David Jahner, Director
(678) 301-7020
The goals of the foreign language program in Gwinnett County schools are to:
Communication
- Address individual student needs and afford all students the opportunity to learn how to communicate in another language.
- Provide students the opportunity to achieve a high level of proficiency by offering a variety of languages in an articulated sequence beginning in elementary and/or middle school.
- Incorporate a variety of technologies to enhance communication and allow for direct connection to the target language and culture.
Culture
- Develop an understanding of the diverse perspectives, practices, and products of cultures in an international community.
Connections
- Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and provide access to resources unique to the target language and culture.
Comparisons
- Expand students’ knowledge of their own language and culture through the study of another.
Communities
- Expose students to academic and career opportunities in global society and to promote lifelong learning.
In meeting these goals, various models of foreign language programs exist in Gwinnett schools. At the elementary level, schools that offer foreign language provide an exploratory model in order to raise students’ awareness of other languages and cultures. At the middle school level, most schools offer introductory nine week courses in the Connections block, and more than half offer sequential one or two year programs that meet Level One Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) for the target language studied. These middle school sequential programs prepare students to enter Level II study in high school. Gwinnett’s high schools offer programs of study in the following languages: French, German, Latin and Spanish. Contact your local school to find out which of these languages are offered. |
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