Curriculum Detail

World Language

The World Language Department develops linguistic skills and builds cross-cultural awareness in Spanish, French, and Latin to prepare students to contribute to a global society. Working together, students and teachers learn to express themselves in new ways and appreciate different beliefs and practices.
  • French 1

    This course introduces the language through all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The main goal is to develop the student’s confidence in using French as a means of communication. Participants are expected to work effectively in groups, as well as independently. Chemins 1 and the Vistas website are used to promote interpretive communication, presentational communication, and interpersonal communication. The presentational focus for beginning students is to be able to communicate autobiographical information both in the written and spoken form demonstrating mastery of the present tense, the immediate future, and basic foundational structures.
  • French 2

    Intended for students who have acquired basic knowledge of French, this course places an equal emphasis on written and oral skills. Participants are expected to work effectively in groups, as well as independently, and to use primarily only French in the classroom. Chemins 2 and the Vistas website are used to promote interpretive communication, presentational communication, and interpersonal communication. The presentational focus for the students is to be able to communicate in dialogues and tell stories, fiction, and non-fiction, using the present, passé composé, and imperfect tenses. 
  • French 3

    Prerequisite French 2
    Conducted entirely in French, this course asks students to move away from translating
    from their native language into French to communicate. Emphasis is placed on all
    areas; speaking, listening, writing, and reading, but special emphasis is placed on more
    spontaneous speech and the expression of more complex ideas in writing. Students will
    learn all verb tenses and moods and are asked to speak often and frequently in the
    target language, French. In this class, students acquire new vocabulary and understand
    new grammatical structures in order to become more sophisticated speakers and
    writers as well as more confident language learners. The course focuses on
    interpersonal, interpretative, and presentational communication via Chemins 3 and the

    Vistas website. The primary presentational communication goal is to begin to discuss
    and debate everyday topics as well as current events with classmates demonstrating
    mastery of the future and conditional tenses as well as the subjunctive mood.
  • French 4 Honors

    This course requires the approval of the department chair as well as a B or higher in
    French 3.
    Stressing the effective communication of thought and ideas through debate and
    discussion of cultural, political, and literary topics, this course includes an in-depth study
    of the subjunctive mood, the study of culture through literature and film from France and
    other Francophone countries as well as an intense focus on sophisticated
    presentational communication including cultural comparisons in oral and written forms.
    Conducted entirely in French, this class uses Chemins 4 and the Vistas website but
    takes advantage of utilizing other authentic sources. The primary presentational
    communication goal is a final oral and written cultural comparison.
  • Spanish 1

    This course introduces the language through all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The main goal is to develop the student’s confidence in using Spanish as a means of communication. Participants are expected to work effectively in groups, as well as independently, and to maintain a self-corrected notebook for compositions.
    Senderos and the Vistas website are used to promote interpretive communication, presentational communication, and interpersonal communication. The presentational focus for beginning students is to be able to communicate autobiographical information in written and spoken formats.
  • Spanish 2

    Intended for students who have acquired basic knowledge in Spanish, this course offers an equal emphasis on written and oral skills. Participants are expected to work effectively in groups, as well as independently, and to maintain a self-corrected notebook for compositions. Senderos and the Vistas website are used to promote interpretive communication, presentational communication, and interpersonal communication. The presentational focus for the students is to be able to communicate in dialogues and tell stories using the present, preterit, and imperfect tenses.
  • Spanish 3

    Prerequisite Spanish 2
    Conducted entirely in Spanish, this course asks students to move away from translating
    from their native language into Spanish to communicate. Emphasis is placed on all
    areas; speaking, listening, writing, and reading, but special emphasis is placed on more
    spontaneous speech and the expression of more complex ideas in writing. Students will
    learn all verb tenses and moods and are asked to speak often and frequently in the
    target language, Spanish. In this class, students acquire new vocabulary and
    understand new grammatical structures in order to become more sophisticated
    speakers and writers as well as more confident language learners. The course focuses
    on interpersonal, interpretative, and presentational communication via Senderos and
    the Vistas website. The primary presentational communication goal is to begin to
    discuss and debate everyday topics as well as current events with classmates.


Department Faculty

  • Photo of Mamadou Cisse
    Mamadou Cisse
    French Faculty
    Keene State College - BA
  • Photo of Adrian Diaz Guerrero '14
    Adrian Diaz Guerrero '14
    Dean of Student Life and Athletic Director / Post Graduates Class Dean / Head Coach, Boys' Varsity Soccer
    (802) 869-6236
    Saint Michael’s College - BA
    Saint Michael's College - MEd
  • Photo of Christine Gilbert
    Christine Gilbert
    Spanish Faculty
    Frostburg State University - BA
    Frostburg State University - MEd

Select a Department

Vermont Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding and day school in southern Vermont, serving grades 9-12 plus a postgraduate year.