Language choice at TJ

[Anonymous]

DD needs to sign up for language in freshman year at TJ. Never had language before and has narrowed it down to three. What's the best choice of language in terms of return on investment over someone's career - Spanish, German or Japanese? We have heard that Spanish is hard at TJ but she wants to study the one that will open up the most doors/opportunities. Her plan is to do 4 years of language ending in an AP.

[Anonymous]

I think Spanish would be most useful. That's what DS is taking. It isn't honestly that hard.

[Anonymous]

Let your DD decide. She is probably hearing from other kids what the classes are really like. If not, go to the cluster party for your region and ask the teachers and parents and students there. Not "that hard" at TJ and "lots of fun" at TJ can be different categories.

[Anonymous]

Does she have any background at all in any of the languages? German is the easiest for native English speakers to learn.

[Anonymous]

Without a doubt, Spanish would be the spoken language that would be the most useful. Why does TJ go out of its way to make it difficult - this from a STEM school. Sounds like Russian and Japanese are 2 of the more fun, easier classes. Where on earth is my DD going to use these languages in the US? It's not like either of them have much influence in any professional field here or on the English language.

[Anonymous]

one more thread on similar topic
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/633784.page

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of Germany companies employing people in the US ...

http://www.justaddgerman.org/career-portal/career-opportunities-in-the-us/

[Anonymous]

Russian is a good language to have if the student might ever consider a cyber defense or intelligence field.

[Anonymous]

Skip Spanish unless there is a specific reason to get it. TJ Spanish goes out of it's way to be difficult. Which would not be an issue, except that they seem to take pride in giving low grades, and the class isn't weighted. IME! Spanish I is fine, but but Spanish II is brutal. Lots of kid bailing into online Spanish III.

BTW-- Spanish III is the only not AP foreign language class offered online at TJ (except the full Korean sequence, because Korean is not offered at TJ). This gives kids who suffer through Spanish III a chance to bail out of TJ Spanish after Spanish II. The fact TJ gave up and started allowing kids to do this to get their 3rd year of Spanish without sitting through a TJ version of the class, and for Spanish only, should tell you everything you need to know about the TJ Spanish program.

You have been warned...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:one more thread on similar topic
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/633784.page

Thanks! I did see that thread. In our case, DD is not particular about which one and therefore the search for which would make sense from a career, opportunity perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Skip Spanish unless there is a specific reason to get it. TJ Spanish goes out of it's way to be difficult. Which would not be an issue, except that they seem to take pride in giving low grades, and the class isn't weighted. IME! Spanish I is fine, but but Spanish II is brutal. Lots of kid bailing into online Spanish III.

BTW-- Spanish III is the only not AP foreign language class offered online at TJ (except the full Korean sequence, because Korean is not offered at TJ). This gives kids who suffer through Spanish III a chance to bail out of TJ Spanish after Spanish II. The fact TJ gave up and started allowing kids to do this to get their 3rd year of Spanish without sitting through a TJ version of the class, and for Spanish only, should tell you everything you need to know about the TJ Spanish program.

You have been warned...

Thanks! Does one have to take language in consecutive years without a break? Or can one do Spanish 2 in 9th grade and Spanish 3 in 11th with no language in 10th?

Also, if one chose to do Korean will their entire Language education be offline (9th period)? How would that work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skip Spanish unless there is a specific reason to get it. TJ Spanish goes out of it's way to be difficult. Which would not be an issue, except that they seem to take pride in giving low grades, and the class isn't weighted. IME! Spanish I is fine, but but Spanish II is brutal. Lots of kid bailing into online Spanish III.

BTW-- Spanish III is the only not AP foreign language class offered online at TJ (except the full Korean sequence, because Korean is not offered at TJ). This gives kids who suffer through Spanish III a chance to bail out of TJ Spanish after Spanish II. The fact TJ gave up and started allowing kids to do this to get their 3rd year of Spanish without sitting through a TJ version of the class, and for Spanish only, should tell you everything you need to know about the TJ Spanish program.

You have been warned...

Thanks! Does one have to take language in consecutive years without a break? Or can one do Spanish 2 in 9th grade and Spanish 3 in 11th with no language in 10th?

Also, if one chose to do Korean will their entire Language education be offline (9th period)? How would that work?

Yes. You have to start freshman year, and you have to go without a break until you have at least three 3 years (although my kid is doing Spanish III P/F this summer to be done. DC used to like Spanish...) And once you take a non-TJ class (Spanish III online), you can't come back for Spanish IV or AP. It has to be your terminal class.

I know Korean is listed as an online option. I had always though it was for kids who spoke Korean at home though and get the FCPS WL credits. I don't know anyone who has gone this route. Online doesn't seems to be a great way to learn a language from scratch, but ask guidance or student services if you really want it.

The other word at TJ is that Chinese can be a problem from scratch. In the upper levels, there are kids who are bilingual (speak it at home). No first hand experience, but the word is it is very hard to get an A after Chinese II, just because you are competing with native speakers. So if your kid is not, be aware that dynamic exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skip Spanish unless there is a specific reason to get it. TJ Spanish goes out of it's way to be difficult. Which would not be an issue, except that they seem to take pride in giving low grades, and the class isn't weighted. IME! Spanish I is fine, but but Spanish II is brutal. Lots of kid bailing into online Spanish III.

