Middle school languages by school?

[Anonymous]

The website lists the language offerings but says you must contact the school to find out which languages they offer. Does anyone happen to know which middle schools offer Japanese or ASL?

I know Julius West lists Chinese on their site, but I checked the MSMC schools and couldn't find anything on their sites.

[Anonymous]

NBMS is now only Spanish and French.

[Anonymous]

I think most MS are Spanish and French. Most HS don't go much beyond that either. I understand it (and definitely support the highest possible access to those languages given not only their inherent value but also their places in the DMV and US) but would love to see additional opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Also, OP, unless you're planning to move house, it's probably home school, MSMC, criteria-based magnets, special-needs program, or COSA. I can't think of any other avenues for middle-school choice. (Even though that's ultimately a lot of choices.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NBMS is now only Spanish and French.

Tilden offers chinese

[Anonymous]

Hallie Wells has Chinese.

[Anonymous]

Does any school offer German? Used to be more available.

[Anonymous]

ASL is not offered at middle school: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/languages/ms

It says that Japanese is offered at the MS level but I don’t think that’s true.

[Anonymous]

If a MS doesn't offer Chinese but the HS in that cluster does, students can take the Chinese course at the HS. Can you take language outside MCPS and it count towards HS Foreign Language credits? For ex., Portuguese which isn't offered at any HS.

[Anonymous]

Be mindful of the fact that their high school may not offer the same languages. Some only have Spanish and French.

Don't fall into the trap of starting Chinese or whatever just because it's available at their middle school, then having to start fresh with another language in HS because there's no practical way to continue with Chinese.

[Anonymous]

Is it worth even attempting Chinese if a child isn't going to become functionally literate without separate classes outside of school? How much ability to read actual text (not transliteration) is built into the MCPS curricula?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it worth even attempting Chinese if a child isn't going to become functionally literate without separate classes outside of school? How much ability to read actual text (not transliteration) is built into the MCPS curricula?

I'd heard that the majority of students in these classes are native speakers which makes them very tough for a non-native.

[Anonymous]

Don't be in a hurry to start 1A/1B in 6th grade. A significant number of MSs don't have enough kids sign up for level 3 in 8th grade, so those that do need to either stop language or bus to the cluster high school for first period.

Had I known that when registering for 6th grade, I'd have let my kid take a "fun" elective and start language in 7th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't be in a hurry to start 1A/1B in 6th grade. A significant number of MSs don't have enough kids sign up for level 3 in 8th grade, so those that do need to either stop language or bus to the cluster high school for first period.

Had I known that when registering for 6th grade, I'd have let my kid take a "fun" elective and start language in 7th.

Our school is IB and requires all students not in a reading intervention to enroll in a foreign language each year, and they don’t offer the ability to slow it down by taking 1A/B over two years. It is very fast, and is by far my child’s most challenging class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it worth even attempting Chinese if a child isn't going to become functionally literate without separate classes outside of school? How much ability to read actual text (not transliteration) is built into the MCPS curricula?

I'd heard that the majority of students in these classes are native speakers which makes them very tough for a non-native.

Strange how they cater to that language with rigor, leading to more streamlined opportunity for advanced learning in HS, but leave French and Spanish without the same.