World Languages
Berkeley Carroll views the exposure to other cultures, and the learning of languages in addition to English, as central to its mission of aiding students in becoming global thinkers. In the Upper School, students may take Spanish, French, or Latin, or some combination. About a quarter of our students choose to study two languages. Upper School students may also learn Mandarin through a small, individualized program, or Arabic through an online program offered by Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.
Academic travel opportunities to study at the Itaca Institute in Granada, Spain and the Centre Mediterranéen d’Etudes Françaises in Cap d’Ail, France provide our advanced students with a fitting capstone to their language study at Berkeley Carroll. These experiences foster a deep respect for and interest in foreign and ancient cultures, and help to produce a climate of open-mindedness about global learning.
From 9th grade on, students are grouped according to proficiency, which means that many language classes have students from multiple grades and that students may progress as far as their interest and language mastery allow them to go. Upper level electives not only assume conversational fluency, but also allow students to choose topics and content that are of particular interest to them.
Spanish
- Spanish I
- Spanish IIA
- Spanish IIB
- Spanish III
- Spanish III - Advanced
- Spanish IV
- Spanish IV - Advanced
- Spanish V
- Latinx in NYC
- Marginal Voices of the Hispanic World
Spanish I
What is the importance of learning another language?
What makes the Spanish language different from the English language?
What are some of the patterns of Spanish grammar?
In this course, students will learn regular and irregular verb conjugations in the present tense as well as basic conjugations in the preterite. Vocabulary will be taught through themes such as the weather, family, occupations, food, and clothing. Cultural material is included in every unit. Students will learn the skills necessary to have basic conversations in the target language and to be understood by native speakers. From the beginning, emphasis is placed on the four essential skills: speaking, listening, writing and reading. Students are expected to express themselves in the target language at all times.
Spanish IIA
In this course, for students who have achieved a basic of understanding of the topics in Spanish I, students expand their knowledge of the Spanish language and move towards expressing themselves in a more complex, meaningful and idiomatic manner. As they continue to be exposed to cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries, they share their opinions and reflections on those cultures, making connections to and comparisons with their own culture. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme such as food, family, professions, health and wellbeing. Students build upon what they learned the previous year, implementing more intricate grammar structures in both their speech and writing. They will study the irregular present tense, the preterite and imperfect, reflexive and an introduction to the subjunctive mood. Students will solidify their grammatical mastery through reading, responding to and analyzing songs, short stories, current events, and poems. This course enhances students’ level of confidence and improves their active command of the language while leading them to a deeper understanding of Spanish language and culture. All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language.
Spanish IIB
This course is intended for students who have completed Spanish I / IIA. As students continue to be exposed to cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries, they can now also share their opinions and reflections on those cultures, making connections to and comparisons with their own. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme such as technology, nature, environment, food, health and well-being. Students build upon what they learned the previous year, implementing more intricate grammar structures in both their speech and writing. They will master commands, the subjunctive mood, compound tenses, and the future and conditional tenses. Students will solidify their grammatical mastery through reading, responding to and analyzing songs and current events. They will also be exposed to literature from the Spanish speaking world, such as Lazarillo de Tormes and read short stories and poems. During the year a three-week unit will be dedicated to a cross departmental project with a major piece of literature or work of art by a Spanish, French, Latin or Mandarin author. This course intends to continue enhancing students’ level of confidence and to improve their active command of the language while leading them to a deeper understanding of Spanish language and culture. All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language.
Spanish III
This course is intended for students who have completed Spanish IIB. Spanish III is an intermediate Spanish course that leads to a higher level of fluency by building on speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills learned in Spanish IIB. Through the use of authentic material, we will study history, politics, and art in order for students to expand their knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world. This course introduces new, complex grammatical structures. We review material learned in Spanish IIB through more sophisticated content. The course material is presented through thematically organized units and short stories with vocabulary relating to practical situations such as traveling, daily routines, personal characteristics, environment and cultural activities. Students are exposed to current events by watching and listening to Spanish-language TV, videos and radio, and reading newspapers in the target language. Furthermore, this course will also prepare students for a more in-depth comprehension of Hispanic literature through exposure to a variety of abridged texts from major authors such as Pablo Neruda, Sergio Vodonovic, Antonio Machado, and García Lorca. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to discuss a variety of topics, and express opinions clearly through writing and through formal and informal oral communication. They will also demonstrate proficiency in argumentative language through debates about current events and social issues. D All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language.
