Middle school language question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

I want to second this. Middle school languages count for graduation requirements but many college want four years of HS foreign language. If your kids is interested in competitive college and doesn’t love foreign language it is in their best interest to do all of their foreign language study in HS.

This is incorrect and I wish folks would stop quoting it incorrectly:
- MS languages count towards graduation. Graduation requirement is 2 years of the SAME foreign language.
- Most colleges require 2years of same foreign language, which the graduation requirement covers, regardless of whether taken in MS or HS.
- Many colleges want to see at least some language taken in HS. Whether this is 1-4 years is up to the student.
- Some specific highly selective colleges want to see 3-4 years of a foreign language.
-Several of the current MCPS Special HS programs require students to have taken or be currently enrolled in at least one year of a foriegn language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. Next question- school website says they offer Spanish 1 and 2. What do kids do in 8th if they take Spanish 1A and 1B in 6th?

Full year, they take spanish 3 in 8th. You need to talk to the school.

They might have to take Spanish 3 at the HS first period and then get busses to a full day at the MS.

Some middle schools don’t even offer WL in 6th grade for this reason and for what PP said about still needing to take so many years in HS if you’re college bound.

What? No. My 8th grader is taking Spanish 3 next year in his middle school. There’s at least 2 classes for Spanish 3 for 8th graders-no one is busing to HS for a class that is typical for many kids.

[Anonymous]

Roughly what level of proficiency do students reach at each level (I e. Spanish 1 vs 2 vs 3 vs 4, or similar for other languages)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. Next question- school website says they offer Spanish 1 and 2. What do kids do in 8th if they take Spanish 1A and 1B in 6th?

Full year, they take spanish 3 in 8th. You need to talk to the school.

They might have to take Spanish 3 at the HS first period and then get busses to a full day at the MS.

Some middle schools don’t even offer WL in 6th grade for this reason and for what PP said about still needing to take so many years in HS if you’re college bound.

What? No. My 8th grader is taking Spanish 3 next year in his middle school. There’s at least 2 classes for Spanish 3 for 8th graders-no one is busing to HS for a class that is typical for many kids.

So you assume that because your school offers a class, every school.does? That's not how MCPS works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. Next question- school website says they offer Spanish 1 and 2. What do kids do in 8th if they take Spanish 1A and 1B in 6th?

Full year, they take spanish 3 in 8th. You need to talk to the school.

They might have to take Spanish 3 at the HS first period and then get busses to a full day at the MS.

Some middle schools don’t even offer WL in 6th grade for this reason and for what PP said about still needing to take so many years in HS if you’re college bound.

What? No. My 8th grader is taking Spanish 3 next year in his middle school. There’s at least 2 classes for Spanish 3 for 8th graders-no one is busing to HS for a class that is typical for many kids.

So you assume that because your school offers a class, every school.does? That's not how MCPS works.

There are at least a dozen middle schools where kids have to be bused to the cluster high school for language level 3. There is no consistency among MCPS schools in what is offered to students. And when you have a kid in a poorer school, it is more likely that they will not get the same opportunities for enrichment via electives, languages, and extracurriculars as wealthier schools.

[Anonymous]

How big a deal is it to take a year or two off before coming back to Spanish in high school? Any strategies to help keep it fresh in-between? (My husband and I both speak Spanish at a high-intermediate level and could practice with her in the interim.) Has anyone had or known a kid who tried this, and how'd it go?

My kid would prefer to only take 1 or 2 years in MS to leave room for other electives (besides band), but the elective options are thin in 6th so on one level it would make sense to do Spanish 1A/B in 6th and then do 1 more year in MS (or maybe none) before digging in and doing Spanish every year in HS, but if she's going to forget so much that she'll have to retake Spanish 1 then of course it doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

I want to second this. Middle school languages count for graduation requirements but many college want four years of HS foreign language. If your kids is interested in competitive college and doesn’t love foreign language it is in their best interest to do all of their foreign language study in HS.

This is incorrect and I wish folks would stop quoting it incorrectly:
- MS languages count towards graduation. Graduation requirement is 2 years of the SAME foreign language.
- Most colleges require 2years of same foreign language, which the graduation requirement covers, regardless of whether taken in MS or HS.
- Many colleges want to see at least some language taken in HS. Whether this is 1-4 years is up to the student.
- Some specific highly selective colleges want to see 3-4 years of a foreign language.
-Several of the current MCPS Special HS programs require students to have taken or be currently enrolled in at least one year of a foriegn language.

This doesn’t fully resonate with what I’ve heard. While this may be true for some schools I think parents would do well to consider this for themselves for the specific schools they are interested in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

I want to second this. Middle school languages count for graduation requirements but many college want four years of HS foreign language. If your kids is interested in competitive college and doesn’t love foreign language it is in their best interest to do all of their foreign language study in HS.

This is incorrect and I wish folks would stop quoting it incorrectly:
- MS languages count towards graduation. Graduation requirement is 2 years of the SAME foreign language.
- Most colleges require 2years of same foreign language, which the graduation requirement covers, regardless of whether taken in MS or HS.
- Many colleges want to see at least some language taken in HS. Whether this is 1-4 years is up to the student.
- Some specific highly selective colleges want to see 3-4 years of a foreign language.
-Several of the current MCPS Special HS programs require students to have taken or be currently enrolled in at least one year of a foriegn language.

This doesn’t fully resonate with what I’ve heard. While this may be true for some schools I think parents would do well to consider this for themselves for the specific schools they are interested in.

Specifically the colleges they are interested in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

I want to second this. Middle school languages count for graduation requirements but many college want four years of HS foreign language. If your kids is interested in competitive college and doesn’t love foreign language it is in their best interest to do all of their foreign language study in HS.

This is incorrect and I wish folks would stop quoting it incorrectly:
- MS languages count towards graduation. Graduation requirement is 2 years of the SAME foreign language.
- Most colleges require 2years of same foreign language, which the graduation requirement covers, regardless of whether taken in MS or HS.
- Many colleges want to see at least some language taken in HS. Whether this is 1-4 years is up to the student.
- Some specific highly selective colleges want to see 3-4 years of a foreign language.
-Several of the current MCPS Special HS programs require students to have taken or be currently enrolled in at least one year of a foriegn language.

Have your kid try applying to a selective school with 0-2 years of foreign language in HS and let us know how that goes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How big a deal is it to take a year or two off before coming back to Spanish in high school? Any strategies to help keep it fresh in-between? (My husband and I both speak Spanish at a high-intermediate level and could practice with her in the interim.) Has anyone had or known a kid who tried this, and how'd it go?

My kid would prefer to only take 1 or 2 years in MS to leave room for other electives (besides band), but the elective options are thin in 6th so on one level it would make sense to do Spanish 1A/B in 6th and then do 1 more year in MS (or maybe none) before digging in and doing Spanish every year in HS, but if she's going to forget so much that she'll have to retake Spanish 1 then of course it doesn't.

I would not do this. The kid will struggle in Spanish 3 if you take a year off. I would start in 7th and go all the way through.