Language Choice Information

Each year we invite fifth-grade students to decide which language to pursue in the Upper School: French, Latin, or Spanish. Sometimes this choice is clear for students because of previous exposure to a language, the study of each language by trimester in fifth grade, or because of a cultural connection. Sometimes, however, students have a difficult time making this choice.

As tempting as it may be, students should not choose a language because it is what their friends wish to take. As language teachers, we would also like to ensure that students and parents make the choice based upon facts rather than erroneous perceptions about the three languages we offer.

We would like you to read the following information and then learn about some reasons to study each of the three languages the Upper School offers. Parents, please remember that the most important factor determining successful acquisition of a language is a student's motivation to learn that language.

Why Study Latin?

Why Study French?

Why Study Spanish?

Fifth-grade Spanish students learn about Spain and the different businesses that can be found in a Spanish city or village. They created their own city complete with stores, restaurants, and hospitals using Spanish dialog.

The presence or absence of student motivation is a crucial factor in developing proficiency in a foreign language. Intrinsically motivated students find internal satisfaction in learning how to communicate in the target language, while those who are extrinsically motivated (or unmotivated) plod through their language classes as a means to satisfy an academic requirement (see Pintrich & Schunk, 2002). Motivated students are more likely to develop a sense of self-determination and seek ways to develop their language proficiency through their own efforts, rather than relying on a teacher or curriculum (Ushioda, 2008). An important challenge for foreign language teachers, therefore, is to find ways to increase students’ internal motivation.

Chamot, Anna & Genovese, Bruna. (2009) Using Student Choice in Foreign Language to Make Connections in Other Disciplines. The George Washington University, Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, Vol. 6. No. 2

Language Myths

Myth 1: Isn't Spanish easier than French?

Myth 2: Isn't taking Latin the only choice for really increasing SAT scores?

It is true that knowledge of Latin helps students broaden their understanding of the English language. However, statistical evidence shows that most students who have completed four or more years of successful world language study can potentially increase their scores on both the verbal and math sections of the SAT.

French and Spanish are derived from Latin and therefore are also beneficial to students on the SAT and ACT. Knowledge of French and Spanish cognates help students to broaden their vocabulary significantly. In addition, many words from these languages have come directly into English, such as salsa, siesta, plaza, savoir-faire, sangfroid, fait accompli, and détente.

FACTS about the English language:

English is believed to be of Germanic origin.
French is a Romance language that evolved from Latin.
French vocabulary became part of the English language after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. For centuries, the Anglo-Saxon language merged with French, the language of the ruling elite.

As a result, the derivations of English words are as follows:

Latin 29%
French 29%
Germanic Languages 26%
Greek 6%
Other Languages 10%

Myth 3: Shouldn't a student just continue in the same language they have had in the lower school?

Because Renbrook provides world language lessons for students beginning in Junior Kindergarten, they have the benefit of forming the cognitive and linguistic connections that make the acquisition of additional languages easier. Nothing your child learned in the Lower School is lost by changing languages in the sixth grade. To the contrary, the groundwork laid by the Lower School program helps our students move quickly through the initial concepts of the Upper School curriculum, regardless of the language chosen.

Myth 4: Shouldn't a student who has difficulty memorizing avoid taking Latin?

Myth 5: Isn't French pronunciation harder and almost impossible to learn if you haven't studied it from an early age?

Our French and Spanish courses offer an e-text with audio and video resources, providing pronunciation practice both in and outside of the classroom. The many opportunities for listening to the target language online means that students are no longer limited to speaking and listening practice in the classroom. Even our Latin courses use newly developed audio and video resources to hone speech and pronunciation. In addition, the students involved in Renbrook's Beginning School, Lower School Spanish in grades JK-4, and Grade 5 World Language “Trial by Trimester” programs have already formed the brain synapses necessary for the acquisition of new sounds and accents.