Modern & Classical Languages

Chinese 1 is a beginning course for students who have no previous knowledge of the language. The goal is to help students master the pronunciation system and tones, gain an understanding of the essential components of Chinese characters and develop basic speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Mandarin Chinese is the spoken language, while the written language is based on simplified form. In addition to linguistic knowledge, related Chinese culture and history are introduced.

Chinese 2 continues and builds on the fundamentals learned in Chinese 1. This course is designed to develop students’ grammar, sentence structure, and practical use of the Chinese language while enlarging students’ vocabulary and related knowledge of the language. In addition to linguistic knowledge, the development of the student’s awareness of Chinese culture and history continues. Prerequisite: Chinese 1.

Chinese 3 continues and builds on the fundamentals learned in Chinese 2. This course further develops fluency and natural expression in spoken Chinese. Students distinguish formal written styles from conventional or spoken styles while enriching vocabulary and related linguistic knowledge. In addition to the textbook, students at this level have gained enough knowledge of the language for selected readings in Chinese as well as furthering knowledge of Chinese culture and history. Prerequisite: Chinese 2.

Chinese 4 is an advanced course where students continue to develop reading and written skills while enhancing their spoken skills. Chinese culture, history, and social issues are part of this class. The textbook is supplemented with additional selected readings. Prerequisite: Chinese 3.

This course is designed for students with no previous study of French, as well as for those whose exposure to French is not sufficient to move directly to French 2. The course focuses on a basic introduction to listening, speaking, reading, and writing in French. Both text and videos are employed as instructional materials in the course. “The French in Action” immersive and textbook methods are the primary course materials for both French 1 and French 2.

This course follows French 1, aiming to complete basic grammar and place greater emphasis on reading, writing, and vocabulary building. Prerequisite: French 1 and departmental approval for enrollment in honors level

French 3 is a review of all foundational grammar and an expansion of vocabulary and cultural knowledge through short texts, films, and projects. Honors French 3 is conducted at a faster pace and is designed to prepare well-qualified students to continue to Advanced Studies in French Language in the following year. Prerequisite: French 2 and departmental approval for enrollment in honors level.

Hollywood may be the center of American cinema, but how can movies from France, Québec, Africa and the Caribbean help us understand Francophone history and culture? In watching several films together and setting them in their historical and cultural context through class discussions and projects, we will broaden our appreciation of the Francophone world. Films will be watched in French with English subtitles.

Visitors to Paris often fall in love with the City of Light, but few possess more than a superficial knowledge of what they have seen or where they have stood. In this course we will study the fascinating stories behind many of the best known, and some of the lesser known, monuments and landmarks of Paris. While primarily oriented toward the history and evolution of the city, we will also discuss the modern-day importance of the sites we will study, and develop in students a more profound understanding of the French capital. Information will be presented in readings, videos, lectures, and presentations of student research.

This course will examine why Coco Chanel was one of the most influential female fashion designers. We will discuss her influence on women’s rights, discover what made her and her brand stand out, and decide why the House of Chanel has kept its significance even until now. We will venture into the world of fragrances and determine why Chanel Number 5 remains one of the most iconic and popular fragrances in the world. The second part of the course will explore the post-Chanel fashion world, including Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Courrège, and Karl Lagerfeld. We will also talk about the new generation of global independent designers like Kenneth Ize (Nigeria), Charles de Vilmorin (France), Thebe Magugu (South Africa), Supriya Lele (India) and Peter Do (Vietnam).

This year-long major course offers an introduction to the Italian language and culture. Using a college-level textbook as well as games, projects, films, and other authentic materials, students will build skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Prerequisite: for fifth and sixth form students who have fulfilled their language requirement in another language or by departmental approval. Italian Language and Culture will be offered in alternating years with Russian Language and Culture.

This year-long major course offers an introduction to basic Russian grammar, vocabulary, and idioms. Screenings of films, oral presentations, and independent projects will help students gain an understanding of the development of modern Russian culture. Prerequisite: for fifth and sixth form students who have fulfilled their language requirement in another language, or by departmental approval. Russian Language and Culture will be offered in alternating years with Italian Language and Culture.

In this term-contained course, students will deepen their understanding and appreciation of Francophone literature and culture through the study of a variety of genres, including poetry, theater, and novels. Students will demonstrate this understanding through class discussions, presentations, and analytical essays. Each of the three terms will focus on different texts and themes. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

This course is designed for students with no previous study of Spanish, as well as for those whose exposure to Spanish is not sufficient to move directly to Spanish 2. The course focuses on a basic introduction to listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish. Texts, videos, and online resources are employed as instructional resources in this course. Prerequisite: departmental approval for enrollment in honors level

Spanish 2 increases the emphasis on reading, vocabulary, and grammar. The conversational methods of the first year are broadened through extemporaneous speaking. The speed and scope of the reading are increased as students develop facility with the language. Prerequisite: Spanish 1 and departmental approval for enrollment in honors level.