Spanish III - Advanced
In this course, which focuses on composition, conversation, and culture, with a comprehensive review of Spanish grammar, students will become proficient in speaking and writing. Through their written work, students express sophisticated ideas with better accuracy, using sophisticated sentence structures and idiomatic expressions. Daily communication in the target language requires students to express their opinions on a variety of subjects, from current events to topics of personal interest. Students learn to express themselves with creativity, depth, and complexity. Students also begin to read more advanced literature such as Los Intereses Creados, El Delantal Blanco, Jose Bueno Mártir to expand their vocabulary and their understanding of the history and culture of various Spanish-speaking countries. This course aims to improve students’ confidence and their active command of the language while leading them to a deeper understanding of Spanish language and culture. . All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language. Prerequisite or departmental permission required.
Spanish IV
This course expands on the knowledge acquired in previous courses and incorporates new strategies that will improve speaking, listening, reading and writing abilities. Students use all four major components of a language in Spanish IV, but the focus is on speaking and writing. Topics of study include the first civilizations in the Iberian Peninsula and the artistic monuments representative of Iberian art. The Roman Empire and the Visigoths. Islam and Arab contributions to the Spanish way of life. The study of diverse languages in Spain and Latino-America, and the modern family structure of the Hispanic world. The course offers a close reading of La casa de Bernarda Alba by Federico Garcia Lorca and several group projects such as creating short films. Students are also exposed the paintings from El Greco and Velazquez to modern masterworks of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A review of key grammar structures will help students sharpen their accuracy when using Spanish. This course will be conducted in Spanish, and students are expected to speak only in Spanish in order to actively participate in daily class activities. Students are encouraged to take risks and be creative with the language.
This course is designed for students who have successfully completed Spanish III or have received departmental approval. Prerequisite: Spanish III or departmental permission.Spanish IV - Advanced
This course offers an in-depth study of Hispanic culture, history, geography, political systems and sociology. Students expand their Spanish vocabulary through regular and sustained conversation, reading newspaper articles, and discussing films. Students read many well known Spanish and Latin American authors including Borges, Neruda, García Márquez, Cortazar, Matute, Garcia Lorca, and Machado. Students are also exposed to modern masterworks of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, works from Picasso, Miró and Dalí, who were influenced by the earlier masters, such as El Greco, Velazquez and other 16th century painters. Students develop and refine their ability to express themselves in writing as they also gain confidence and fluency in speaking the language. This course facilitates students’ comprehension of formal and idiomatic vocabulary and provides an in-depth review of Spanish grammar. All student and teacher communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language. Prerequisite: Spanish III Advanced or departmental permission.
Spanish V
In this intermediate-advanced course, students integrate language, literature, and film in order to help develop their communication skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) while gaining depth of cultural and historical knowledge. Students will discuss their experiences, opinions, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses and goals, as well as the themes depicted in the documentary films we view: globalization, immigration, global warming, war and poverty in Latin America. Students will express themselves both orally and in writing, read for information and comprehension, and develop listening skills. By the end of the course students will fully understand how learning another language allows one to experience other cultures, while expanding world knowledge and empathy. In addition to building and developing language skills, special emphasis will be given to cross-cultural comparisons. Discussions and class debates form a significant aspect of class, so daily participation and engagement are essential. The class is conducted entirely in Spanish, and every effort will be made to ensure that students feel comfortable taking risks.
Latinx in NYC
Immigration from Latin America to the United States and the corresponding growth of the Latinx population in New York City are two vital developments in recent history. This course will explore Latin American culture in the city by focusing on the history of Latin American contributions to the arts, activism and immigration. Through authentic materials, it also offers a thorough grammar review. The course begins by asking and reflecting on some essential questions:
- What is identity in 21st century New York?
- What does it mean to identify or be identified as Latinx?
- How do we self-identify?
Marginal Voices of the Hispanic World
As is implied by its title, this full year elective course is a topical study of unrepresented groups and moments in history relating to the Hispanic World. Conducted entirely in Spanish, this course will use movies, articles, literary works, and other audio-visual components and will be conducted in a discussion-style format. Students will debate, inquire, and make connections to better understand the diverse cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Possible areas and communities of study include: Latin American indigenous people, Afro-Caribbean cultures, el Negrismo and el Mestizaje of the Caribbean, the rise of the LGBTQ community in the Spanish-speaking world, the history of the Romani community in Spain, the Muslim and Jewish communities in Spain, women and machismo in the Spanish-speaking world. All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language.Prerequisite: Spanish IV advanced or departmental permission.
