The Mandarin Chinese courses emphasize teaching students using the interpersonal, interpretive, and presentation modes of the ACTFL’s World Readiness Standards. Students learn vocabulary usage and language as well as communication strategies based on culture properly.  Students actively participate collaboratively through guided conversation, speaking, reading, writing and project creation formats. These activities help students develop their abilities and proficiencies in the three modes mentioned above. In terms of being aware of cultural differences and appreciating diversity across the globe, various cultural celebrations and activities supplement the curriculum. These include school field trips to Chicago China Town, China Lights at Boerner Botanical Gardens in Milwaukee, Chinese New Year Celebration and Mid-Autumn Festival events etc.

The Benefits of Taking Mandarin Chinese:

• Build Chinese language skills for future career opportunities to engage in international business
• Access to perspectives and knowledge that are only available through the Mandarin Chinese language and culture (AP College Board)
• Advanced Mandarin Chinese learning offers social, cultural, academic, and workplace benefits that will serve students throughout their lives  (AP College Board)
• Understand the richness of the Chinese culture  through regular communication with Mandarin speakers
• Show your personal characters of determination, mindset, diversity perspective, taking challenges and exploration
• Take school cultural learning field trips and make friends with Chinese international students at SJNA campus

Hello! Welcome! German is a language of the world economics, finance, and global connections. It also is the language of philosophy and the future. It is the second most spoken language in Europe and in the European Union. German is very important in the EU and many other international economies, where more and more employers value multilingual employees. Thank you very much and – hopefully- see you soon!

Students in German learn vocabulary usage and language as well as communication strategies based on situations and culture. They actively participate collaboratively through guided conversation, speaking, reading, writing and projects, and attend fieldtrips to German restaurants and festivals.

How Studying German Can Benefit Students:

• Im Geschäftsleben= Business
• Eine Globale Karriere = Global Career
• Tourismus und Hotelfach = Tourism and Hotel Management
• Wissenschaft und Forschung= Science and Research
• Kommunikation = Communication
• Kulturelles Verständnis = Cultural understanding
• Reisen = Travel
• Genuss von Litertaur, Musik, Kunst und Philosophie = Enjoyment of Literature, Music, Art and Philosophy
• Studien und Arbeitsmöglichkeiten in Deutschland= Studies and Employment Opportunities in Germany

¿Por qué español? Porque es el idioma romance que más se habla en el mundo. Es el idioma de 20 países con más de 500 millones de personas que lo hablan diariamente.  En internet, está entre los primeros tres idiomas. La enorme colonización por los españoles de las Américas lo llevó también a África y Asia. Dada la migración, los Estados Unidos de América es el segundo país con más hispanoparlantes en el mundo.

Why Spanish? Because it is the most widely spoken Romance language in the world. It is the language of 20 countries with more than 500 million people who speak it daily. On the Internet, it is among the top three languages used. The enormous colonization by the Spanish of the Americas also took the language to Africa and Asia. Given migration trends, the United States is the country with the second most Spanish speakers in the world.

Opportunities to engage authentically with the Spanish language and culture are provided by weekly the Spanish Table during Wednesday lunch that pairs students with native speakers of Spanish. Throughout the year there are field trips organized in the community, such as to the Latino Arts Center, as well as celebrations of holidays and traditions. Those students reaching Spanish IV can be inducted into the Spanish Honor Society.

Reasons to Study Spanish:

• Spanish is the only language to offer two different AP tests for college credit
• Most widely spoken Romance language in the world
• Official language of over 20 countries with more than 500 million speakers
• Third-most used language on the internet
• United States has the second-most Spanish speakers in the world
• Spanish is spoken not only in Latin and South America, but also in Africa and Asia
• Exposure to a wealth of cultural paradigms that serves students no matter what they pursue in the future
• AP Spanish Language and Literature focuses on the student’s ability to communicate in Spanish with ease and confidence
• Students in AP courses grow in understanding of the perspectives, processes and products that represent the unique contribution of Hispanics to world culture