Academics: Foreign Language

Foreign Languages at Indian Valley permeates the world of both sixth and seventh graders. Our Foreign Language teachers move through the building with a cheery "Bonjour, Guten Tag, or Buenos Dias," greeting everyone as they pass with their decorated carts. Sixth graders have the opportunity to join a Foreign Language Club during 8th periods to enjoy experiencing the flavor of the language and culture, including music, foods, sights, holidays, customs, and more. The Christmas season and Foreign Language Week are especially animated with foreign foods, songs, trivia, contests, culture, and vocabulary games, a student store for foreign language items, and frequently, guest speakers.

Each seventh grader has the privilege of receiving a 20 session sampling of each of the three modern languages offered during the year at Valley. The level is called Conversational I, and it includes greetings, names, basic informational questions and answers involving where one lives, one's age, what one likes or doesn't like, and what language(s) one speaks, alphabet and numbers, months, days, seasons, foods, weather, colors, and many points of cultural interest involved with the counties where each language is spoken. Our aim is to introduce and provide exposure to the way of life for other people. Each teacher imparts the key language tools that each student can take with him/her to the formal learning of Level I of the language he/she chooses to take in 8th grade at our sister school, Indian Crest.

Students whose skills are stronger in the conversational aspect and who display a need for more practical use before formal study will be advised to take Conversational II when they begin their first full year of the language of their choice. This will help widen the base of students in our district who will be "using" a foreign language. We aim to have our students think and function globally!