The primary goal of our Spanish and Mandarin classes is for students to be able to communicate in the target language—and to see how the world opens up further when they learn a new language.
At Bay, our world language curriculum is more than just a series of courses; it's a transformative experience that prepares students to navigate an increasingly interconnected and diverse world with confidence and cultural competence. Whether students are embarking on their language learning journey or refining their skills to advanced levels, they can expect to be challenged, inspired, and empowered to become global citizens who embrace linguistic diversity and cultural understanding.
Developing Proficiency Through Variety and Immersion
With offerings in both Spanish and Mandarin, our approach goes beyond traditional acquisition methods, focusing on active participation and real-world application. Students are challenged from day one, tasked with communicating solely in the target language at least 90% of the time. Classes are engaging, combining a mix of speaking, reading, writing, and listening, with ample opportunities to practice and reinforce language skills in authentic contexts. By making language applicable to their daily lives and future aspirations, we ensure that students see the relevance and value of what they learn in the classroom.
Additionally, we are proud to offer several advanced curriculum offerings, including classes that further explore the literature, history, and culture of their chosen language, and classes designed specifically for students with previous experience in the language, deepening their multilingual and multicultural experience.
Courses Offered
Students must complete six semesters in a single language. Most students complete the language requirement in their first three years at Bay; they are encouraged to continue their language studies beyond this requirement.
This is a two-semester introductory course in Modern Standard Chinese (Putonghua). This course develops speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Students learn the tonal system, pronunciation, basic grammar, and the fundamentals of the Chinese writing system. Additionally, in view of the intimate relationship between language and culture, students learn about Chinese culture, recent history, and geography. During this course, students develop the ability to carry out simple conversations in Chinese on a limited range of topics. No prerequisite.
In this two-semester course, students review and continue working with the concepts and skills introduced in Mandarin 1, simultaneously building new vocabulary and increasingly complex sentence patterns. There is further focus on the Chinese tonal system and character acquisition. Students increase their ability to acquire pertinent information through listening, to express themselves with more confidence, and to read and write characters with greater fluency and ease. Prerequisite: Mandarin 1 or placement exam
This two-semester course further develops students' communicative abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing modern Chinese. Students largely focus on strengthening their listening and reading comprehension skills through increased exposure to authentic material. Upon completion of this course, students are able to handle most daily conversations with relative fluency and are comfortable speaking and interacting in the target language. Prerequisite: Mandarin 2 or placement exam
This two-semester course is an introductory course for students who want to begin to learn the language and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. Students learn basic communication through speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Students develop proficiency in communicating about familiar topics such as school, family, and personal interests. Focus is placed on building confidence in self-expression, asking questions, developing resilience in learning a second language, and cultivating curiosity about the Spanish-speaking world. During this course, teachers and students communicate mostly in Spanish. No prerequisite.
This two-semester course continues the development of the four major communication skills— listening, speaking, reading, and writing—begun in Spanish 1. Students develop proficiency in communicating about topics like travel, shopping, clothing, daily routines, and food. Classroom work is concentrated on developing language proficiency through active communication and negotiation of meaning and ideas. Students will engage with authentic sources created by and for Spanish Speakers around the world in order to gain cultural understanding and competence. During this course, teachers and students communicate primarily in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 1 or placement exam.