French
- French I
- French II
- French III
- French IV
- French IV Advanced
- From Camus to Godard
- Pluriculturalism in 21st Century France
- Questions d’Identités
French I
What is the importance of learning another language?
What makes the French language different from the English language?
What are some of the patterns of French grammar?
In this course, students will learn regular and irregular verb conjugations in the present tense as well as basic conjugations in the preterite. Vocabulary will be taught through themes such as the weather, family, occupations, food, and clothing. Cultural material is included in every unit. Students will learn the skills necessary to have basic conversations in the target language and to be understood by native speakers. From the very beginning emphasis is placed on the four essential skills: speaking, listening, writing and reading. All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language.
French II
How do you express past events? What are the different past tenses in French?
How do you express future events?
How do you express things that you would, could, and should do?
After reviewing the fundamentals of Level I, French II covers the rest of the most commonly used tenses in French: imparfait, plus-que-parfait, futur, conditionnel and the subjunctive mood. There is continued emphasis on new vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. Cultural material about the French-speaking world is woven into the curriculum. In this class, students will strengthen both their oral and written communication skills as read and discuss short stories, such as Poursuite dans Paris and Le Petit Nicolas. All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language communication skills.
French III
How do I apply my knowledge of vocabulary and grammar to become a better communicator?
How does reading literature in a foreign language helps me articulate more complex thoughts?
What are the history and culture of the French Carribean Islands?
French IV
Is the study of French and Francophone literature relevant to 21st century adolescents in the United States?
What is the place of multiculturalism in 21st century France?
Do the voices and beliefs of yesterday have a direct impact on the French speaking world of today?
French IV Advanced
How do I apply my knowledge of grammar and vocabulary in order to communicate better in speaking and writing?
How does studying Sartre and Camus’ existentialism as well as XXI century French novels help me to shape my personal reflection and articulate my thoughts?
How does reading literature in a foreign language help me articulate more complex thoughts?
The course offers students the opportunity to continue studying challenging and intellectually stimulating authentic documents. It also increases students’ awareness of some of the cultural aspects of the language. Students read Le Malentendu by Albert Camus, Félix et la source invisible by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt and Le Petit Prince by Saint Exupéry as well as other literary excerpts. Students also read and analyze articles from the francophone press on a weekly basis. They watch French movies and documentaries related to the topic they study. They keep abreast of current events by watching French news and listening to French radio on a regular basis. After a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, students work on an end-of-year project on French Impressionism and XIX century France. Through the arts, students learn about the political and and cultural impact of the period called “Les Temps Modernes” in 21st century France. Students study of a wide range of vocabulary and idiomatic phrases, and complete an in-depth review of French grammar. All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language. Departmental permission required.
From Camus to Godard
How did the Second World War affect the trend of thought in post-war France?
How does a war change social, political and cultural behaviors?
What is the socio-political impact of French decolonisation on the French-speaking world of the 20th century?
In this class we will read books or excerpts by major French writers such as Albert Camus, André Malraux, Céline, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Françoise Sagan. The readings will be supported by movies and documentaries on the same topics. We will also pay particular attention to the work of the following directors: Jean Renoir, Marcel Carmé, Jean Cocteau, François Truffaut, Louis Malle, Jean Luc Godard, and Roger Vadim. We will explore the influence of the Nouvelle Vague of French cinema on women’s rights and politics, how the existentialist thoughts blossomed at the May ‘68 revolution, and how artists such as Dali and Picasso influences on popular culture. All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language.
Prerequisite: French IV Advanced or departmental permission required.
Pluriculturalism in 21st Century France
What does it mean to be French in the 21st century?
How do cultures influence each other?
How have foreign cultures, languages and arts created new trends in 21st century France?
Prerequisite: French IV Advanced or departmental permission
Questions d’Identités
What constitutes an identity?
How do we identify ourselves?
How is the concept of identity defined in 21st century France and the Francophone world at large?
“Je ne peins pas l’homme, je peins le passage.” Montaigne.
In this course, students will explore the question of identity through a selection of movies and philosophical, literary and political excerpts. Students will continue to develop their reading, writing and speaking proficiency. A strong emphasis is put on both class discussions and essay writing.
