Academics

World Language

The Foreign Languages Department of Central Catholic High School connects our community to other places, countries and cultures.  Students are immersed in different cultures while introducing and sustaining conversation, reading, and writing skills in languages other than English.  Students learn languages and about related cultures to cultivate the spiritual, ethical, social and intellectual qualities essential for leadership in a rapidly changing global community while remaining rooted in the principals established by their Catholic education.

Grade Level: 9-10 | 1 Credit
American Sign Language I (ASL) introduces students to the language and culture of the Deaf Community in the United States. Students learn to negotiate the following social situations: greeting and meeting others, telling time, asking directions, responding to basic questions, talking about family and relationships, and giving and following basic commands. Students will be introduced to basic ASL grammatical and linguistic structures. In addition, students develop visual listening skills and respond in ASL, including learning to tell and understand ASL stories. Students will also learn about various aspects of American Deaf Culture, History & Community. Most of the course is conducted in ASL.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites:
Grade Level: 10-11 | 1 Credit
In ASL II, students further develop communicative proficiency in American Sign Language and learn more about the culture of the Deaf community. In addition to ASL1, students will learn to negotiate the following situations: asking and responding to questions, discussing daily routines and vacation interests, and expressing health problems and needs. In addition, students develop signing and listening skills and writing down what is being signed to them in ASL grammatical order in the following areas: describing people and things in detail, travel abroad, finding housing, giving instructions, narrating past events, describing the past, in hypothetical discourse and sports. Students develop improved accuracy in communication and increased awareness and knowledge of culture and history through discussion, film, you-tube selected by the instructor and reading cultural articles. Students learn to sign past and future tenses and write it in ASL grammatical order. Students also begin to learn to sign in these types of discourse. Students develop signing, listening, reading using sentence length discourse to respond to less predictable situations and beginning to create with the language. Students prepare for instructions and activities to be inclusive in American Sign Language.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: American Sign Language (ASL) I
Grade Level: 10-12 | 1 Credit
In ASL III, students further develop communicative proficiency in American Sign Language and learn more about the culture of the Deaf community. The content includes the additional basic receptive and expressive sign skills and sign vocabulary required to communicate at an advanced beginner level of American Sign Language. Also included in the course content are more advanced ASL linguistic and grammatical principles as well as the ability to expressively and receptively use the manual alphabet. Course work incorporates additional concepts in the use of facial markers, body movement, classifiers, quantifiers, directional verbs, verb tenses, the use of eye and body gaze, use of space, ASL idioms and discourse features and experiences with the deaf community and culture.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: American Sign Language (ASL) II
Grade Level: 11-12 | 1 Credit
ASL III/IV is an intermediate/advanced course designed to further develop knowledge, skills and application in the outcome areas of Signing, Comprehending sign, Composing unique sentences and questions using ASL grammar, Comprehension of native signers on video, and Culture. The ultimate goal is for students to be able to use the language to have conversations on a wider variety of topics – especially those that are meaningful to members of the Deaf community. This class is taught using the total immersion method. Spoken English will not be used to teach ASL and students will not be able to use their voices during instructional time. ASL III/IV students will perform more regularly in front of the entire class and on video to show their signing and grammatical application abilities. ASL III/IV students will be encouraged to make real-life connections outside of school by interacting with members of the local Deaf community. ASL III/IV students will begin expanding their real life interactions with Deaf people through technology (YouTube videos of Deaf people signing, etc.) ASL III/IV students will be more involved in analyzing their own abilities in applying grammatical features studied in ASL I and ASL II in order to improve their ASL skills.


Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: American Sign Language (ASL) III
Grade Level: 11-12 | 1 Credit
AP Spanish Language is conducted entirely in Spanish. Students complete a comprehensive review of Spanish grammar. Special attention is given to more complex grammatical structures. Students will develop their speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency in Spanish. The AP Spanish Language curriculum requires that the student be able to write a well developed essay in Spanish and discuss a variety of topics in Spanish. The course will incorporate a rich and varied selection of literary texts, historical and cultural readings, periodical readings, and films. Students are encouraged to take the AP Spanish Language Exam. Dual Credit Option: 9 PCC Credits

Credit Status: Elective | Prerequisites: Spanish III
Grade Level: 11-12 | 1 Credit
AP Spanish Literature is conducted entirely in Spanish and offers a historic survey of the literature of Spanish-speaking cultures. Students study major movements and authors of this literature. Students learn to discuss the four genres – drama, essay, fiction, and poetry – with appropriate technical terminology in preparation for the AP Exam in Spanish Literature. The AP Exam in Spanish Literature curriculum requires that students be able to analyze, place historically, and write about important Spanish and Latin American authors’ works, using sophisticated language and appropriate terminology. Students are encouraged to take the AP Literature Exam in Spanish.

Credit Status: Elective | Prerequisites: AP Spanish Language
Grade Level: 9 | 1 Credit
French I is an introductory French course. Students learn to negotiate the following situations in French: greeting and meeting others, telling time, asking directions, responding to basic questions, requesting food in a restaurant, and giving basic instructions. In addition, students develop the ability to speak, read, and write about themselves and other people, family, food, possessions, places, cities, age, hobbies, sports, and shopping. A variety of resources are used to introduce students to the geography of French speaking countries and French speakers in the United States. The course develops students’ speaking, listening, reading and writing competence in primarily memorized phrases in highly predictable situations. Much of this course is conducted in French.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites:
Grade Level: 9-10 | 1 Credit
In French II, students further develop communicative proficiency in French and learn more about the cultures of French speaking peoples. Students learn to negotiate the following situations: asking and responding to questions, making lodging arrangements, arriving as a long term guest in a French speaking household, discussing daily routines and vacation interests, and expressing health problems and needs. In addition, students develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing competence in the above subjects and in the following areas: describing people and things in detail, travel abroad applications, finding housing, giving instructions, narrating past events, describing the past, hypothetical situations and sports. The course heightens students’ accuracy in communication and increases awareness and knowledge of culture and history through film, reading, and writing competence using sentence length discourse to respond to less predictable situations and beginning to create with the language. This course is conducted almost exclusively in French.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: French I
Grade Level: 10-11 | 1 Credit
French III prepares students to speak, read, and write in the three major time frames (past, present, future). Students will learn to negotiate store and restaurant contexts in groups with sophistication, make travel arrangements, command proper telephone etiquette, and discuss academic topics in French. In addition, students will read about, complete special projects, and prepare reports and presentations on topics that introduce them to the art, crafts, music, dance, literature, and film of French-speaking communities. The course prepares students to develop paragraph length discourse in present, past, and future tenses, to use hypothetical discourse, and to negotiate contexts where a wide variety of vocabulary and structures is required. Students also study popular reading materials and literature. Prepare for instruction and activities to be exclusively in French.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: French II
Grade Level: 11-12 | 1 Credit
French IV develops students’ spoken fluency, reading and comprehension, and writing proficiency. Oral fluency is developed through reading plays, short stories, newspapers, and discussing contemporary issues. Students read literary works by Maupassant, French African authors, and Merrimée. Students study Le Petit Prince and Voltaire’s Candide in depth. Students develop their ability to express themselves in past, present, future and hypothetical discourse in situations where the context is not predictable. This course is conducted exclusively in French. Though this is not an AP Course, student may elect to take the AP Language Exam