This two-semester course integrates students' experiences and perspectives of the world around them. Students develop proficiency in communicating about topics like celebration, health, technology, and housing. Additionally, students continue to employ what they have learned in previous Spanish courses to fully communicate about more complex situations. Classroom work is concentrated on expanding language proficiency through active communication and negotiation of meaning and ideas. Students engage with authentic sources created by and for Spanish Speakers around the world in order to gain cultural understanding and competence. During this course, teachers and students communicate exclusively in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 2 or placement exam
Electives
This two-semester course enhances students’ abilities to communicate fluently and precisely in modern Chinese. This course incorporates both traditional Chinese stories and idioms, while at the same time exploring current events and youth culture in China. In addition to the textbook, the course makes use of authentic supplemental material to broaden students’ vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and cultural knowledge. Students learn to master more complex sentence patterns for the purpose of sustaining longer, more in-depth conversations. Students apply their knowledge of complex sentence structures and advanced grammar patterns to various forms of written expression. Finally, students express their opinions and creativity through various modes of presentation. Prerequisite: Mandarin 3 or placement exam
This two-semester course integrates language and culture through the exploration of topics like nature, our cities, well-being, and work-related topics. In this course, students explore questions such as: How can I help create a more sustainable community? How and why would you choose a neighborhood? How do I work to promote my own happiness and well-being? What do I need to do to prepare to live, study, and/or work abroad? The course uses current articles, websites, and other authentic resources from the Spanish-speaking world to develop more sophisticated and complex language skills and cultural awareness. Students build and demonstrate their knowledge through daily conversations, reading, and writing activities. During this course, teachers and students communicate exclusively in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 3 or placement exam
Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1 (SSS 1) is a two-semester course designed for students (1) for whom Spanish is their home/family language, (2) who were raised in a Spanish-speaking environment and possess proficient listening comprehension skills but may not have had extensive formal classroom instruction in the language, or (3) who have experienced full immersion for an extended period of time. The primary goal of this course is to build on and expand students' existing knowledge of Spanish while developing skills for using the language in academic contexts. This course also takes into account and validates the experiences and influences of bilingual/multilingual and bicultural/multicultural upbringing or education. In this course, students develop their communicative abilities, both verbal and written, by engaging with authentic resources to explore the themes of identity, language, family, expectations, and traditions. Prerequisite: Student’s self-identification as a conversational Spanish speaker and interview with a Bay Spanish teacher.
Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2 (SSS 2) is a two-semester course and a continuation of SSS 1. In this course, students increase their awareness of the richness and diversity of the Spanish-speaking world through exposure to authentic literary and cultural readings, as well as audio and video materials and artwork. Through their study of these materials, students further develop their literacy and comprehension of Spanish. In addition, students improve their writing skills by composing personal essays and technical writing assignments such as proposals and emails. They also improve their speaking skills by completing a variety of interpersonal and presentational speaking tasks. Finally, through their work in this class, students sharpen their grammatical skills and spelling in order to communicate with increased accuracy and fluency. Prerequisite: Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1
This two-semester course is for the advanced Mandarin Chinese language student who wishes to develop their language and critical thinking skills. In the first semester, students evaluate essays, short stories, films, and editorials in Mandarin Chinese that reflect the beginnings of modern Chinese literature. In particular, students will study the origins and impact of the May Fourth Movement and of Lu Xun’s enduring influence on modern Chinese literature. The first semester enables students to develop comfort with reading historical and contemporary scholarly texts in Mandarin, discussing historical and contemporary issues facing China in Mandarin, and comfortably writing essays and short responses in Chinese to express their understanding of the May Fourth Movement and Lu Xun. In the second semester, students focus on current concerns in contemporary Chinese society. This semester enables students to understand current issues facing Chinese citizens and to develop and express their opinions on these issues clearly and eloquently in Mandarin Chinese. [This course is an Honors course; see Honors information for details.] Prerequisite: Mandarin 5
This advanced proficiency course explores Latin American literature, history, and culture. Students explore authentic literature, history, cultural readings, and advanced grammar topics through film, music lyrics, literature, and other media in the target language. Students demonstrate their knowledge through academic discussion, research, presentations, assessments in the three modes of communication, and the completion of project-based inquiry and research on a topic of the student’s choosing. Emphasis is placed on equipping students with a more nuanced vocabulary and reinforcing grammar structures they previously learned. During this course, teachers and students communicate exclusively in Spanish. [This course is an Honors course; see Honors information for details.] Prerequisite: Spanish 4 and endorsement of Spanish 4 teacher and Department Chair or placement exam.
Conducted entirely in Mandarin, this two-semester course explores the enduring influence of traditional martial arts cultural heroes, both real and fictional. The course explores how the wuxia concept has historically evolved to its present form, as seen in film, comics, and pop culture. Potential topics include chivalrous bandit heroes in Ming and Qing fiction, the Boxer Rebellion in Late Imperial China, and anti-dynastic sectarian movements in Ming and Qing history. [This course is an Honors course; see Honors information for details.] Prerequisite: Mandarin 4 or placement exam.
Spanish for Spanish Speakers 3 is a two-semester course and a continuation of SSS 2. In this course, students will deepen their knowledge of Latin American and Spanish history and literature through authentic text, art, audio, and video materials. Students will sharpen their formal writing proficiency by composing persuasive and/or critical essays and research papers. Students will continue to develop an academic language through individual and collaborative presentations, in-class discussions, debates, and Socratic seminars. [This course is an Honors course; see Honors information for details.] Prerequisite: Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2