Alpharetta High School Department of World Languages
The goal of the Alpharetta High School World Languages department is to guide students in their mastery of the ACTFL national performance standards, adopted by the State of Georgia.
For Modern Languages, these standards consist of "The 5 Cs":
Communication – students will engage in conversations, understand and interpret spoken and written language, and present information on a variety of topics.
Culture – students will learn about target culture products, practices and perspectives.
Connections – students will connect aspects of their target language learning with information acquired in other subject areas such as math, science, social studies, English and the arts.
Comparisons – students will demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language and culture, making comparisons between those of the target language and their own.
Communities – students will find and engage in the target language outside of the school environment and show evidence of building a life-long skill for their own personal enjoyment and enrichment.
For Latin, these standards consist of "The 4 Cs":
Communication – students will read passages, comprehend spoken Latin phrases, quotations, and expressions, and provide accurate, written English translations.
Culture – students will demonstrate an understanding of perspectives, practices, and products of the Greco-Roman culture.
Connections – students will reinforce and further the knowledge of other disciplines through the study of Latin.
Comparisons – students will acquire information and recognize distinctive viewpoints via the study of Latin and the Greco-Roman civilization, as well as identify similarities and differences in ancient Roman and contemporary culture.
Listening, speaking and authentic materials (print as well as audio) are increasingly emphasized as students progress through the levels of a language. It is a Fulton County expectation that 90% of the class will be conducted in the language, although to a lesser degree in Latin.
Most students who start a language in sixth or seventh grade will continue that language into high school. Therefore, it is important to consider a variety of factors when selecting the language that is right for you. Use this site to explore the benefits of learning each language as well as how they sound, what we do in our World Language classes, opportunities to join language clubs and to participate in trips or school exchanges.
At Alpharetta HIgh School, we offer the following four languages: