The Immaculata World Language Department works daily to develop well-rounded students who appreciate the beauty and intricacy of God's creation throughout our world. As we introduce them to the languages and cultures of other countries, we focus not only on the details of grammar and history, but also stress respect for the differences in people and help them to recognize that, no matter where we live or travel, we will always meet individuals whose lives, goals and even faiths, are more similar to than different from our own. Besides praying in the target languages and discussing faith-based traditions related to cultures, the World Language Mass enables the entire school community to recognize and appreciate the universality of our faith.
Our strong academic programs in French, Latin, and Spanish incorporate the interpersonal, interpretive and presentational aspects of language acquisition so that our students become comfortable in these languages to communicate in all ways in the target languages and to appreciate basic nuances in vocabulary and usage. We are also proud to have chapters of the French, Latin, and Spanish Honor Societies at Immaculata. These organizations, sponsored by the respective professional organizations for our teachers, encourage our students to excel in language study, challenge them through national testing and publicly recognize their efforts. They also afford us the opportunity to enjoy more cultural-related social activities, such as Mardi Gras and Dias de los Muertos and to engage the entire school community in language-related activities related to National Language Weeks.
Finally, since language and culture relate to every aspect of our lives, the teachers in the World Language department take advantage of this unique opportunity to incorporate the other academic disciplines into our curricula, which helps our students to see the inter-connectedness of what each one of us strives to achieve every day.
All students must take two consecutive years of the same language at Immaculata High School.