Credit Status: Elective | Prerequisites: French III
Grade Level: 9-12 | 1 Credit
Advanced Japanese is designed for students who have gone through an immersion program. Students read Japanese folktales and cartoons. Students develop reading, writing, and speaking proficiency to negotiate the following situations: the future, trips, house, home-life, health, and communication. Students review Japanese films. This class is conducted entirely in Japanese. Though this is not an AP Course, student may elect to take the AP Language Exam. These classes receive honors credit.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: Japanese IV
Grade Level: 9-12 | 1 Credit
Advanced Japanese is designed for students who have gone through an immersion program. Students read Japanese folktales and cartoons. Students develop reading, writing, and speaking proficiency to negotiate the following situations: the future, trips, house, home-life, health, and communication. Students review Japanese films. This class is conducted entirely in Japanese. Though this is not an AP Course, student may elect to take the AP Language Exam. These classes receive honors credit.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: Japanese IV
Grade Level: 9-12 | 1 Credit
Advanced Japanese is designed for students who have gone through an immersion program. Students read Japanese folktales and cartoons. Students develop reading, writing, and speaking proficiency to negotiate the following situations: the future, trips, house, home-life, health, and communication. Students review Japanese films. This class is conducted entirely in Japanese. Though this is not an AP Course, student may elect to take the AP Language Exam. These classes receive honors credit.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: Japanese IV
Grade Level: 9-12 | 1 Credit
Honors Japanese is designed for students who have gone through an immersion program. Students read Japanese folktales and cartoons. Students develop reading, writing, and speaking proficiency to negotiate the following situations: the future, trips, house, home-life, health, and communication. Students review Japanese films. This class is conducted entirely in Japanese. Though this is not an AP Course, students may elect to take the AP Language Exam. These classes receive honors credit.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites:
Grade Level: 9-10 | 1 Credit
Japanese I is an elementary Japanese course that introduces students to Japanese language and culture. Students learn how to speak in simple sentences to introduce themselves and others, to describe themselves and others, and to respond appropriately to class directions. Students master Hiragana, the primary Japanese alphabet. Students are introduced to Katakana, the secondary Japanese alphabet, and learn twenty Kanji characters. Students make origami paper sculptures and create Japanese calligraphy prints. Students study Japanese geography, and the social and family aspects of Japanese culture. Students are prepared for activities and instruction in Japanese. Students will be introduced to Japanese word processing applications.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites:
Grade Level: 10-11 | 1 Credit
Japanese II is an early intermediate Japanese language course. Students master Katakana and 50 new Kanji characters to gain a functional mastery of 70 Kanji characters. Students learn vocabulary and language structures that allow them to write and speak about daily activities using compound sentences. Students study Japanese holidays and Japanese food in depth. Students learn Japanese computer word processing applications. This course is conducted almost exclusively in Japanese.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: Japanese I
Grade Level: 11-12 | 1 Credit
Japanese III is an intermediate Japanese language course. Students use Adventures in Japanese, and learn to write and talk about school, seasonal, and holiday activities. They compare Japanese daily, seasonal, and holiday activities with those of people in the United States. Students master Japanese computer word processing applications. This course is conducted exclusively in Japanese.

Credit Status: Elective | Prerequisites: Japanese II
Grade Level: 12 | 1 Credit
Japanese IV is an early advanced Japanese language course. Students use Adventures in Japanese as well as Deai to read actual Japanese high school students’ stories. Students learn to write and talk about their family, town, school life, hobbies, and part-time jobs. Students compare the experience of Japanese students to their own experiences.

