Long Beach Middle School

World Language Department

Long Beach students start their exploration of languages beginning in third grade and continuing through 5th grade with the study of Spanish.  At the end of fifth grade, our students can choose to continue  studying Spanish, or start learning French in sixth grade.  At the conclusion of 8th grade, our students take the Checkpoint A exam and receive one high school credit towards their Regents Diploma if they have studied the same language in seventh and eighth grade. In tenth grade (and ninth grade for those students in the Spanish Native Language Arts classes), our students take the Checkpoint B exam and receive two High School Regents credits towards their Advanced Regents Diploma. At the conclusion of tenth grade, our students will have earned a total of 3 regents credits. Our curriculum is thematic and uses a communicative approach, aligned with the IB Middle Years Program, IB Diploma Program and NYSED World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages. Most of our students continue their World Language studies through Senior year in order to complete the requirements for the Seal of Biliteracy, the IB Diploma, and the World Language Honor Society. 

Our program outcomes are:

6th Grade Expectations

• Communication: Students will develop basic listening and speaking skills, learning to understand and use simple phrases, sentences, and directions. They will engage in basic conversations about familiar topics, ask and answer simple questions, and express basic feelings and opinions.
  
• Cultural understanding: Students will gain awareness of the culture associated with the target language, including traditions, celebrations, songs, games, and daily life aspects. They will learn to identify cultural practices and products and understand their perspectives.
  
• Literacy foundation: While the focus is on speaking and listening, we do provide an introduction to reading and writing in the target language. Students learn to recognize familiar words and phrases in both written and spoken contexts.
  

 
7th Grade Expectations (1st half of Checkpoint A course)

Interpretive Communication Standard:

• Identify some basic facts from memorized or familiar words and phrases when they are supported by gestures or visuals in informational and literary texts 

Interpersonal Communication Standard:

• Request and provide information, meet basic needs, express preferences or feelings, and react to those of others on very familiar and everyday topics, using a mixture of simple or memorized words, phrases, sentences, and questions in conversations.

Presentational Communication Standard:

• Present information about life and activities, and state preferences and opinions on very familiar and everyday topics, using a mixture of simple practiced or memorized words or phrases in spoken or written form

Cultural Standards:

• With visual support, students can identify cultural products and practices in my own and other cultures to help me understand different perspectives using words or phrases
• With visual support, students can compare practices and products of the target cultures with my own culture, using words and phrases

 
8th Grade Expectations (2nd half of Checkpoint A course)

Interpretive Communication Standard:

• Identify the topic and some basic facts from informational and literary texts as well as understand basic questions and statements from simple sentences. 

Interpersonal Communication Standard:

• Request and provide information, meet basic needs, express, ask about, and react to preferences, feelings, or opinions on familiar and everyday topics, using a mixture of simple sentences and some original questions in conversations most of the time.

Presentational Communication Standard:

• Present information about life and activities, and state preferences and opinions on very familiar and everyday topics, using simple sentences most of the time spoken or written form.

Cultural Standards:

• With visual support, students can identify cultural products and practices in my own and other cultures to help me understand different perspectives using simple sentences
• With visual support, students can compare practices and products of the target cultures with my own culture, using phrases and simple sentences.

As a requirement for high school credit, students must pass the Checkpoint A Exam with a grade of 65 or higher and studied the same language in both seventh and eighth grade.