Spanish 3 continues to develop speaking and listening skills and increases emphasis on written composition. Selected readings from the texts are discussed in Spanish and vocabulary expansion is stressed. It is expected that students will speak only Spanish in the classroom. In addition to textbooks, a variety of texts are employed to practice listening and reading comprehension. Honors Spanish 3 provides a faster pace and further enrichment to prepare students to continue with the Advanced Spanish course in the following year. Prerequisite: Spanish 2 and departmental approval for enrollment in honors level.

These term-contained courses stress oral communication in Spanish. Their primary objective is to prepare students to adequately communicate orally within several practical areas of interest. Throughout each course, colloquial usage of Spanish and grammar review are stressed to enrich students’ basic command of the Spanish language. These courses are recommended for students who wish to continue the study of Spanish beyond the third year, but not at the Advanced level. Enthusiastic class participation is essential, as the class focuses on student interaction. Prerequisite: Spanish 3.

In this course, students will explore culture through the Pixar movies Coco and Encanto. Students will learn about Mexican musical genres, history and, of course, Día de los Muertos! Students will make their own ofrendas and participate in celebration of the Day of the Dead. Students will learn about Colombian history and explore culture related to identity, family, food, and magic realism, through the movie Encanto. This course is entirely in Spanish including lecture, student work, and additional materials. Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 3. AS level available with departmental approval.

This course explores the cultural, historical, and culinary importance of Latino/Hispanic music and its influential origins. We explore the origins of traditional Peninsular and Latin American music, from Boleros to Salsa. This will include listening to lots of different types of music, some interviews with Latino musicians, and absorbing the videos and readings on the topic. We will reach beyond the comfortable acquaintance we may have with different Latin music and culture. The course will cover traditions from the Spanish and Indigenous origins of Latino instruments, to modern day fusions. This course is entirely in Spanish including lecture, student work, and additional materials. Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 3. AS level available with departmental approval.

This course explores the cultural, historical, and culinary importance of Hispanic food and its preparation. We will learn about the origins of traditional Peninsular and Latin American foods, from Paella to Pabellón. Students will discover regional ingredients, cooking techniques, and cultural significance. They may have the opportunity to prepare and sample a variety of Spanish, Latin American, and Chicano foods. This will include speakers that will discuss the academic view of cultural foods, along with local Latin American chefs. We will reach beyond the comfortable acquaintance we may have with TexMex food and culture. This course is entirely in Spanish including lecture, student work, and additional materials. Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 3. AS level available with departmental approval.

This course is designed for qualified students who are interested in completing Chinese studies beyond the Chinese 4 class that is offered at Kent. The goal of this course is to enhance students’ understanding of Chinese culture through discussions of topics reflecting multiple areas of Chinese society and culture and to further develop their proficiencies in the target language across the three communicative modes: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

Designed for qualified students who continue to build skills in reading, writing, and speaking through the use of a variety of authentic print, audio and video sources. Students demonstrate their understanding and analysis of various topics in Francophone culture through class discussions, presentations, and written and oral assignments. This serves to deepen and broaden their knowledge of the Francophone world, while offering their own experiences as points of comparison to enhance cultural awareness and understanding. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

Designed for qualified students who continue to build skills in reading, writing, and speaking through the use of a variety of authentic print, audio, and video sources. Students demonstrate their understanding and analysis of various topics in Hispanic culture through class discussions, presentations, and written and oral assignments. This serves to deepen and broaden their knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world, while offering their own experiences as points of comparison to enhance cultural awareness and understanding. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

In this term-contained course, students will deepen their appreciation of the literary values, forms, and techniques of Hispanic literature through reading, discussing, and writing about a variety of texts including poetry, theater, and short narrative texts. Aspects of Hispanic culture and civilization are also explored, and each of the three terms will focus on different themes, genres, and authors. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

Classical Civilization is a year-long, discussion-based course on the Greek and Roman worlds and their continuing influence. Topics and readings may be drawn from classical history, mythology, and philosophy, with frequent digressions into art, astronomy, arithmetic, biography, cosmology, geology, geography, geometry, historiography, grammar, logic, rhetoric, music, philology, prehistory, the Middle Ages, and the modern world. Open to fourth, fifth, and sixth form.

