Long Beach High School

World Languages Overview

Our comprehensive program provides our students with a full course series whereby they achieve proficiency, and for many, mastery of the language selected. We currently offer course sequences in three languages: Spanish, French, and Italian. At the conclusion of their Level 1 World Language courses in grades 7 & 8, our students take the Checkpoint A exam and receive one high school credit towards their Regents Diploma if they pass the exam with a 65 or higher. In tenth grade (and ninth grade for those students in the Native Language classes), our students take the Checkpoint B Exam and receive two high school credits towards their 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 based on the NYS Learning Standards for World Languages. Many of our students continue their World Language studies beyond 10th grade by continuing with their chosen language or starting a new one. We encourage all of our students to study more than one language, many colleges and universities require a strong foundation in foreign language for admissions consideration. Our program offers Spanish levels 4 and 5, IB SL French, Italian or Spanish, and IB Spanish HL. In addition, we offer a new course, IB Language and Culture, it invites students to examine ways in which language both shapes and is shaped by cultural practices and values, as well as by social power dynamics. The course will be studied in multilingual and multicultural contexts. It is our goal and objective to give our students a thorough knowledge and understanding of the language(s) of their choice, including providing them with a deep appreciation for the culture and customs of the country whose language they are learning.