We will examine the work and thoughts of French authors and directors Nathalie Sarraute, Simone de Beauvoir, Virginie Despente and Etienne Chatiliez among others. Francophone writers such as Edouard Glissant from Martinique, Kamel Daoud from Algeria and Birago Diop from Sénégal will guide us in examining`situations in which the self is called critically into question. Although the focus of this course remains on the 20th and 21st centuries, our journey will be staked by the beliefs of thinkers such as 17th century Réné Descartes, 18th century Pascal and Jean-Jacques Rousseau and 19th century poet Arthur Rimbaud.
Students will also keep abreast of current events and our discussions will serve as a catalyst for self-expression and as a means of further understanding French cultural diversity and self-identity in the Francophone speaking world of today from Canada to Madagascar and the Pacific Ocean.
This is an active communication elective class designed for students who have completed a French V advanced class. Departmental approval is required.Latin
- Latin I
- Latin II
- Latin III: Literature of the Late Republic: Catullus, Cicero, and Clodia
- Latin IV: Literature of the Augustan Age
Latin I
How does learning about the ancient world help me understand the modern world?
How does Latin grammar relate to English grammar? How does it relate to Spanish and French grammar?
Why do so many words in English – and Spanish and French – come from Latin?
Latin II
How does learning about the ancient world help me understand the modern world? How does Latin grammar relate to English grammar? How does it relate to Spanish and French grammar? How do I translate both words and ideas from Latin into English?
In their second year of Latin, students will review material from Latin I as they study more advanced grammatical topics and continue to refine their listening, reading, and composition skills. The texts for this course will be Latin for the New Millennium, Level 1 and Level 2, which will be supplemented by abridged and authentic readings in Latin. Students will also, as in their previous year of Latin, continue to learn about Roman history and culture through readings, projects, and other media.
Latin III: Literature of the Late Republic: Catullus, Cicero, and Clodia
How do different Latin texts “speak” to one another?
How do I read and write about Latin literature?
How do I translate ideas and not just words?
Latin IV: Literature of the Augustan Age
What is the purpose of Vergil’s Aeneid?
How does Ovid's poetry interact with Vergil's?
Is Ovid's poetry "serious"?
In their final year of Latin study, students focus on poetry by two of the greatest and most famous Roman authors, Vergil and Ovid. In addition to reading the entire poem in English, we read several important and
extended selections in Latin from Vergil's Aeneid in the fall semester and, to accompany and enrich our reading, we examine and discuss scholarly articles on each book of the poem. We also practice analytical writing throughout the term. In the spring, selections from Ovid's Amores and Metamorphoses provide a lighter balance to the Vergilian gravity of the fall and winter. We will examine Ovid's "intertextuality" with Vergil's Aeneid (and within his own oeuvre) and will consider Ovid's appeal to writers and artists as well as the "afterlife" of his work throughout the centuries. The backdrop to our reading will be the reign of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, under whose rule both Vergil and Ovid were writing and with whom they had very different relationships. All teacher and student communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language. Departmental permission required.
Mandarin
- Mandarin I
- Mandarin II
- Mandarin III
- Mandarin III Advanced
- Mandarin IV
- Mandarin IV Advanced
- Mandarin V
Mandarin I
This is an introductory Mandarin class for students who have little or no prior experience in the language. This course will focus on developing students’ basic skills of speaking, listening, writing and reading. Pinyin (phonetic symbols) will be used as a supplementary tool to learn the spoken language. Students will be asked to recognize simplified form characters and will also develop a basic knowledge of strokes, radicals, and structures of characters. Elements of conversation such as pronunciation, fundamental grammatical patterns, and common vocabulary will be introduced through various topics. Students will build basic reading and writing skills throughout the year. The course will be taught mostly in the target language, allowing students to receive as much authentic input as possible. Upon completing this course, students will be able to greet and introduce people and talk about themselves in Mandarin. They will also be capable of writing characters with the correct stroke order and pronouncing them correctly. Cultural elements are introduced in each unit.
Mandarin II
In the second year of learning Mandarin, students will review the grammar and characters from Mandarin I while continuing to learn the language of daily life, such as talking about hobbies, making an appointment with teachers, planning for a trip, etc. Students will develop the habit of previewing and self-learning skills by using the dictionary and reading the textbook before classes. Students are responsible for learning the vocabulary. All reading materials will be in Chinese characters. Conversational skills will be practiced in each unit, as well as writing and reading skills. Students will also practice the language in real-life simulated situations and will perform mini-plays in class. Extensive reading practice will be part of the curriculum to increase topic-related vocabulary in each unit. The amount of vocabulary will increase tremendously compared to Mandarin I. Prerequisite: Mandarin I or departmental permission.
