Bonjour, Guten Tag, Hola, and Hello!

Students will get to know their world better through a foreign language. The ability to use and understand other languages is an asset in today’s world. At P. J. Jacobs, three years of French and Spanish are offered, and one year, ninth grade, is offered in German. Students may begin their language study in seventh, eighth or ninth grade. Students are able to continue to study at the high school level. Taking a foreign language involves studying the grammar structure of the language, learning topical vocabulary, and practicing communication skills in guided conversations. Geography and cultural differences and similarities are part of the course content.

Success in a foreign language requires that a student learn to respond in class in the target language, study daily outside of class, and be committed to learning and recalling the language from year to year.

Our goal is for our students to learn to appreciate the sounds of the languages and the cultures of the people who speak them and to develop skills in communicating in their second language!

Additional Opportunities:

• Spanish trip to Latin America: Every other year, students enrolled in Spanish classes are able to travel to another country for a weeklong experience. In the past we have traveled to Costa Rica or Nicaragua.  The next trip will take place in March of 2019.

• Concordia Language Villages:Each year, students enrolled in French and Spanish classes have the opportunity to participate in an immersion experience. The Villages are located near Bemidji, Minnesota and the trip is typically four days.

• Festival of Nations:Each year, ninth grade students studying a foreign language are invited to attend the Festival of Nations, a cultural festival in St. Paul, Minnesota, held yearly in late April or early May.