Welcome, ECFS families
Department Chair
Xiaofei Li | xli@ecfs.org
The goal of the Middle School Department of Modern and Classical Languages is to empower students to thrive in authentic situations, develop curiosity and confidence as lifelong learners of languages, and embrace ethical values as global citizens. Our program offers classes in Mandarin Chinese, French, Spanish, and Latin. All four languages are offered at the beginner level in sixth grade. We anchor our work in our School’s values of academic excellence, progressive education, and ethical learning as our students gain rich linguistic, cultural, and historical perspectives and knowledge.
We are committed to developing students who will independently:
- Communicate in their language of study on an array of topics
- Make connections between their language of study and their native language
- Apply cultural competency to engage with diverse communities and individuals
- Embrace lifelong learning of modern and classical languages
Because our School is committed to academic excellence, progressive education, and ethical learning, our instructional methods include:
- Teaching in the target language
- Activities in all four modes (listening and reading comprehension, speaking, and writing)
- Emphasis on grammatical accuracy and effective communication
- Student-centered activities
- Differentiated instruction
- Interdisciplinary work
- Real world applications
- Use of authentic material such as songs, films, photographs, visual art, fiction and non-fiction texts, online news, and overseas websites
- Use of technology such as blogs, online writing and recording tools, and presentational and creative softwares
- Trip opportunities within New York City and abroad
Descriptions by Grade Level
Mandarin Chinese 6 Rotation
During the 6th grade year, students rotate through French, Latin, Mandarin and Spanish. The goal of this program is to expose students to the languages offered in the Middle School and help them build language acquisition and study skills. The curriculum also intends to highlight connections among languages and nurture students’ curiosity about different cultures. At the end of the year, each student chooses a language they wish to pursue in the next two years and beyond. In Mandarin, students work on developing a foundational understanding of the language. The emphasis is on learning how to pronounce words, write characters, and apply simple grammatical concepts. Students also acquire essential vocabulary, including pronouns, numbers, question words, and expressions of time. Cultural topics such as traditional customs and origins of Chinese holidays are presented and discussed in class. By the culmination of the rotation, they are able to make brief introductions of themselves, utilizing the knowledge of Mandarin they gained.
Mandarin Chinese 7
The Mandarin Chinese 7 course is communicative and interactive. It aims to introduce the students to the Chinese language and culture, build the foundation of students’ integrated language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin Chinese, and develop students’ intercultural competence. Students will be engaged in exciting and meaningful learning through comprehensible input, communicative tasks, games, projects, videos, music, and art. Students are strongly encouraged to take risks to explore the Chinese language and culture, and to gradually build the classroom into a Chinese-only learning community.
Mandarin Chinese 8
This course introduces more vocabulary and complex structures through thematic units that cover various aspects of daily life. Students will study a range of topics, including activities both in and outside of school, planning, living spaces, and neighborhoods. While practicing four modes of communication, students will learn to elaborate on past, present, and future events and navigate unfamiliar information using their existing knowledge of Chinese. Authentic materials, including movies, videos, and folktales, are integrated into lessons as cultural enrichment and opportunities to compare and contrast youth life in different communities and times.
French 6 Rotation
During the 6th grade year, students rotate through French, Latin, Mandarin and Spanish. The goal of this program is to expose students to the languages offered in the Middle School and help them build language acquisition and study skills. The curriculum also intends to highlight connections among languages and nurture students’ curiosity about different cultures. At the end of the year, each student chooses a language they wish to pursue in the next two years and beyond. The 6th-grade French introductory class offers an engaging exploration of the French language and culture. Students will learn fundamental vocabulary such as essential greetings, colors, days of the week, school-related terms, numbers, likes and dislikes, animals, activities, and more. Throughout this two-month linguistic journey, students will learn and sing numerous songs, enhancing their learning experience. The lessons are interactive, featuring collaborative activities such as projects that make language and cultural acquisition both enjoyable and meaningful. This foundation-building experience not only nurtures language skills but also instills a profound appreciation for the richness of French and Francophone heritage.
French 7
This course is designed to help students build a knowledge of basic spoken and written French and gain cultural competency. The topics covered allow students to engage in a variety of practical conversations about themselves, their friends and family members, their physical and emotional wellbeing, their family celebrations, their activities, school, and preferences as well as nature, food, art, sports, home, and the city. Also, the course invites students to think about their role in their larger communities as they address positive behaviors, global and local environmental issues, and social justice issues. It includes a study of the present tense in the indicative, imperative, and conditional mood, an introduction of past and future tenses, and a study of basic grammatical topics. The course uses a wide array of fiction, poetry, visual art, films, songs, comics, and cartoons from around the French-speaking world.
