Communication is at the heart of foreign language study, whether that communication takes place face-to-face, in writing, or reading. The goal of foreign language study at Iron Horse is for students to attain functional proficiency in a foreign language, while also developing an understanding and appreciation of the cultures surrounding that language.

At the middle school level, foreign language is comprised of two years of study. These two years, if completed with a grade of B- or better, are equivalent to one year of high school foreign language, thereby fulfilling one of the two years of the UC/CSU foreign language requirement. Upon entering high school with satisfactory completion (B- or better) of both the 1A and 1B level of French or Spanish, a student would be eligible to take French 2 or Spanish 2.

Spanish

Instructors: Gail Bishop and Lacey Lowe

Spanish 1A: (Year-long elective) 7th Grade
FLSAHJ Prerequisite: B- or better in Core 6 AND Core teacher recommendation

¡Bienvenidos! Learn to communicate in Spanish from day one! We enjoy a great textbook, with workbooks that each student will be issued for Spanish 1A and Spanish 1B. We will learn to understand, speak, read, and write in Spanish, and experience the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries using games, videos, audio CDs, and the Internet.

Spanish 1B: (Year-long elective) 8th Grade
FLSBHJ Prerequisite: Grade of B- or better in Spanish 1A

¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to the second year of Spanish I. Spanish 1B is a continuation of Spanish 1A and can be joined by any student who completed Spanish 1A with a grade of B- or better. Students will use the same textbook and workbooks, and will continue to learn to speak, read and write in Spanish. Activities will include videos, audio CDs, chapter related projects, culture activities, and CD-ROMs.

Students must achieve a grade of B- or better in order to be eligible for Spanish 2 in 9th grade.

French

Instructor: Bettina Prochnow

FRENCH 1A: Yearlong elective – 7th grade
Prerequisite: B- or better in Core 6 and Core 6 teacher recommendation
Bonjour! Come learn how to speak French by playing games, putting on skits, and learning songs! By working with each other in pairs, groups, and as a class, you’ll be amazed at how fast you can have a complete conversation in French. Plus you’ll be learning about how language is put together and improve your English vocabulary – the latest studies have shown that learning French can even help you with your SAT scores! You’ll learn how to speak, read, and write in French and practice your listening skills with French movies too.

FRENCH 1B: Yearlong elective – 8th grade
Prerequisite: B- or better in French 1A
Bienvenue to the second year of French! You will use the 1B Discovering French textbook to continue expanding your conversational and written skills. Some of the fun activities and projects this year include putting on a fashion show and « visiting » French speaking countries and sampling some of their food. You’ll get to write a storybook in French also.

Students must achieve a grade of B- or better in order to be eligible for French 2 in 9th grade.

Travel to France:
Students will also have the opportunity to travel with me to France on odd-numbered years. I use the EF Tours for all travel arrangements.