POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION

• A three-year level 1 program, as currently being offered in our Middle School, serves as an excellent linguistic foundation. However, it’s important that we not lose sight of some of the other circumstances surrounding rising SSFS 9th graders and the challenges they’ll face, linguistic and otherwise.

• All SSFS 9th graders take full class loads including a structured study hall. The academic demand increases along with various pressures, among them peer, parental and of course scholastic.

• Keep in mind that there is a 3-year common, second language graduation requirement established in the Upper School. This means that students and their families, along with good advice from their current 8th grade teacher, need to be able to project three years ahead to see if that particular level course compliments both the abilities and desire of said student and how, realistically, this might impact their transcript.

1. In ascending order, the Upper School currently offers the following language levels in both French and Spanish:
   
   1 Foundations 1
   2 Foundations 2
   3 Advanced Grammatical Concepts
   4 History, Geography & Culture Survey
   5 AP Language (by approval only)
   6 Advanced Literature: Independent Study (by approval only)

• With rare exception, most SSFS 9th graders will likely qualify for either Level 1 or Level 2. Any SSFS 9th grader believed to be qualified for Level 3 needs Upper School departmental approval because the implication is that by their third year (Junior year) they will need to successfully complete Level 5, which is an AP course and requires special approval to pursue. Besides, a 9th grader in a Level 3 course presents some potential social/peer concerns. Students with documented language learning differences on file with the SSFS Learning Specialist may qualify to receive a SSFS foreign language waiver from the Department Head in consultation with the Head of the Upper School, department faculty, the Learning Specialist and Registrar. Nonetheless, most students at SSFS with documented language learning differences, despite the option of receiving a foreign language waiver, elect to attempt a foreign language; most go on to fulfill the graduation requirement; some will go as far as they can (Level 1 and/or 2) and have the waiver applied at a given saturation point in the future. To learn more about the Procedures & Criteria for Waiving the Foreign Language Graduation Requirement click here.

• Therefore the most common "track" for rising SSFS 9th graders is either Levels 1, 2 & 3 or Levels 2, 3 & 4. In these tracks they will find themselves among peers their own age. In either case, the possibility to continue beyond the graduation requirement exists come the 12th grade.

• When recommending a current 8th grade student to pursue a certain language level, please keep all of the above in mind. There is absolutely no shame in beginning at Level 1in the 9th grade. The pace is literally three times faster and therefore shouldn’t bore average language learners coming out of the Middle School. In fact, strategically it could be a good idea for a 9th grader to have a course in which he/she feels competent. Let’s not forget that most summers, let alone the transition between 8th & 9th grade, can wreak havoc on a child’s second language retention. A rising SSFS 9th grader should be an excellent, not average, Middle School language learner to consider beginning his/her foreign language track in Level 2. Ultimately we want each student’s language experience to be fulfilling, challenging and fun. We don’t want anyone to slip through the cracks.