SOMA school district - what foreign language study is offered

Does anyone know what foreign language instruction is available in the school system? Do they offer any immersion courses or classes in K-5 or is it just middle/high school. Do they offer AP classes. If yes, what languages are offered? Thanks

http://somsd.k12.nj.us/

It sounds like you're doing research. If you want current, factual info, go to the source.

Spanish language instruction begins on grade 3. HS language offerings include Latin, French, Spanish and Italian. I believe French, and Spanish offer AP language and literature courses as well. When I'm at a computer (vs my phone) I will post the link to the world language web page.

hamandeggs said:

http://somsd.k12.nj.us/

It sounds like you're doing research. If you want current, factual info, go to the source.

Your link doesn't work. This does
http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/site/default.aspx?PageID=1

But I've already checked the website. Either I'm not looking in the right place or it's not there...

SuzanneNg said:

Spanish language instruction begins on grade 3. HS language offerings include Latin, French, Spanish and Italian. I believe French, and Spanish offer AP language and literature courses as well. When I'm at a computer (vs my phone) I will post the link to the world language web page.

Do they offer Mandarin?

kizavar said:

SuzanneNg said:

Spanish language instruction begins on grade 3. HS language offerings include Latin, French, Spanish and Italian. I believe French, and Spanish offer AP language and literature courses as well. When I'm at a computer (vs my phone) I will post the link to the world language web page.

Do they offer Mandarin?

No.

Seriously?

kizavar said:

Seriously?

Yes, at least as of now.

weirdbeard said:

kizavar said:

Seriously?

Yes, at least as of now.

Do they intend to come into the 21st century with their language offerings, or is this the way it is. Seriously, Latin and Italian over Mandarin. Yikes.

World language dept website.

http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/Domain/36

Curriculum guide/list of course offerings for HS
http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/cms/lib7/NJ01001050/Centricity/Domain/94/Course%20Offering%20Guide%20201402015.pdf

So...did you ask just to beef about the answer? Looks like it...and it looks like you found the link.

Many of us are quite loyal to this school system and are a bit weary of the "Seriously...they don't have__________" posts.

hamandeggs said:

So...did you ask just to beef about the answer? Looks like it...and it looks like you found the link.

Many of us are quite loyal to this school system and are a bit weary of the "Seriously...they don't have__________" posts.

Sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder my friend.

Remember the roiling debate on MOL back in 1985 over whether Columbia should offer Japanese? That was a doozy.

SuzanneNg said:

World language dept website.

http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/Domain/36

Curriculum guide/list of course offerings for HS
http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/cms/lib7/NJ01001050/Centricity/Domain/94/Course%20Offering%20Guide%20201402015.pdf

Thanks the .pdf is helpful. Not easy to find that's for sure.

dave23 said:

Remember the roiling debate on MOL back in 1985 over whether Columbia should offer Japanese? That was a doozy.

Why the sarcasm?

You said "yikes".

kizavar said:

Thanks the .pdf is helpful. Not easy to find that's for sure.

surprising for someone so versed in the 21st century.

algebra2 said:

You said "yikes".

I think you're right. Seems I've rattled the chicken coop with my question. Interesting bunch I'll say.

kizavar said:

algebra2 said:

You said "yikes".

I think you're right. Seems I've rattled the chicken coop with my question. Interesting bunch I'll say.

You need to work on your trolling skills.

kizavar said:

SuzanneNg said:

Spanish language instruction begins on grade 3. HS language offerings include Latin, French, Spanish and Italian. I believe French, and Spanish offer AP language and literature courses as well. When I'm at a computer (vs my phone) I will post the link to the world language web page.

Do they offer Mandarin?

For better or worse, the language offerings at Columbia seem frozen in a mid-20th century model (but are missing the German that was usually part of that model). As far as I can tell, some of this may be driven by the abilities of teachers to cross-teach multiple Romance languages.

I'm more surprised to have Italian on the list than Latin, to be honest. The lack of any non-Romance languages seems oddly lacking in the diversity that we prize.

If you want Mandarin, the best that I can offer is that West Orange has a well regarded program. I've heard no talk of changing Columbia's offerings in the near future, so am not overly optimistic.

dave23 said:

kizavar said:

algebra2 said:

You said "yikes".

