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World Language

Welcome to the World Language Department of Homewood-Flossmoor High School. We are proud to offer three programs of study: French, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Although World Language is an elective at H-F, almost 60% of our student body takes at least two years of language. Many of our students continue their language studies beyond the high-school level. Spanish and French are offered from levels one through five on both a College Prep and Honors level. Our fifth year courses prepare students for the AP French and Spanish Language & Culture Exams. We also offer IB courses for students involved in the IB Prep Academy. Mandarin Chinese, which was added in 2015, is offered up to level three and will continue to develop into a full five year AP/IB program.

According to The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): “Language and communication are at the heart of the human experience. The United States must educate students who are linguistically and culturally equipped to communicate successfully in a pluralistic American society and abroad.”

 

PROGRAM RATIONALE
The philosophy of the World Language Department at H-F is based upon the premise that communication and cultural competence are essential to function in a global society. Our courses develop communication in the target language, challenge students to think critically, and cultivate an understanding and appreciation of world cultures, to not only prepare students to be successful in their future endeavors, but also become life-long learners. 

 

PROGRAM GOALS: 5 Cs of World Language Education
H-F's World Language curriculum is aligned to The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' (ACTFL) World Readiness Standards. Students in our program will be able to:

  • Communicate effectively in more than one language in order to function in a variety of situations and for multiple purposes.
  • Interact with cultural competence and understanding.
  • Connect with other disciplines and acquire information and diverse perspectives in order to use the language to function in academic and career related situations.
  • Develop insight into the nature of language and culture in order to interact with cultural competence.
  • Communicate and interact with cultural competence in order to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world.

— ACTFL World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, 2014