World Languages at HPMS

Highland Middle School students are required to enroll in a world language or language immersion course every school year, unless they are in a reading, math or other support class. The intent of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program is that students would study the same language from 6^th to 10^th grade in order to acquire proficiency in a new language. For example, a student taking French in 6^th grade, would stay with French through 10^th grade. Spanish and Chinese Immersion students are welcome to enroll in an additional world language elective alongside their required Spanish or Chinese Language Arts course.

IB-MYP World Language Aims

The aims of all MYP subjects state what a teacher may expect to teach and what a student may expect to experience and learn. These aims suggest how the student may be changed by the learning experience.

An overarching aim of teaching and learning languages is to enable the student to become a critical and competent communicator.

The aims of the teaching and learning of MYP language acquisition are to:

• gain proficiency in an additional language while supporting maintenance of their mother tongue and cultural heritage
• develop a respect for, and understanding of, diverse linguistic and cultural heritages
• develop the student’s communication skills necessary for further language learning, and for study,work and leisure in a range of authentic contexts and for a variety of audiences and purposes
• enable the student to develop multiliteracy skills through the use of a range of learning tools, such as multimedia, in the various modes of communication
• enable the student to develop an appreciation of a variety of literary and non-literary texts and to develop critical and creative techniques for comprehension and construction of meaning
• enable the student to recognize and use language as a vehicle of thought, reflection, self-expression and learning in other subjects, and as a tool for enhancing literacy
• enable the student to understand the nature of language and the process of language learning, which comprises the integration of linguistic, cultural and social components
• offer insight into the cultural characteristics of the communities where the language is spoken
• encourage an awareness and understanding of the perspectives of people from own and other cultures, leading to involvement and action in own and other communities
• foster curiosity, inquiry and a lifelong interest in, and enjoyment of, language learning.

IB-MYP World Language Objectives

The objectives are also the means of assessment for students at HPMS.  The student will be assessed on the four criteria below.

Criterion A: Listening
At the end of the emergent level, students should have been exposed to a wide variety of simple authentic spoken multimodal texts and be able to:

• identify explicit and implicit information (facts and/or opinions, and supporting details)
• analyze conventions
• analyze connections.

Criterion B: Reading

At the end of the emergent level, students should be exposed to a wide variety of simple authentic written multimodal texts and be able to:

• identify explicit and implicit information (facts and/or opinions, and supporting details)
• analyze conventions
• analyze connections.

Criterion C: Speaking

At the end of the emergent level, students should be able to:

• use a wide range of vocabulary
• use a wide range of grammatical structures generally accurately
• use clear pronunciation and intonation in comprehensible manner
• communicate all or almost all the required information clearly and effectively.

Criterion D: Writing

At the end of the emergent level, students should be able to:

• use a wide range of vocabulary
• use a wide range of grammatical structures generally accurately
• organize information effectively and coherently in an appropriate format using a wide range of simple and some complex cohesive devices
• communicate all or almost all the required information with a clear sense of audience and purpose to suit the context.

• French (Exploring French- 1 semester, Level 1 & Level 2)

Unlock a world of history, culture, and connection! Learning French is your passport to vibrant communities across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and North America. Through interactive projects, cultural deep-dives, and real-world skills, you won’t just study French—you’ll live it.

On y va? Shall we go?

Spanish (Exploring Spanish, Level 1, Level 2 & Spanish Immersion Language Arts)

Did you know that more than 577 million people speak Spanish with more than 42 million Spanish speakers in the United States?  Begin a journey of becoming proficient in Spanish and join one of the fastest growing language populations.  Level 1A Spanish focuses on getting to know others, navigating the classroom, expressing likes and dislikes, describing yourself and your emotions, your friends and family, making plans and discussing obligations, ordering food, asking questions, and talking about people and places you know.  Level 1B Spanish focuses on extending invitations, describing what just happened and what is happening, expressing preferences and making comparisons, choosing transportation and giving instructions, bargaining and saying where you went.  Level two focuses on describing daily routines, grooming, chores, persuading others, describing past activities, expressing extremes, using Spanish in the workplace, planning a meal and a party and negotiating responsibilities.  We will also explore the geography, history and culture of the Spanish-speaking world.  Within a school year you can also expect to cook Latin American food and visit the MN Zoo during their Spanish-language days.

Chinese (Mandarin)

Chinese Language Arts is only offered for Mandarin immersion students at this time. The classes are designed to meet the Mandarin language arts needs of middle school students, and are not introductory courses.