BTW-- Spanish III is the only not AP foreign language class offered online at TJ (except the full Korean sequence, because Korean is not offered at TJ). This gives kids who suffer through Spanish III a chance to bail out of TJ Spanish after Spanish II. The fact TJ gave up and started allowing kids to do this to get their 3rd year of Spanish without sitting through a TJ version of the class, and for Spanish only, should tell you everything you need to know about the TJ Spanish program.

You have been warned...

Thanks! Does one have to take language in consecutive years without a break? Or can one do Spanish 2 in 9th grade and Spanish 3 in 11th with no language in 10th?

Also, if one chose to do Korean will their entire Language education be offline (9th period)? How would that work?

PP and meant to add. If you can take online Korean, and you are using it for your language credit, you can't take it as a 9th period class. Online classes that fulfill graduation requirements must be taken as part of the regular school day-- usually as your first period class at TJ or at home. The only exception is EPF, which can be taken as a 9th period class. Ditto for your 4th history. But you can take things like AP psych or Korean as a second language 9th period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skip Spanish unless there is a specific reason to get it. TJ Spanish goes out of it's way to be difficult. Which would not be an issue, except that they seem to take pride in giving low grades, and the class isn't weighted. IME! Spanish I is fine, but but Spanish II is brutal. Lots of kid bailing into online Spanish III.

BTW-- Spanish III is the only not AP foreign language class offered online at TJ (except the full Korean sequence, because Korean is not offered at TJ). This gives kids who suffer through Spanish III a chance to bail out of TJ Spanish after Spanish II. The fact TJ gave up and started allowing kids to do this to get their 3rd year of Spanish without sitting through a TJ version of the class, and for Spanish only, should tell you everything you need to know about the TJ Spanish program.

You have been warned...

Thanks! Does one have to take language in consecutive years without a break? Or can one do Spanish 2 in 9th grade and Spanish 3 in 11th with no language in 10th?

Also, if one chose to do Korean will their entire Language education be offline (9th period)? How would that work?

PP and meant to add. If you can take online Korean, and you are using it for your language credit, you can't take it as a 9th period class. Online classes that fulfill graduation requirements must be taken as part of the regular school day-- usually as your first period class at TJ or at home. The only exception is EPF, which can be taken as a 9th period class. Ditto for your 4th history. But you can take things like AP psych or Korean as a second language 9th period.

4th credit history can be taken as 9th period class? This is because my freshmen son will be taking RS over summer and next year Chemistry 1. So he needs to fulfil his 4th history credit either in senior year or online course. So this question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skip Spanish unless there is a specific reason to get it. TJ Spanish goes out of it's way to be difficult. Which would not be an issue, except that they seem to take pride in giving low grades, and the class isn't weighted. IME! Spanish I is fine, but but Spanish II is brutal. Lots of kid bailing into online Spanish III.

BTW-- Spanish III is the only not AP foreign language class offered online at TJ (except the full Korean sequence, because Korean is not offered at TJ). This gives kids who suffer through Spanish III a chance to bail out of TJ Spanish after Spanish II. The fact TJ gave up and started allowing kids to do this to get their 3rd year of Spanish without sitting through a TJ version of the class, and for Spanish only, should tell you everything you need to know about the TJ Spanish program.

You have been warned...

Thanks! Does one have to take language in consecutive years without a break? Or can one do Spanish 2 in 9th grade and Spanish 3 in 11th with no language in 10th?

Also, if one chose to do Korean will their entire Language education be offline (9th period)? How would that work?

PP and meant to add. If you can take online Korean, and you are using it for your language credit, you can't take it as a 9th period class. Online classes that fulfill graduation requirements must be taken as part of the regular school day-- usually as your first period class at TJ or at home. The only exception is EPF, which can be taken as a 9th period class. Ditto for your 4th history. But you can take things like AP psych or Korean as a second language 9th period.

4th credit history can be taken as 9th period class? This is because my freshmen son will be taking RS over summer and next year Chemistry 1. So he needs to fulfil his 4th history credit either in senior year or online course. So this question.

Sort that was unclear. No online history class during 9th period to fulfill the 4th social studies requirement according to the online rules. 9th period classes cannot be used to fulfill graduation requirements, except EPF. But even with EPF, if you don't have it by senior year, you have to schedule it during the regular school day. So, you either need to take the 4th social studies credit during the school day or over the summer. It's the one thing I hate about the TJ curriculum. I agree that design tech is necessary, and I'm glad it's there. But, they should find a better way to manage the missing class. Give up and let kids get the TJ diploma with 3 years of history (my preference) or at the least allow kids to take a humanties AP instead-- psychology, European history, geography, AP foreign language and culture, Art History, music theory. It seems like for many kids, these are more valuable than "The World Since 1989". And also give kids some flexibility to choose an area they have an interest in.