The overall goals of world language study are effective communication and cultural understanding. The World Language Department at Saint Thomas Academy has adopted the following long-range goals:

•   To provide the students with skills which will enable them to communicate orally and in writing with
      the speakers of another language and with people of other nationalities who have also learned the
      language.
•   To bring the students to a greater understanding about people across national boundaries by giving
      them insight into the ways of life and ways of thinking of the people who speak the language they
      are learning.
•   To increase the students’ understanding of how language functions and to bring them, through the
      study of world language, to a greater awareness of the functioning of their own language.
•   To develop the students’ intellectual powers through world language study, training in memory, and
      the application of logical processes.
•   To increase cultural awareness by the study of the literature and philosophy of the target culture.
•   To encourage the students to read the world language with comprehension so that they may keep
      up with modern writing, research, and information.

Note: Placement in the appropriate level of World Language classes is determined by exam scores, satisfactory completion of a lower level course, and/or teacher recommendation. 7th graders are not placed in high school language courses.

Bilingual Students: Students who are functionally bilingual upon entrance into the Academy may petition the language department to be exempt from the language requirement. This procedure includes a signed, formal document from a certified professional, detailing the student’s language abilities in the five skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening comprehension, and culture. Discussion and evaluation of the individual circumstances is a deciding factor. This request should be submitted in writing to the Dean of Academics. Because of the experience and abilities of bilingual students, the world language department highly recommends that they pursue another language.