Program of Studies Program of Studies 2019-2020 | Page 23

Honors Arabic III
1 credit
Prerequisite: Arabic II and placement by instructor
In this course students will continue to develop
listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
The objective is to equip students with the basic
conversational skills to enable them to engage in a
conversation. Students are required to read short
stories and watch Arabic movies to get a broader
range of vocabulary. The students are exposed to
authentic reading and listening materials, as well as
discussions of political, social and cultural topics.
In addition, students will read, write and translate
long, simple texts. Assessments will include written
and oral evaluation. This class is fast-paced and a
significant portion of every class session will be
conducted in Arabic.
CHINESE
Honors Chinese I
1 credit
Prerequisite: recommended for students enrolled
in a concurrent honors level English course
This beginning level Chinese course offers an
introduction to Chinese language and culture.
It focuses on the listening and speaking of basic
everyday Mandarin Chinese, as well as reading
and writing simplified Chinese characters and the
pronunciation system, Pinyin. Meanwhile, traditional
Chinese characters will be introduced. Both traditional
and current Chinese customs and culture in China
and Taiwan will be discussed in class. Regular quizzes
in listening, reading and writing will be included in
the class schedule.
Honors Chinese II
1 credit
Prerequisite: B or better in Honors Chinese I or
placement by instructor
This high beginning level Chinese course builds upon
the foundation established in Chinese I.
It expands and develops the number of characters,
vocabulary, and sentence structures on topics of food,
weather, season, clothing, and shopping. Regular
quizzes in listening, speaking, reading and writing
will be included in the class schedule, as will regular
Chinese reading and writing assignments. Part of the
class is conducted in Mandarin Chinese.
Honors Chinese III
1 credit
Prerequisite: Honors Chinese II and placement by
instructor
This low intermediate level Chinese course meets
with Honors Chinese IV (see description below) to
build upon the foundation established in Chinese I
and Chinese II. Students will increase their numbers
of characters and vocabulary, as well as complexity of
grammar, while further studying Chinese culture. This
course is partially conducted in Mandarin Chinese.
Honors Chinese IV
1 credit
Prerequisite: Honors Chinese III and placement by
instructor
This intermediate level Chinese course meets with
Honors Chinese III (see description above). Students
will continue to develop and improve their language
skills through reading, discussion, and writing in
Chinese. Topics include half of the following: health,
daily life, giving and taking directions, cooking, and
planning, while the other half is covered in Honors
Chinese III. This course is partially conducted in
Mandarin Chinese.
Honors Chinese V
1 credit
Prerequisite: Honors Chinese III and placement by
instructor
This high intermediate level Chinese course builds
upon their first years of Chinese language and cultural
foundation. Students continue to develop and improve
their language skills through reading, discussion, and
different formats of writing in Chinese. Topics include
house chores, college application and careers, travel,
Chinese and American literature, environmental
protection, and modern China. This course is
conducted primarily in Mandarin Chinese.
AP Chinese
1 credit
Prerequisite: Honors Chinese III or Honors
Chinese IV, and teacher recommendation and
interview with the instructor
Students will further develop and master their
listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Chinese
through various topics and become familiar with
Chinese culture. This is a demanding course designed
to prepare students for the required AP Chinese
Language and Culture exam in May. Students should
expect to spend sufficient time to prepare speaking,
reading and writing assignments, while taking lessons
and communicating in Mandarin Chinese in class.