to participate in the IB program, as participating schools must meet high authorization standards. The International Baccalaureate program is a non-profit educational foundation that began in Switzerland in 1968. Its mission is “…to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.” The program’s strategy is to create future leaders with an open-minded world view. The organization works with schools in 147 countries worldwide.

In order to view an in-depth description of each of the language courses offered at the high school level, please click on the links to the right of this screen. Exit proficiency expectations for high school world language courses can also be found among the high school links.