Mandarin III
The course transitions from school-related conversation to social conversation such as renting an apartment and talking about the layout of a place in detail. In the second semester, students will read articles about Chinese culture and traditions. Students will use the language skills acquired in previous years to comprehend and produce longer, more complex sentences. Students develop their fluidity of speech and gain conversational ability in order to narrate events and give a presentation on a given topic. They will refine their reading comprehension skills by reading and analyzing authentic material, summarizing texts and developing the ability to guess unknown words from context. Students will also refine their writing skills by writing short essays based on the readings. Topics of the readings include articles on Chinese culture and stories based on traditional Chinese proverbs called Chengyu. All student and teacher communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language. Prerequisite: Mandarin II or departmental permission.
Mandarin III Advanced
The course transitions from school-related conversation to social conversation such as renting an apartment and talking about the layout of a place in detail. In the second semester, students will read articles about Chinese culture and traditions. Students will use the language skills acquired in previous years to comprehend and produce longer, more complex sentences. Students develop their fluidity of speech and gain conversational ability in order to narrate events and give a presentation on a given topic and compare different opinions. Students will have many opportunities in class to express their view of point using complex conjunctions and content-specific vocabulary. They will refine their reading comprehension skills by reading and analyzing authentic material, summarizing texts and developing the ability to guess unknown words from context. Students will also refine their writing skills by writing short essays based on the readings. Topics of the readings include articles on Chinese culture and stories based on traditional Chinese proverbs called Chengyu. All student and teacher communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language. Prerequisite: Mandarin II or departmental permission.
Mandarin IV
In this level of Mandarin, students will utilize the grammar and vocabulary learned in the past to read articles about modern Chinese society. Topics include social issues, technology, and education. Through materials that include news, documentaries, and movies, students learn a large amount of vocabulary. The course focuses on developing students’ ability to state an opinion and summarize ideas in Mandarin. They will perfect their reading comprehension skills by reading materials with formal expressions and vocabulary, which are widely used in newspapers and news reports. Students will also refine their writing skills by writing essays based on their own research on the readings. All student and teacher communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language. Prerequisite: Mandarin III or departmental permission.
Mandarin IV Advanced
In this level of Mandarin, students will utilize the grammar and vocabulary learned in the past to read articles about modern Chinese society. Topics include social issues, technology, and education. Materials include news, documentary, and movies. Specific topic-related vocabulary will be introduced in each unit. The ability to study independently and do some pre-research about the topics are expected. The course focuses on developing students’ ability to state an opinion and summarize ideas in Mandarin. Students learn to develop their speech and debate ability in order to defend a point of view, provide solutions and criticize an event. They will perfect their reading comprehension skills by reading materials with formal expressions and vocabulary, which are widely used in newspapers and news reports. Students will also refine their writing skills by writing essays based on their own research on the readings .All student and teacher communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language. Prerequisite: Mandarin III or departmental permission.
Mandarin V
In this course, students read and analyze articles that are written for and read by native Chinese people. Besides introducing vocabulary, the course focuses on improving students’ writing skills in different genres. Students will compare Chinese and Western writing styles and begin to form their own in Mandarin. By reading and analyzing articles about animals, urban life, nature and life events, students learn to compare the functions of similar words in context and form their own more vivid sentences. Rhetorical skills will also be introduced and practiced throughout the course. All student and teacher communication, written and oral, occurs in the target language. Prerequisite: Mandarin IV or departmental permission.
Arabic
Online Study of Arabic
Offered in partnership with The Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University.
The CTY-John Hopkins Arabic online language courses are offered as an additional academic class, taken on top of students’ usual course load. There will be two 12-weeks sessions, one starting in mid-September and the other starting in mid-February. Twice a week for an hour, students interact with instructors in virtual classrooms using Skype. Students also use headphones or microphones embedded in their computer to communicate with the instructors and their classmates. The sessions emphasize everyday conversational speaking and pronunciation. The class also includes audio and video interaction, role-playing, an interactive whiteboard, chats and many other features. Course materials include a CD-ROM and text, all of which will be provided by Berkeley Carroll. The weekly time commitment for these online language courses is about 5 to 6 hours.
In order to qualify for these courses, students will have to take the SCAT, a short test like the SAT. Any student with qualifying scores (either in reading/verbal or in math) will then be eligible for these courses. Please note that Arabic is taken in addition to students’ Berkeley Carroll language requirement and cannot be used to fulfill the language requirement for graduation.