This course for beginners introduces the language and culture of the Greek world from the time of Homer to the present day. Students will learn to read and write the Greek alphabet and become conversant with the themes of Greek literature and history through stories and dialogues. In addition to reading simple narratives from classical mythology and the Greek Bible, we will study vocabulary and concepts pertaining to mathematics, science, and philosophy and their origins in Greek thought. Students will also be introduced to basic modern Greek vocabulary and conversational phrases.

This course provides a comprehensive foundation and review in Attic Greek, the dialect of 5th-century Athens. The primary narrative follows an Athenian farmer and his family, supplemented by selections from lyric poetry and the New Testament. This course may serve as an accelerated introduction to Greek for students who have demonstrated proficiency in Latin or another foreign language. Prerequisite: Greek 1 or departmental permission.

The term-contained courses of Greek 3 introduce students to advanced readings from original Greek literature while continuing the study of grammar, vocabulary, dialect, literary devices, and meter. Readings most commonly include selections from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey or the Cyclops of Euripides. Prerequisite: Greek 2 or departmental approval.

The term-contained courses of Greek 4 continue the study of original literature. Readings may be chosen from the dialogues of Plato, the Histories of Herodotus, the Elements of Euclid, Greek comedy or tragedy, or the Greek Bible. Prerequisite: Greek 3 or departmental approval.

This introductory Latin course introduces the student to the language and culture of the Roman world. In preparation for reading the classical authors, Latin is approached as a practical means of communication through reading, writing, and basic conversation. Special attention is also given to vocabulary acquisition through an engaging narrative that follows a Roman family and their daily life. Students are also introduced to the fundamentals of Latin grammar and the etymology of English words derived from Latin, as well as the relationship of Latin to the Romance languages.

This course serves as a continuation of Latin 1 or an entry point for students with sufficient previous Latin experience. With reading comprehension as the primary goal, students continue to expand their study of formal grammar and syntax. Stories and fables within the narrative provide opportunities for discussion of cultural and historical context. Prerequisite: Latin 1 or departmental approval.

Latin 3 begins with a thorough review of grammar and vocabulary. By the end of the fall term, the course focuses on the reading of advanced Latin prose. The Winter Term features the reading of heroic legends in Latin and a thorough study of Greek and Roman myths by way of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. The goal of this course is to prepare students for selected readings from a Roman author during the spring term. At the honors level, students complete an accelerated review of grammar and vocabulary in the fall term and read selections from Cicero and Vergil in the winter and spring terms, with a focus on the Roman Republic and an introduction to Latin poetry and mythology. Prerequisite: Latin 2 or departmental approval.

This course examines Roman life during the reign of the emperor Nero through a comprehensive study of Petronian satire. Students read selections from the Cena Trimalchionis and gain a view of the 1st-century Roman world along with insights into conversational Latin, social changes, and how the prosperity of the empire led to displays of very conspicuous consumption—all contained within a Roman “novel” written during the Silver Age of Latin literature. Prerequisite: Latin 3.

Medieval and Ecclesiastical Latin examines sacred and secular Latin texts from the Middle Ages when Latin was a living language of scholarship and communication. Texts studied may include selections from the Latin Vulgate, the Colloquy of Aelfric in Latin and Old English, legends of saints and travelers, and the Roman Missal. Attention is given to the art and technique of medieval illuminated manuscripts and musical settings of the Mass by Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, and other composers. Prerequisite: Latin 3.

Following an overview of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, students explore Virgil’s Aeneid and Book VIII, in particular, to gain an understanding of how Virgil’s literary epic fits into the patterns established by Homer. Students translate selections from Book VIII and become familiar with scansion, rhetorical devices, and imagery, paying close attention to the author’s unique style and thematic content that influenced writers and other artists in the years to come. Prerequisite: Latin 3.

This course continues the study of original literature. Readings may be chosen from the dialogues of Plato, the Histories of Herodotus, the Elements of Euclid, Greek comedy or tragedy, or the Greek Bible. These courses are term-contained. Prerequisite: Greek 3 and/or departmental approval.

The Advanced Studies in Latin course offers students the opportunity to read, analyze and gain an appreciation for Golden Age Latin poetry and prose through the works of Vergil’s Aeneid and Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Latin readings include (but are not limited to) selections from Books 1, 2, 4, and 6 of the Aeneid and Books 1, 4, 5, and 6 of Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Additional readings in English of both works are required, with a view toward recognition of themes, central characters, and key ideas. Period tests will require students to translate familiar and unfamiliar passages as literally as possible, identify passages in context and analyze and comment upon content with respect to style, rhetorical aspects, and theme. Prerequisite: Honors Latin 3 or departmental approval.