French 8
This course concludes the middle school study of French. It is designed to help students consolidate and further develop their command of the language and help them become independent and life-long learners of French. Students will learn to communicate with ease about various aspects of their daily life, function effectively when traveling, and respond both orally and in writing with details and a wide variety of vocabulary. It includes a study of past, present, and future tenses, in the indicative, conditional and imperative moods, as well as subordinate clauses. The course delves deeper into the literature, cultures, traditions, and histories of French-speaking countries and uses a wide array of fiction, poetry, visual art, films, songs, comics, and cartoons.
Spanish 6 Rotation
During the 6th-grade year, students rotate through French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish. The goal of this program is to expose students to the languages offered in the Middle School and help them build language acquisition and study skills. The curriculum also intends to highlight connections among languages and nurture students’ curiosity about different cultures. At the end of the year, each student chooses a language they wish to pursue in the next two years and beyond. In Spanish, students use authentic resources to build interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication skills. They investigate Spanish-speaking communities in New York City and around the world. They learn to introduce and describe themselves and others, and to share important information such as where they live and what they like. Students learn about language through cognates and the use of new vocabulary and grammatical structures in context, so that they begin to build a foundation from which to build greater Spanish proficiency.
Spanish 7
In 7th Grade, Spanish students work on developing their oral, written, and comprehension skills while practicing previously acquired and new material. The topics covered this year allow students to talk about, describe, and compare themselves, their friends and family members, their physical and emotional well-being, as well as their daily routine. They share their family celebrations, as well as activities and passions. They explore cultural perspectives about the concept of needing versus having and wanting. Speaking practice focuses on sustained descriptions and dialogues, incorporating more details through adjectives and prepositional phrases. Topics are taught and practiced through partner and group activities. Students design presentations about themselves and others and describe their home and family dynamics. They also create a video blog about their routine and leisure activities. Lastly, they talk about an important event in their lives and create a summer camp or a holiday itinerary.
Spanish 8
In 8th Grade, Spanish students continue to improve and develop their writing, speaking, listening, and reading comprehension skills. They review the material acquired in previous years and expand their knowledge with new topics such as back to school, clothing and going shopping, living in a city, memories from early childhood, traveling through Costa Rica and other Spanish-speaking countries, and the future of the earth. Grammar topics will be presented in conjunction with new and previously learned vocabulary, as well as within the thematic unit of study. Students learn how to express themselves both orally and in writing, using present, past, and future tenses. They will also strengthen their reading comprehension by working through leveled readers and build up their oral skills by preparing presentations and engaging in a variety of individual and group activities.
Spanish for Spanish Speakers
Spanish for Spanish Speakers is offered to strong heritage speakers in 7th and 8th grade. Applicants to this course will take a skill evaluation, while enrollment will depend on a teacher’s recommendation. This class’s curriculum focuses on enhancing qualified students’ linguistic and cultural competencies. Thematic units about different Spanish-speaking regions will shed light on the cultural vitality and diversity of the Spanish-speaking world. Authentic materials will be incorporated to expand students’ vocabulary, strengthen comprehension, and encourage recognition and appreciation of diverse perspectives. In-depth discussions will take place frequently to foster critical thinking and understanding of social justice in the context of the topic. Grammar studies and reviews will be woven into the curriculum to refine students’ skills.
Latin 6 Rotation
During the 6th grade year, students rotate through French, Latin, Mandarin and Spanish. The goal of this program is to expose students to the languages offered in the Middle School and help them build language acquisition and study skills. The curriculum also intends to highlight connections among languages and nurture students’ curiosity about different cultures. At the end of the year, each student chooses a language they wish to pursue in the next two years and beyond. In Latin, students learn introductions and objects around the classroom and school. There are then two units, one exploring animals and one about mythology. Students learn several parts of speech and how to form basic sentences. Students make and annotate a drawing showing various animals in their habitats and then several entries for a mythological encyclopedia.
Latin as a Primary Language:
Students in this course meet four times per week. The overall goal of the three-year sequence is for students to develop a core vocabulary and linguistic and cultural sense so that they can comprehend Latin texts of medium complexity.
Latin 7
This course is a formal introduction to Latin language and Roman culture. Students will learn some basic vocabulary and grammar. We will put particular emphasis this year on the grammar of the Latin noun, including cases and declensions.
Latin 8
This course continues on the introduction to Latin language and Roman culture that students encountered in 6th and 7th grades. We will work this year to extend our knowledge of verbs to past (imperfect, perfect, and pluperfect) and future tenses.
