Reply to MCPS French placement test

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]No foreign language in elementary unless you're in an immersion program.

Some middle schools offer 1, 2, and 3 and languages are open to 6th graders (my kid did this and was in Spanish 4 as a Freshman). Others only offer 1 and 2.

If your child places into a level that is too advanced for your middle school, I would think they might offer an option at the local high school, like they do for some kids for Math sometimes (they bus them over at the beginning or end of the day usually). Or your kid could just take the highest level offered and have a very easy class. This would still be good for their GPA, so consider it, even if it's boring. [/quote]
To build on this, many middle schools do NOT offer level three of a language and 8th grade students take the class at the feeder high school (1st period) and then there is a bus that brings them back to their middle school for the rest of the day. (This also happens with advanced math.)

If you think your child is ready for level 4 of a language (or level 3), I would contact the high school World Languages department head and request to be evaluated and to have a discussion about the courses. However, regardless of placement recommendation based on speaking and understanding, I wouldn't place an 8th grader higher than level 3, because this is where writing starts to become important. Have your child take level 3 to get them in sequence for writing and to be closer with their peer group. However - be aware that they will likely run out of language in HS. For strong language students, the sequence is level 3, level 4, AP French/Spanish Language (level 5) (which gets the bilingual diploma), and then AP French/Spanish Literature if there are enough students (often not at some HS.)

If your student is younger than 8th grade, you may want to consider private lessons for French and then either start them in Spanish in middle school or use the elective slot for music/fine arts.

Also, you didn't say where you are looking to live, but consider a school with an IB program, because they will have a strong level 6&7 of the languages they focus on. 
These are the course descriptions for Richard Montgomery High School which has a magnet IB program: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1d-6zAd1REAxiFpUSaTlHlwspXZfWPnqX61C93lOYGtA/edit#slide=id.p [/quote]

Wrong. Kids almost always have to take level 5 before AP.[/quote]

Was the case when there was enough teachers, most schools [b]combine[/b] 5 with AP these days[/quote]

What does that mean? [/quote]

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