Modern & Classical Languages
Convent & Stuart Hall’s Modern & Classical Languages curriculum provides a strong framework for cognitive development through the lens of language learning. In the culture of a globally interconnected Sacred Heart environment, language acquisition is integral to success across all academic fields and to success in a globally interconnected society. Beginning in kindergarten and extending through high school, the Modern & Classical Languages Department prepares students for communicative fluency in multiple languages and cultural competence across fields of understanding.
Students in kindergarten through Grade 4 have access to Mandarin, Spanish and French classes. Opportunities to engage in both tonal and Romance languages encourage cognitive and social development in our youngest learners. Early exposure to other sounds and their meanings develops phonological awareness and builds cognitive flexibility and adaptability.
In the middle grades, students choose to engage in a more focused study of Spanish, French, Mandarin or Latin. Confidence in their second language with a view to building the groundwork for future linguistic proficiency and fluency is realized during these years.
In the high school years, students reach proficiency in interpersonal language skills and also cognitive academic proficiency in their second language. Speaking, reading and writing in another language, students understand how to engage in situations and academic tasks that cross registers of formality and informality. At this level, Convent & Stuart Hall’s Great Texts Canon intersects with language learning, as students discover, interpret and appreciate significant texts of other cultures in their second language.
Through the Modern & Classical Languages program, students gain more than fluency in a second language. They also develop emotional capacity and cross-cultural competence, positioning them to engage confidently and compassionately in their world.