World Languages Department
La Salle Prep offers three languages representing rich world cultures. The World Languages Department believes that awareness of other cultures and their influence upon our society is a necessary step toward recognition and tolerance within the world community.
Communication is paramount to international and interpersonal relations. The knowledge of languages and of cultural information enables the student to better understand and evaluate global issues, and to better implement the Christian principles as expressed in the school philosophy.
Upon completion of the La Salle World Language curriculum, a student will be able to:
- Appreciate cultures and understand languages of the modern world.
- Proficiently communicate in the target language according to national and state standards.
- Connect classroom learning to world needs.
Students who complete the third- and fourth-year language curriculum have the opportunity to earn college credit in partnership with the Oregon University System.
La Salle students have traveled to Spain, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, France, Quebec, and Germany. On their journeys, students learn about culture, take classes, and practice their languages. In some cases, students live with local families so they can experience home life in another country.
World Languages Courses
- French 1
- French 2
- Honors French 3
- Honors French 4
- German 1
- German 2
- Honors German 3
- Honors German 4
- Spanish 1
- Spanish 2
- Honors Spanish 3
- Honors Spanish 4
- AP Spanish 5
French 1
French 1
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: None
Students practice all four language skills--reading, writing, listening, and speaking--in order to communicate about themselves, their interests, and the world in which they live. First-year topics include: greetings, introductions, expressions of courtesy, and goodbyes; people and things around the classroom; academic life; everyday activities; family, friends and pets; descriptive adjectives; occupations; places and activities around town; and going to a café. Practical conversational vocabulary and useful expressions, as well as the structure of French (in particular its complex verb system), are learned and practiced with each topic. Correct pronunciation--crucial to effective communication in French--is also consistently emphasized through a variety of activities. French films are used to reinforce pronunciation and listening comprehension, as well as to explore topics in French-speaking culture. Student projects each year include: an in-depth exploration of a salient contemporary social issue in the French-speaking.
French 2
French 2
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or completion of French 1 with a grade of C- or better
Students continue to practice all four language skills--reading, writing, listening, and speaking--in order to communicate about themselves, their interests, and the world in which they live. Second-year topics include: leisure activities; weather, seasons and months; parties and celebrations; clothing and colors; travel and transportation; hotels and accommodations; and parts of the house and furniture. Practical conversational vocabulary and useful expressions, as well as the structure of French (in particular its complex verb system), are learned and practiced with each topic. Correct pronunciation--crucial to effective communication in French--is also consistently emphasized through a variety of activities. French films are used to reinforce pronunciation and listening comprehension, as well as to explore topics in French-speaking culture. Student projects each year include: an in-depth exploration of a salient contemporary social issue in the French-speaking world; a hands-on French cooking project that includes linguistic practice; and analyses of works of art at major French museums. Advancement to Honors French 3 requires teacher recommendation and a grade of "C" or better in French 2.
Honors French 3
Honors French 3
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or completion of French 2 with a grade of C or better
In this college-level course, students continue to practice all four language skills--reading, writing, listening, and speaking--with an increased emphasis on speaking and writing with fluency and precision. Third-year topics include: food and meals; dining and specialty food shops; parts of the body and daily routines; health, maladies and remedies; computers and electronics; cars and driving; and giving and getting directions. Practical conversational vocabulary and useful expressions, as well as the structure of French (in particular its complex verb system), are learned and practiced with each topic. Correct pronunciation--crucial to effective communication in French--is also consistently emphasized through a variety of activities. French films are used to reinforce pronunciation and listening comprehension, as well as to explore topics in French-speaking culture. Student projects each year include: an in-depth exploration of a salient contemporary social issue in the French-speaking world; a hands-on French cooking project that includes linguistic practice; and analyses of works of art at major French museums. Students are able to earn 12 college credits for Honors French 3 by enrolling in French 101, 102 and 103 through Clackamas Community College, as part of La Salle’s agreement with CCC. Advancement to Honors French 4 requires teacher recommendation and a grade of "C" or better in Honors French 3.
Honors French 4
Honors French 4
Grade Level: 10-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or completion of Honors French 3 with a grade of C or better
In this class, students are completely immersed in the French language. Communication, except for occasional grammar explanations, is in French. Students expand their knowledge base and increase their ability and confidence to use French for communication and self-expression. Grammar is reviewed and new vocabulary is introduced. Grammar focuses on the study of the subjunctive, conditional, past conditional, pluperfect and the passé simple-a literary tense. Students use the basic elements of the language in a variety of situations concerning everyday life such as traveling and running errands. The cultural emphasis this year focuses on Francophone countries around the world as well as France's history and art. Students virtually travel in the Caribbean, Africa, Canada and Louisiana. Also they delve back to prehistoric times to explore the development of France up to current events. Finally the class studies art from Impressionist paintings to Surrealistic creations. In addition to expanding speaking, listening and writing skills, students read a variety of French literature found in fables, letters, short stories and poems. By the end of the year students are able to communicate events in a variety of tenses, analyze literary texts and films and present a research project about an artist. Students are also able to earn 12 credits by enrolling in French 201, 202 and 203 through Clackamas Community College as part of La Salle's agreement with CCC. There is a separate enrollment and fee for these credits which transfer to many colleges and universities. These credits may fulfill the language requirement for a Bachelor of Arts degree.
German 1
German 1
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: None
Students are introduced to the language, culture and customs of German-speaking countries. Students learn the fundamentals of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in German and practice authentic conversational German. They acquire German grammar structures and vocabulary to exchange basic information about themselves, relating to name, age, origin, school life, family and hobbies/interests. Instruction includes storytelling, acting, games, drills, songs, films and videos. Students also study the basic Geography of Germany, learning about each of the 16 federal German states. In addition, they celebrate religious and cultural feasts through music and food.
German 2
German 2
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or completion of German 1 with a grade of C- or better
This course offers a continued presentation of the fundamentals of German grammar and vocabulary. Authentic conversational skills are developed through the practice of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Second-year topics include: food and restaurant; celebrations and life events; clothing and colors; parts of the house and furniture; and chores. An emphasis is placed on past tense and students study both the spoken and written past tense forms of German verbs. More advanced grammatical knowledge and skills support and broaden students' ability to communicate while preparing them for higher levels of language study. Students participate in cultural projects that allow them to further explore German culture in order to develop their cultural competencies and to mature into strong global citizens. Advancement to Honors German 3 requires teacher recommendation and a grade of "C" or better in German 2.
Honors German 3
Honors German 3
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or completion of German 2 with a grade of C or better
In this college-level course, students continue the development of authentic conversational skills through the practice of reading, writing, listening and speaking in German. This course increases the emphasis on the precision of fluency of the German language. Third-year topics include: weather; seasons and months; travel and transportation; hotels and accommodations; media and technology; parts of the body and daily routines; health, maladies and remedies. Students participate in cultural projects that allow them to continue exploring German culture in order to further develop into strong global citizens. Students are able to earn 12 free college credits for Honors German 3 by enrolling in German 101, 102 and 103 through Klamath Community College’s dual credit program, as part of La Salle’s agreement with KCC. Advancement to Honors German 4 requires teacher recommendation and a grade of "C" or better in Honors German 3.
Honors German 4
Honors German 4
Grade Level: 10-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or completion of Honors German 3 with a grade of C or better
This college-level course takes a holistic approach to language proficiency and recognizes the complex interrelatedness of comprehension and comprehensibility, vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness; and prepares students to be constructive members of a global society. Fourth-year topics include: everyday errands; giving and receiving directions; jobs and careers; nature; and environmental concerns. Students are encouraged to use more complex syntax in their speaking and writing to perfect their precision and fluency of the German language. This course also includes an introduction to major aspects of German history, important German-speaking authors and historical figures, and current events in German-speaking countries. Student projects include: building a German resume and preparing a job interview for a German speaking job; an in-depth exploration of a contemporary social issue in the German-speaking world; carrying out an interdisciplinary sustainability project based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN; and constructing a holocaust memorial. The film study of “Goodbye Lenin” centers around what life was like as an East German living during the time of the Berlin Wall and the film study of "Sophie Scholl" focuses on the German resistance movement against the Nazi regime. Students are able to earn 12 free college credits for Honors German 4 by enrolling in German 201, 202 and 203 through Klamath Community College’s dual credit program, as part of La Salle’s agreement with KCC. These credits combined with those earned in Honors German 3 (for German 101, 102 and 103 at KCC) may fulfill the language requirement for a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Spanish 1
Spanish 1
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: None
Students learn to communicate about basic personal information and several other simple, high-frequency topics through speaking, writing, listening and reading. Many varied activities build a foundation of grammatical knowledge and skills that allow students to succeed in higher levels of language study. Students explore geography and cultural practices of the Spanish-speaking world in order to develop an understanding of the concept of culture through comparison to their own. Passing a proficiency test at the end of the year is required for promotion to Spanish 2.
