Lakeside Middle School Language Department

PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS OF THE LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

Our primary aim in teaching language to middle school age students is to instill a love of language and the culture from which it springs. To this end we employ a wide range of activities and games designed to make learning fun. Recent research, along with our own observations, suggests that students learn best when they are enjoying themselves.

In the modern languages, educating students to communicate in the language, both orally and in writing is a fundamental goal. To promote this proficiency, classes are conducted in a modified immersion format, with students and teachers communicating primarily in the target language. English is spoken only when necessary, i.e. the explanation of a complex grammatical point.

Latin stands apart in its aim of promoting literary as opposed to oral proficiency. Emphasis is placed upon the learning of Latin grammar and vocabulary in order that students learn to read and compose in the language and that they develop an understanding of its linguistic differences from and connections to English.

Click on image for Marit Peters's classes

Language Faculty

Mirta Blat, Department Head, Spanish

Terry Northrup, Latin

Lucy Goldman, French

Marit Peters, Spanish

Jillian Tsai 蔡季芬老师, Chinese

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