World Language

Spanish and Mandarin

Girls doing calligraphy in Mandarin class

Teaching languages at an early age helps children improve their higher thinking skills, and learning about other cultures helps children learn responsible citizenship. They develop insight into the nature of language and culture so that they can participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world.

The World Language program at Westside School is designed for students from Preschool to 8th Grade to organically acquire second languages in the most natural form possible.

Rather than the traditional approach of focusing on vocabulary and grammar, our students focus on acquiring language through an understanding of the connection between: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Adhering to these 5 C’s, we ensure that our students can:

Learn Spanish and Mandarin in a natural, consistent, and holistic way
Set proficiency goals that focus on language performance and progress
Develop a growth mindset and become a lifelong learner

Our World Language program focuses on instilling in students the awareness and understanding of the colorfulness from other cultures, cultivating their senses of being Global Citizens, and solidifying pathways of language development that support their future language learning.

Preschool-5th grade students take both Mandarin and Spanish each year. In 6th grade, students decide which language they want to concentrate on and take that World Language as a daily core academic course.

Lower School World Language

PRESCHOOL/PRE-KINDERGARTEN/KINDERGARTEN

In preschool-Kindergarten World Language, students learn to say hello and goodbye in culturally appropriate ways. They develop their ability to respond to yes or no questions with the help of gestures or visuals on the topics learned in class. During class, students are empowered to express their basic needs and ideas in Spanish and Mandarin.

At this stage, students develop an understanding of different cultures by making connections and comparisons within their communities.

1ST & 2ND GRADE

In Spanish and Mandarin in 1st & 2nd grade, students know how to identify/understand memorized or familiar words when they are supported by gestures or visuals in informational texts.

At this level, students learn how to introduce themselves (say their name, age, and where they live) and provide additional information by answering a few simple questions on very familiar topics.

Students continue to develop an understanding of different cultures by making connections and comparisons within their communities.

3RD & 4TH GRADE

As students continue to learn both Mandarin and Spanish in 3rd & 4th grade, they are able to understand simple directions to a familiar place and express basic preferences, needs, and feelings (such as what foods they like and dislike.)

Students also identify products and practices to help them understand perspectives. They interact at survival level in some familiar context. (Example: Identify how, what and why people eat what they do.)

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPANISH

5th Grade

In 5th grade Spanish, students are taught some learning strategies for gaining skills in Spanish, and work on developing some basic communication skills: greetings and goodbyes, asking questions, sharing some information about oneself and inquiring about others (basic demographics, emotions, preferences, and interests, for example). They learn personal pronouns and become able to use some high frequency verbs to express themselves in the present tense. They learn some commonly used nouns, adjectives, and adverbs also, through stories and targeted lessons. Students also begin to learn about Spanish and Spanish-speaking cultures across the world, and within the U.S.

6th Grade

In 6th grade Spanish, students continue to practice language learning strategies and work on proficiency. Students expand their basic communication skills, increase their vocabulary, and gain more structural understanding of Spanish, through targeted lessons. Students learn some of the conjugation patterns in the present indicative for frequently used verbs.

7th Grade

In 7th grade Spanish, students have targeted lessons to support their language learning strategies and build proficiency. They learn additional grammatical patterns and become able to comprehend and express themselves using some common verbs in the simple future and simple past tenses. They begin to read short texts in Spanish independently and with regularity, for comprehension. Through listening and reading with stories and music, and practicing with visual interactive materials, students continue to gain skills in comprehension and expression. Students continue to learn about the Spanish and Spanish speaking cultures that exist across the world, and within the U.S.

8th Grade

In 8th grade Spanish, students have targeted lessons to support their language learning strategies and build proficiency. They learn the grammatical patterns that allow them to begin to understand and express themselves in the imperfect indicative, conditional, and present subjunctive tenses. Students read texts in Spanish independently and regularly, and share their thoughts in writing on varied topics. Students begin to participate in 1:1 conversational check-ins with the instructor and/or each other.

Through listening and reading with stories and music, and practicing with visual interactive materials, students gain skills in comprehension and expression.

Students wrap up their learning about Spanish and Spanish-speaking cultures that exist across the world, and within the U.S., including current events that impact Hispanic/Latino communities.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MANDARIN

5th Grade

5th grade is the beginning of a great adventure in learning Chinese! During this year, students learn all of the tools needed to be a successful student of Chinese language and culture. This year is an important year for building foundations in reading, writing, and speaking ability. Students begin feeling comfortable using phonetic symbols, recognizing and writing words that they have heard or seen before, and asking simple questions about objects around them. At this level, they understand much more than they are able to say, but it's important to remember that this is an important step in mastering the language.

6th Grade

By the end of this year in Chinese, students can say quite a bit and understand even more! Their ability to write and read in the language also increases from simple words and phrases to simple connected sentences. Throughout the year, students will have many opportunities to experiment with the language in real-world settings as they budget for and prepare grocery lists for shopping scavenger hunts across Chinatown, and create their own traditional Night Market stalls for raising funds by selling Chinese tea and New Year’s food to Westside families to benefit members of our Seattle Chinatown community. This is a year all about using the language to discover new things about ourselves and the people and surroundings near to us.

7th Grade

7th grade is a big growth year in learning how to use the language. Students don’t rely as much on memorization and begin to feel more independent in their language-learning. They are able to handle basic conversations in a variety of daily life contexts. This means they can discuss their opinions on different forms of entertainment; ask questions to learn more about the backgrounds and stories of other people, find their way around a city, and other things that are considered important to basic daily living. Through the year, students will find themselves using all of these abilities to mentor 4th grade Mandarin students in their reading, interview residents of Chinatown on their family’s experiences immigrating to and/or living in Seattle, host book readings or stories they’ve written for members of the community, and connect with students in Chinese communities across the world through language exchanges.

8th Grade

In 8th grade Mandarin, students’ developing proficiency in the language will allow them to demonstrate new intercultural competencies as they make connections and comparisons between the cultural practices, products, and perspectives found here in Seattle and in many of the Chinese cultural communities across the world.

They can ask a variety of questions to obtain simple information and take care of their basic needs, like getting directions, prices, and services. Students demonstrate all of these abilities as they explore Chinatown on shopping trips, make cooking videos as they learn to prepare unique Chinese New Year food and beverages, and sell them to our community during the 6th & 8th Grade Night Market, and even learn how to blend earth-friendly innovation with traditional cultural products in an exciting capstone STEM lab.