The Foreign Language Department of St. Francis High School is guided by the mission and philosophy of the school. Studying a second language provides the cognitive and intellectual preparation necessary to succeed in the academic and social environment the St. Francis graduate will encounter. Learning a second language allows her to understand other people and cultures and to gain insight into the history and extraordinary lives of saints and heroes.

On the spiritual plane, reading about religious customs and traditions and learning to pray in the target language encourages the St. Francis student to connect with other communities and to recognize the universality of our faith.

Foreign Language Courses Sequence
For more information about Foreign Language course offerings, visit the Course Catalog.

• Level 1: French 1, Italian 1, Latin 1, Spanish 1.
• Level 2: French 2, Italian 2, Latin 2, Spanish 2.
• Level 3: French 3, Italian 3, Latin 3-Cicero; Spanish 3; Honors French 3, and Honors Spanish 3.
• Level 4: French 4; Spanish 4; Honors Italian 4, Latin 4-Virgil; AP French 4 and AP Spanish 4.

Facts about the Foreign Language Program

• The minimum requirement for SFHS graduation is the successful completion of two years of Foreign Language courses. Although the graduation requirement for St. Francis is two years, most students complete 3 or 4 years of one language and many take more than one language concurrently.
• Most faculty members teaching in the Foreign Language Department are native speakers and/or have lived extensively in countries where the language is spoken.
• The Italian government has recognized the Italian course of studies at St. Francis as a model for an accredited four-year with honors program. Students of Italian IV Honors prepare to take the Italian Language Advanced Placement Examination.
• In the spring of 2007, the Foreign Language Department will celebrate its 16th Annual International Night. This is a school wide event that celebrates the cultural and linguistic diversity of St. Francis offering a buffet of multicultural dishes and an entertainment program performed by St. Francis students and friends.
• SFHS Language Clubs: Italian, French and Spanish clubs are open to all students. Language Clubs promote the understanding of the traditions and culture of speakers of each language. To this end, members of the language clubs celebrate traditional festivities, attend local cultural events, organize fundraisers and participate in community service activities.
• Every other summer, the Foreign Language Department sponsors a cultural trip to Spain, France, Italy and Mexico. A European trip is planned for the summer of 2007.

Diocesan Foreign Language Competencies for High School Entrance

Previous language instruction does not provide an advantage for an applicant in the admission process at St. Francis High School. Incoming students are not expected to have formally studied a language other than English in elementary school and entering students are placed in the first level of foreign language. An entering student with previous experience may take the placement examination and every attempt will be made to place that student in the class most appropriate to her language proficiency level. Students interested in enrolling in a Foreign Language class other than first year must take the Foreign Language Challenge Exam on March 20, 2007.

Proficiency in English and mastery of learning strategies are necessary for success in the study of other languages. Expected written and oral language skills prior to enrollment in Foreign Language courses at SFHS are:

• Knowledge of English grammar concepts and terms
• Recognition and proper use of parts of speech
• Mastery of correct English in areas such as subject-verb agreement, direct and indirect objects and verb tenses
• Knowledge of vocabulary development: meaning, derivatives, suffixes, prefixes
• Mastery of memorization techniques for vocabulary growth
• Basic understanding of sentence and paragraph writing

Department Chair:
Evelyn Vargas
916.452.3461 ext. 136
EVargas@stfrancishs.org