Exploring a World of Languages

In this course, students will experience a variety of world languages especially relevant to those who live in North America. After learning about how languages are acquired and how world languages are connected, students will explore the basics of German (a historical relative of English), Spanish (the 2nd most spoken language in the US and a predominant language in Central/South America), French (an official language of Canada), and ASL (an American dialect of a non-verbal language). The purpose of this course is for students to experience firsthand some of the similarities and differences among four important world languages so that they are ready to make an informed decision about which language they may wish to study to fulfill their Michigan Merit High School Graduation Requirements and so that they feel confident and excited about continuing their language studies. The content and assessments align with the Michigan Merit Curriculum World Languages Standards and Benchmarks.