Languages

The goal of Emma Willard School’s Language Department is to guide our students to become competent listeners, speakers, readers and writers of languages other than English.

With a strong grammar foundation and plenty of time devoted to speaking, Emma graduates draw upon their competency in French, Chinese, Latin or Spanish to continue on to higher level language coursework in college. We also boast a number of graduates who put their language skills to use not only in their majors, minors and study abroad programs, but also in their careers.

We emphasize the cultural nuances necessary to gracefully navigate interactions with native speakers. In studying the cultures in which the languages have arisen, we examine both historical and current cultural phenomena. The global nature of Emma Willard’s student population enhances this examination as students become familiar with different perspectives both in target language countries and in the various cultures represented within the classroom.

Experiential learning is an important component in every language at every level. We want our students to see that their language, even at the lower levels, can be used in the real world. Certain levels of languages take trips to restaurants, where students complete tasks used in projects upon returning to school. Others travel to Williamstown, New York City and Boston to take advantage of museums such as the Clark, the MFA, the Museo El Barrio. French IV visits Montreal every other year to experience Nuit Blanche.

In that same vein, the Language Department offers Jestermester travel programs. We hope to alternate languages every other year so students can attend their junior or senior year. For example, one year might be Latin and Spanish. The next year might be Chinese and French.
For 2023-2024, our French students visited Guadeloupe, while our Chinese students visited Singapore. For 2024-2025, our Spanish students visited Costa Rica while our Latin students visited Italy.

Download our course catalog for more details and graduation requirements.

Course Catalog

Chinese

China is one of the world’s oldest and richest continuous cultures. In recent years, China has become one of the world’s major economic powers. Mandarin Chinese is the official language of China and is spoken by over one-fifth of the world’s population. It has also become the 3rd most spoken language in the United States. Although Chinese differs from western languages in many ways, including pronunciation and writing system, the language is nowhere near as difficult as many people assume. Since most students at Emma Willard begin studying Chinese as freshmen, the usual five-year language sequence has been condensed to four years, each year being equivalent to a semester of college level Chinese. Given China’s increasing importance on the world stage and technological development, the language will also be invaluable for those seeking careers in computer science, engineering, economics, business,
banking, trade, and international affairs.

French

The study of French has always been popular in the United States because French is part of the North American cultural heritage. French words and expressions are commonly used in everyday English; French heroes like Lafayette and Rochambeau played a critical role in American history. Although scholars study French for its famous logique and its rich literary tradition, French is an important political and economic tool as well. Not only is French still
spoken in some parts of the United States and in many parts of Canada, it is also the lingua franca in many other parts of the world where the United States has been establishing economic and political ties, among them West, Central, and North Africa and parts of Southeast Asia.

Latin

“It took Latin to thrust me into a bona fide alliance with words in their true meaning. Learning Latin (once I was free of Caesar) fed my love for words upon words, words in continuation and modification, and the beautiful, sober accretion of a sentence,” wrote Eudora Welty. Latin is intellectually rewarding. It can also help students learn other languages and improve their grammar and vocabulary in English. As they explore the fascinating language, strange-yet-familiar culture, and dazzling literature of the Romans, Latin students learn close reading, detailed grammatical analysis, etymology, rhetoric, and the foundations of many modern cultures.

Spanish

To speak Spanish is to be able to communicate with the citizens of over two dozen nations and the increasingly numerous Hispanic communities within the United States. For young people seeking careers in an ever-changing, diversifying world, it is likely that their future professional and social communities will be Spanish-speaking. Authentic materials such as video, music, art and text by Hispanic authors like Matute and Neruda will provide exposure to the culture and history of Spain and Latin America. In these courses, the student will develop the ability to communicate through written text and conversation in three modes: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. A student of Spanish can expect an active learning environment centered on participation.