World Languages

American Sign Language I

This course is for students who are as serious about learning American Sign Language as they would be any other foreign language. The course is an introduction to the basics of American Sign Language with emphasis on both receptive and expressive skills. Students not only learn signs, but work on such grammatical features as facial expression, classifiers, specialization and directionality through drills, games, activities and projects. Students will also learn about deafness and the deaf community through films, guest speakers, readings, demonstrations of communication devices for the deaf, and a visit to the Minnesota Academy for the Deaf.

American Sign Language II

This course emphasizes the spontaneous interactive use of everyday American Sign Language. The student will expand their introductory comprehension skills, pro¬duction skills and conversational constraint. Special emphasis is placed on acquiring additional functional grammatical structures and information related to everyday life experiences of Deaf Americans. The stu¬dent will learn more about language and culture of the deaf community. Field experiences at the Academy will provide students opportunities to use their signing skills in a natural context. (if schedule allows).

*Prerequisite: Must have successfully completed American Sign Language I

ASL Reverse Mainstreaming Experience

Reverse Mainstreaming, taken as an independent study course through FHS, will further develop their conversational ASL skills and enhance their Deaf Culture experience. Students who are interested in pursuing Deaf Education or interpreting may choose one of the following options:

A. Take an educational class at MSAD high school. Students would be expected to complete the same course work as the Deaf students.

B. Be an educational assistant in an early childhood class, elementary class, at the middle school level or in the Media Center, under the guidance of the cooperating teacher. Students may provide assistance to a small group of deaf students, individual one-on-one tutoring, or material preparation.

*Prerequisite: Must have successfully completed American Sign Language 1 & 2 or be currently in ASL 2. Student must have permission from ASL instructor to register.

German I & Spanish I

All four skills, reading, writing, listening and speaking are developed to varying degrees. During this first level you will be able to talk about; yourself your family, the city, leisure time activities, clothing, sports, food, weath¬er and some geography of the areas where the lan¬guage is spoken.

A trip/exchange to Germany is available to 9th graders.

German II & Spanish II

Emphasis continues to be on the development of speaking and listening skills along with reading and writing. You will be able to describe your activities and interests with greater detail due to increased vocabu¬lary and grammar. A variety of activities, materials and approaches are used to help you further develop these skills.

*Prerequisite: Must have successfully completed Level I of the appropriate language.

German III & Spanish III

You begin to broaden your reading and writing skills with continued emphasis on speaking and listening. More language structures will be developed during the year to broaden your use of the language.

*Prerequisite: Must have successfully completed Level II of the appropriate language.

German IV & Spanish IV

During the fourth year you will have further opportuni¬ties to develop your proficiency in all skills. Emphasis is placed on active communication in order to compre¬hend the language and to express oneself effectively in most situations.

*Prerequisite: Successful completion of appropriate Level III course.

German IV: College in the Schools

This course offers students 10-semester college credits as well as one high school credit upon successful com¬pletion of the course. It is part of a "College in the School" program offered by the University of Minnesota for advanced high school students.

*Prerequisite: (to receive automatic acceptance into the college credit program) students must be in the top 30% of their class. If they are not they may still take the class for high school credit only.