World Languages
Introduction
AUSD requires one year of foreign language, visual/performing arts, or technology in order for students to graduate.
Two years of foreign language is required (and three are recommended) to qualify for a UC or CSU.
World Languages Courses
French
FRENCH 1 (P)
(UC/CSU) All Grades
French 1 (P) is a course in which students will be introduced to basic communication skills in speaking, reading and writing. Emphasis is given to the development of listening comprehension and speaking, as well as exploring the various aspects of French culture.
FRENCH 2 (P)
(UC/CSU) All Grades
Prerequisite: French 1 (P) with a C or better, teacher recommendation, or proficiency exam score.
French 2 (P) is a continuation for students of elementary French with an emphasis in oral communication skills. Learning new vocabulary and speech patterns will enable students to express their own ideas in a way that will successfully communicate wants and needs to a native speaker. There will be further study of French culture.
FRENCH 3 (P)
(UC/CSU) 10th - 12th Grades
Prerequisite: French 2 with a grade of C or better.
French 3 (P) is a continuation of studies in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Students develop expanded vocabularies. Emphasis is placed on communication of ideas and needs. Cultural topics are investigated through cooking, drama activities, and singing. Reading in the target language is also expanded to include short stories and plays.
FRENCH 4 (HP)
(UC/CSU) 11th - 12th Grades
Prerequisite: French 3 with a grade of B or better.
French 4 (HP) is a comprehensive study of the French language with emphasis on acquiring skill in expressing ideas in both oral and written form. The class studies literature and advanced composition, as well as continuing study of French culture. Students become fluent in conversational French.
AP FRENCH 5 (HP)
(UC/CSU) 11th - 12th Grades
Prerequisite: French 4 with a grade of B or better.
French 5 (AP) is a university level course in the French language. Students work to refine their skills in spoken French as well as to perfect skills in advanced written composition. Emphasis is placed on preparing students to take the Advanced Placement Exam. All enrolled students are required to take the Advanced Placement Exam in May.
Spanish
SPANISH 1 * (P)
(UC/CSU) All Grades
Spanish 1 (P) is a course in which students have the opportunity to learn the basic communication skills of listening, comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Emphasis will be given to the development of oral fluency skills and improving pronunciation.
There is also an introduction to the culture of Spain, Latin America and Southwestern United States.
SPANISH 2 * (P)
(UC/CSU) All Grades
Prerequisite: Spanish 1 with a C or better, teacher recommendation, or proficiency exam score.
Spanish 2 (P) further develops the basic communication skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Cultures of Spanish-speaking areas around the world are reviewed and studies.
* Native speakers will be placed in appropriate courses based on the evaluation of their instructor.
SPANISH 3 (P)
(UC/CSU) All Grades
Prerequisite: Spanish 2 with a grade of C or better.
Spanish 3 (P) continues studies in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Students develop expanded
vocabularies. Emphasis is placed on communicating one’s ideas and needs. Cultural topics are investigated through cooking, drama activities and singing.
SPANISH 4 (P)
(UC/CSU) 11th - 12th Grades
Prerequisite: Spanish 3 with a grade of B or better.
Spanish 4P is a comprehensive study of the Spanish language with emphasis on acquiring skill in expressing ideas in both oral and written form. Spanish plays, short stories, and poems are read and discussed. The class studies literature and advanced composition as well as a continuing study of the Spanish culture. Students become more articulate in conversational Spanish.
SPANISH 4 (HP)
(UC/CSU) 11th - 12th Grades
Prerequisite: Students will be invited to take this class based on their performance at the 3rd year level and their Spanish 3 teacher’s recommendation.
This course is an intense preparation for college level language studies, conducted entirely in Spanish and prepares students to successfully complete the Spanish AP Exam. Mastery of basic communication skills, which include listening, speaking, reading and writing, will be emphasized. This course will also include various readings from contemporary and traditional literature, developing higher level linguistic skills such as persuasion, analysis, and expression of complex ideas.
AP SPANISH 5 (HP)
(UC/CSU) 11th - 12th Grades
Prerequisite: Spanish 4HP with a grade of B or better.
Spanish 5 (AP) is a university level course in the Spanish language. Students work to refine their skills in spoken Spanish as well as to perfect skills in advanced written composition. Emphasis is placed on preparing students to take the Advanced Placement Exam. All enrolled students are required to take the Advanced Placement Exam in May.
Mandarin
Mandarin 1 (P)
(UC/CSU) All Grades
Mandarin 1 is an introductory course intended for students with no prior knowledge. In this course, students will master the pinyin pronunciation system, be introduced to Chinese characters at a slow pace, and learn to have simple conversations on various topics around students’ daily life.
Mandarin 2 (P)
(UC/CSU) All Grades
Prerequisite: Mandarin 1 with a grade of C or better, teacher recommendation, or proficiency exam score.
Mandarin 2 is the continuation of the introductory course. In this course, students continue to study various topics related to their daily life and school experience. We expand our vocabulary, learn how to read, develop strong listening abilities, and practice to hold meaningful conversations.
Mandarin 3 (P)
(UC/CSU) All Grades
Prerequisite: Mandarin 2 with a grade of C or better.
Building upon skills acquired in Mandarin level 2, students learn additional vocabulary and language structures to increase their ability of listening, reading, speaking and writing. Students begin to explore advanced languages that may contain social ideas. Topics covered in this course range from personal life to the community and the social environment that students live in. Students begin to compose and present multi-paragraph narrative writings and strings of sentences in a persuasive style.
Mandarin 4 (HP)
(UC/CSU) 11th - 12th Grades
Prerequisite: Mandarin 3 with a grade of B or better.
The course offers students the opportunity to learn authentic Chinese language and its cultural context. Students read and write extensively, begin to recognize subtle distinctions of different opinions and perspectives, and learn to express their own personal ideas precisely. This course also emphasizes the differences and the influences that Chinese culture has made on many aspects of the communities where Mandarin is spoken.
AP Mandarin 5 (HP)
(UC/CSU) 11th - 12th Grades
Prerequisite: Mandarin 4HP with a grade of B or better.
In the Mandarin AP course, students will have ample opportunities to demonstrate their Chinese language and culture proficiency across the three communicative modes, which are Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational. The ten units in the textbook are about traditional Chinese holidays, basic Chinese history information, modern Chinese lives, and social economics issues. Through discussion, students will explore the differences and the similarities of people’s common activities and cultural practices in the US and in Chinese spoken societies.