Spanish 2
Spanish 2
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or successful completion of the Spanish Proficiency Test
Students learn to communicate on a widening variety of familiar topics through written and spoken language. They build skills and vocabulary that allow them to tell about past events as well as describe how things used to be. More advanced grammatical knowledge and skills support and broaden students' ability to communicate while preparing them for higher levels of language study. Students will explore cultural themes of the Spanish-speaking world through a wide range of practices and perspectives. The cultural themes will be explored through the lens of the Lasallian core values. Placement into this course requires successful completion of the Spanish I Proficiency Test. Advancement into Honors Spanish 3 is based upon performance on the final exams, department recommendation, and requires a grade of "C" or better in Spanish 2.
Honors Spanish 3
Honors Spanish 3
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or completion of Spanish 2 with a grade of C or better
Higher-level communication skills are emphasized. More advanced grammar study coupled with vocabulary emphasizes real-life applications and gives students more tools with which to express their ideas. Knowledge of present and past tenses are reviewed and expanded, while structures facilitating conversation about future and hypothetical events as well as the present subjunctive are introduced. Through the use of readings, films, and music, students will explore social issues that provide a forum for discussion of themes that are relevant in today's global society and further expand the students’ understanding of the vastness and richness of the Spanish Speaking world, its geography, and its culture. Placement in Honors Spanish 3 is determined by demonstrating proficiency on the final exam from Spanish 2, department recommendation, and earning a “C” or better in Spanish 2. It is an elective course unless students have entered La Salle at an advanced level of Spanish, in which case this class is required to fulfill the two-year graduation requirement. This course is highly recommended to complete preparations for college admission. Students are also able to earn 12 credits by enrolling in Spanish 101, 102 and 103 through Clackamas Community College as part of La Salle's dual credit agreement with CCC. There is a separate enrollment process and fee for these credits which transfer to many colleges and universities. Advancement into Honors Spanish 4 is based upon department recommendation and usually requires a grade of "C" or better in Spanish 3.
Honors Spanish 4
Honors Spanish 4
Grade Level: 9-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or completion of Honors Spanish 3 with a grade of C or better
Students learn to communicate on a widening variety of advanced topics through written and spoken language. They develop a rich vocabulary that allows them to express ideas and concepts with precision. More advanced grammatical knowledge, including verb mood and tense, broadens students' ability to communicate appropriately and correctly in a variety of settings. Expanding upon the topics covered in the previous years of study in Spanish, students will continue to explore culture through the use of readings, films, music, art, and geography and will further investigate social issues that are relevant today. Students are also able to earn 12 credits by enrolling in Spanish 201, 202 and 203 through Clackamas Community College as part of La Salle's dual credit agreement with CCC. There is a separate enrollment and fee for these credits which transfer to many colleges and universities. These credits combined with those earned in Honors Spanish 3 (for Spanish 101, 102 and 103 at CCC) may fulfill the language requirement for a Bachelor of Arts degree.
AP Spanish 5
AP Spanish 5
Grade Level: 10-12
Credit: 1.0, Full Year
Prerequisite: Placement test or completion of Honors Spanish 4 with a grade of C or better
The AP Spanish Language and Culture course takes a holistic approach to language proficiency and recognizes the complex interrelatedness of comprehension and comprehensibility, vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness. The three modes of communication (Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational) defined in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century are the foundation of the curriculum. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course engages students in an exploration of culture in both contemporary and historical contexts. The course develops students’ awareness and appreciation of products, both tangible (e.g., tools, books) and intangible (e.g., laws, conventions, institutions); practices (patterns of social interactions within a culture); and perspectives (values, attitudes, and assumptions that underlie both practices and products). The class atmosphere is relaxed and students are expected to participate freely and creatively. Grammar is reviewed in order to aid communication. This course is designed to prepare students for the AP Spanish Language exam in the spring. There is a separate enrollment and fee for the exam. Depending on the AP exam score, some colleges will transfer in college credits or count it as completion of a prerequisite.