I think you're right. Seems I've rattled the chicken coop with my question. Interesting bunch I'll say.

You need to work on your trolling skills.

Nice. And what does that have to do with the question I posed?

First off, the OP is right. I spend a good portion of my MOL life finding things on that abysmal School District website for people.

Secondly, I hope the district is looking into Mandarin, because, all snark aside, Mandarin will be a heck of a lot more useful to our kids than Italian or Latin. In an ideal world, we would have all three, and Japanese, Arabic and Russian. But we have to make choices. The thing is, it is not an even swap, because the Italian teacher also teaches other European languages, and a Mandarin teacher probably would not, so there is an opportunity cost here. But it is something worth considering.

The comparison with the Japanese conversation, which I recall being short and small, is disingenuous. China is going to be the world's largest economy within the next 15 - 20 years. For that matter, except for a short period between 1850 and now, China has always been the world's largest economy (at least within the last 4,000 years of record keeping. Before that, writing did not exist so records are spotty). China is going to matter a great deal to our children, and theirs, too.

susan1014 said:

kizavar said:

SuzanneNg said:

Spanish language instruction begins on grade 3. HS language offerings include Latin, French, Spanish and Italian. I believe French, and Spanish offer AP language and literature courses as well. When I'm at a computer (vs my phone) I will post the link to the world language web page.

Do they offer Mandarin?

For better or worse, the language offerings at Columbia seem frozen in a mid-20th century model (but are missing the German that was usually part of that model). As far as I can tell, some of this may be driven by the abilities of teachers to cross-teach multiple Romance languages.

I'm more surprised to have Italian on the list than Latin, to be honest. The lack of any non-Romance languages seems oddly lacking in the diversity that we prize.

If you want Mandarin, the best that I can offer is that West Orange has a well regarded program. I've heard no talk of changing Columbia's offerings in the near future, so am not overly optimistic.

Finally, a rational person besides SuzanneNg responds. I completely agree with your assessment.

Does the district realize that usually this can be a deal-breaker for some people looking at the school district. Makes no sense to me at all. At the very least I would have expected German, which is more sought after by many employers.

SuzanneNg said:

Spanish language instruction begins on grade 3. HS language offerings include Latin, French, Spanish and Italian. I believe French, and Spanish offer AP language and literature courses as well. When I'm at a computer (vs my phone) I will post the link to the world language web page.

Italian has AP too.

dave23 said:

kizavar said:

algebra2 said:

You said "yikes".

I think you're right. Seems I've rattled the chicken coop with my question. Interesting bunch I'll say.

You need to work on your trolling skills.

I'd lay off treating kizavar as a troll. S/he is a newish poster, but has come on here in the past to look for information and to participate in civil discussions, and has made it clear that s/he has a young child.

The attacks on kizavar for even asking a factual question don't reflect well on a couple of the posters here. It can be astoundingly hard to find things on the District website, even for some of us with years of practice.

It is possible to take an independent language study after 9th grade. My kid is going to take German. I imagine for now, if yr kid is highly motivated to take mandarin, that would be possible as an independent study.

susan1014 said:

dave23 said:

kizavar said:

algebra2 said:

You said "yikes".

I think you're right. Seems I've rattled the chicken coop with my question. Interesting bunch I'll say.

You need to work on your trolling skills.

I'd lay off treating kizavar as a troll. S/he is a newish poster, but has come on here in the past to look for information and to participate in civil discussions, and has made it clear that s/he has a young child.

The attacks on kizavar for even asking a factual question don't reflect well on a couple of the posters here. It can be astoundingly hard to find things on the District website, even for some of us with years of practice.

Yes, that website is very poor. Perhaps I mistook the "yikes" for a meaningful response like max's, but it came across as bait. In other words, the problem wasn't the question.

The district really should offer mandarin. Heck, i wish it were easier to find cantonese lessons (what my family speaks)! Perhaps the op could help in this by organizing something - I don't know what exactly...but I imagine there's some process for requesting things of the district?

Bee

If the school district is reflective of some of the nastiest on here, I'd be reluctant to even send an anonymous email. My God such evil disgusting human beings on this board

And foaming at the mouth in an EDUCATION discussion no less.