Credit Status: Elective | Prerequisites: Japanese III
Grade Level: 9-10 | 1 Credit
Spanish for Native Speakers and Immersion Students, prepares the native speaker of Spanish and the Spanish immersion student to apply academic Spanish in a college preparatory setting. The Spanish used to communicate with family and friends, in which the student is already proficient, is used as a basis for developing an additional proficiency in academic Spanish in preparation for Spanish at the collegiate level, or using Spanish in a professional setting. In order to develop writing skills in Spanish, students learn grammatical terminology and structures, perfect spelling skills and write compositions in Spanish. In order to develop critical reading skills in Spanish, students will read and discuss Spanish, Latin American, and Chicano literary works.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites:
Grade Level: 10-12 | 1 Credit
Students will learn complex grammatical structures of academic Spanish in a college preparatory context while continuing to focus on the differences between familiar/popular Spanish and academic Spanish. Students will write analytical essays improving both their grammatical skills and literary skills. Students will analyze historic and current events, comparing history and the present to explain how their community evolved to its current manifestation.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: Spanish for Native Speakers and Immersion Students I
Grade Level: 9-10 | 1 Credit
Spanish I is an elementary Spanish course that introduces the student to the language and cultures of Spanish speaking peoples. Students learn to negotiate the following social situations: greeting and meeting others, telling time, asking directions, responding to basic questions, requesting food in a restaurant, and giving basic instructions. In addition, students develop , listening, reading, and writing competence. A variety of resources are used to introduce students to the geography of Spanish speaking countries and the cultures of Spanish speaking communities. The course develops students’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing competence in primarily memorized phrases in highly predictable situations. Students practice following instructions and activities in Spanish. Much of this course is conducted in Spanish.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites:
Grade Level: 10-11 | 1 Credit
In Spanish II, students further develop communicative proficiency in Spanish and learn more about the cultures of Spanish speaking peoples. Students will learn to negotiate the following situations: asking and responding to questions, making lodging arrangements, discussing daily routines and vacation interests, and expressing health problems and needs. In addition, students develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing competence in the above subjects and in the following areas: describing people and things in detail, travel abroad applications, finding housing, giving instructions, narrating past events, describing the past, hypothetical discourse, and sports. Spanish Sequence Students who would like to move from Spanish III to AP Spanish Language will need to take a challenge test. Students develop improved accuracy in communication and increased awareness and knowledge of culture and history through discussion, film, and reading. Students learn to write and read past and future tenses. Students also begin to speak in these types of discourse. Students develop speaking, listening, reading and writing competence using sentence length discourse to respond to less predictable situations and beginning to create with the language. This course is conducted almost exclusively in Spanish.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: Spanish I
Grade Level: 11-12 | 1 Credit
Spanish III prepares students to speak, read, and write in the three major time frames (past, present, future). Students will learn to negotiate store and restaurant contexts with sophistication, make travel arrangements, command proper telephone etiquette, and discuss academic topics in Spanish. In addition, students will read about, complete special projects, and prepare reports and presentations on topics that introduce them to the art, crafts, music, dance, literature, and film of Spanish speaking communities. The course prepares students to develop paragraph length discourse in present, past, and future tenses to express hypothetical ideas and to negotiate contexts where a wide variety of vocabulary and structures is required. Prepare for instruction and activities to be exclusively in Spanish.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: Spanish II
Grade Level: 10-12 | 1 Credit
Spanish short stories and film develops students’ spoken fluency as well as reading, writing, and listening proficiency. Students study Spanish-speaking cultures through short stories and film. Students use authentic reading and listening materials as they review complex grammatical structures in depth. Students study the film, literature, art, and music of Spanish speaking communities and write short essays on these topics. Emphasis is placed on further developing students’ Spanish speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency where the context is not predictable. This course is conducted almost exclusively in Spanish.

Credit Status: Selective | Prerequisites: Spanish III

World Language Faculty

Katy Burns
Katy Burns
EMAIL | BIO
  • AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) I
Angi Dankenbring
Angi Dankenbring
EMAIL | BIO
  • AP SPANISH LANGUAGE
  • AP SPANISH LITERATURE
  • SPANISH IV: SHORT STORIES AND FILM
Rina Delos Reyes
Rina Delos Reyes
EMAIL | BIO
  • SPANISH I
  • SPANISH II
Anne Marie Eagle
Anne Marie Eagle
EMAIL | BIO
  • AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) I
  • AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) II
  • AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) III
  • AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) IV
Mark Ferguson
Mark Ferguson
EMAIL | BIO
  • SPANISH II
  • SPANISH III
Candy Guzman Renfro
Candy Guzman Renfro
EMAIL | BIO
  • SPANISH FOR NATIVE SPEAKERS AND IMMERSION STUDENTS I
  • SPANISH FOR NATIVE SPEAKERS AND IMMERSION STUDENTS II
  • SPANISH I
Kamel Retnani
Kamel Retnani
EMAIL | BIO
  • FRENCH I
  • FRENCH II
  • FRENCH III
  • FRENCH IV
Mariko Tokoyoda
Mariko Tokoyoda
EMAIL | BIO
  • HONORS JAPANESE I
  • HONORS JAPANESE II
  • HONORS JAPANESE III
  • HONORS JAPANESE IV
  • JAPANESE I
  • JAPANESE II
  • JAPANESE III
  • JAPANESE IV