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Languages

One of the best things that UPrep offered was the Chinese language classes. Other than the teacher being one of the coolest people I’ve ever met, there have been so many great things that came out of it. We learned not only how to speak and sound authentic, but also how to understand the Chinese culture. Being able to put a smile on my grandparents’ faces as I converse with them in their native language is one of the greatest gifts UPrep has given to me." –Joseph Yeung '21

The Upper School language program encourages understanding of our world’s many interrelated languages and cultures. Courses aim to equip students with functional and culturally appropriate interpersonal, interpretive and presentation skills for proficient communication.

Students may enroll in introductory language courses in any year in Upper School, or build upon foundations laid in Middle School by continuing into upper-level courses; graduation requirements should be taken into account. In Chinese and French, students take all courses in their numerical order. In Spanish, students follow the numerical order through Spanish IV and then may take topically focused, advanced courses in any order.

Students continually exercise all four skills of language learning–reading, writing, speaking and listening–and progressively expand their grammatical and lexical knowledge. The curriculum includes opportunity for in-depth exploration of the culture(s), literature, and history associated with the language of study. Students are also encouraged to pursue cultural and linguistic experiences outside the classroom. Incoming skill level and learning needs are carefully considered during the placement process.

Learn More:

Chinese


 

French



Spanish

Spanish language students eat a traditional meal they prepared together during class. Each language classroom is equipped with a full kitchen.