Curriculum Detail

Explore our Curriculum

Department

World Language and Culture

The study of World Language is an integral part of the Groton curriculum. By learning to speak a new tongue, Groton students open windows to other peoples and to other cultures. It is imperative in the present day that citizens of the world be able to communicate with each other; learning a language may offer one of the best paths to understanding another culture. Our curriculum offers students the skills needed to speak, read, write, and understand other languages, and enables students to be well-prepared for college courses or for opportunities to study abroad.

AP French Language (Y)

This course is an advanced course focusing on developing fluency in all areas of the language, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It follows the AP Language curriculum and discusses various themes through current events, movies, literature, and other sources. Students present their work in creative skits, debates, and essays. Classes are conducted in French for an immersion experience. Students signing up for this class as a year-long commitment will be expected to take the AP Language and Culture examination. Any Sixth Former who chooses this course as a term elective will have it listed as French 5 and may take it for one, two, or three terms.

Sixth Formers may use the following course sequence: 3551 French 5 (F), 3552 French 5 (W), 3553 French 5 (S).
AP Spanish Language (Y)

This course is an advanced-paced course focusing on developing fluency in all areas of the language, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students present their work in creative skits, debates, and essays. In class, students continue to acquire vocabulary, review grammatical rules and read representative literature. Students are immersed in Spanish-speaking cultures through literature, television programs, music, and presentations. Students will be expected to take the AP Language and Culture in May. Any Sixth Former who chooses this course as a term elective will have it listed as Spanish 5 and may take it for one, two, or three terms.

Sixth Formers may use the following course sequence: 3511 Spanish 5 (F), 3512 Spanish 5 (W), 3513 Spanish 5 (S).
Chinese 1 (Y)

This beginning course lays the foundation for the Modern Mandarin Chinese language study. Speaking, listening, reading and writing are all components of this course. Students learn tones, radicals (the building blocks of Chinese characters), practical vocabulary and basic grammatical structures through storytelling. Stories will be in the context of family, school and social life. Classes are conducted in Chinese; students are encouraged to speak as much Chinese as possible from the very beginning. Throughout the year, cultural elements will be introduced via videos, movies and hands-on activities.
Chinese 2 (Y)

This course continues to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in daily situations, emphasizing grammar, and vocabulary expansion. Classes are conducted entirely in Chinese to encourage students' oral and aural skills. Contents are organized around natural conversational topics, such as weather, hobbies, doctor’s visits, sports, and travel. Students practice speaking and writing via cultural activities, songs, poetry, and small skits.
Chinese 3 (Y)

This course focuses on deepening cultural competence and understanding through authentic texts, articles, and video material. Oral skills are stressed; students learn to apply grammar and vocabulary in conversations, skits, oral presentations, and debates. Students also read an exciting series of short stories and practice more lengthy writing in different genres and topics.
Chinese 4 (Y)

This course reviews more advanced grammatical structures with an emphasis on fluency and accuracy in writing Chinese across a variety of genres. Students are exposed to current events and social issues in China through newspaper articles, movies, television broadcasts, and literature. Topics include education, social reforms, and economic development. Students will improve their listening, speaking, reading, writing, and analytical skills through class discussions, oral presentations, debates, and essay writing.

Sixth Formers may use the following course sequence: 3441 Chinese 4 (F), 3442 Chinese 4 (W), 3443 Chinese 4 (S).
Chinese 5 (Y)

This course prepares students for the AP Chinese and Culture Examination in May. Students continue to explore China's social issues from the previous year; topics include gender, environment, investment, etc. Besides, cultural topics—festivals, music, culinary culture, ancient philosophies, and so on— will be studied both in breadth and in-depth. Students will be familiar with the AP Exam format and improve their language and analytical skills through class discussions, oral presentations, debates, and essay writing. Any Sixth Former who chooses this course as a term elective will have it listed as Chinese 5 and may take it for one, two, or three terms.

Sixth Formers may use the following course sequence: 3541 Chinese 5 (F), 3542 Chinese 5 (W), 3543 Chinese 5 (S).
Chinese 6: Advanced Readings (F)

The course is open to students who have completed the Chinese 5 course or heritage students who want to strengthen their Chinese reading and writing skills. In this course, students will explore Chinese literature through the reading of both contemporary and classic works. The course's purpose is for students to further develop comprehensive language skills with a focus on analytical and writing skills. The course material will encompass a wide range of cultural, political and economic topics. Students will acquire more sophisticated vocabulary through reading and discussion and will reflect and share their thinking via research papers and presentations. Each year the topics and course materials will be different. Therefore, students are able to take this course consecutively.
French 1 (Y)

This class lays the foundation for language study. Classes are conducted entirely in French in order to develop strong oral and aural skills. Students study the present, the passé composé, and the imperfect, as well as other grammatical structures Vocabulary is introduced in the text, in class, through short stories, and through visual aids.
French 2 (Y)

In the second year of French, there is an increased focus on grammar, verb form and usage, and vocabulary. Every verb tense is introduced for both regular and irregular verbs. Vocabulary expansion is a priority. Classes are conducted entirely in French to encourage students' oral and aural skills. Cultural conversations, small skits, and oral drills are designed to encourage students to speak French as much as possible. Vocabulary is introduced in the text, in class, through short stories, simple poems, and through visual aids.
French 3 (Y)

This course offers a total review of grammatical structures including the subjunctive mood. It emphasizes speaking and writing, as well as vocabulary development. Oral skills are stressed, including pronunciation, conversation, and oral presentations. Students prepare for the Barrier Examination, which is the June final examination. Current texts include Breaking the French Barrier, Level III, Astérix et le Tour de Gaule, and Le Petit Prince.
French 4 (Y)

This course includes the reading of short stories, plays, and novels by Guy de Maupassant, Prosper Mérimée, Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre de La Patellière, Yasmina Reza, Fouad Laroui, as well as the review of current events through newspaper articles and television broadcasts. Teachers will make use of situational vocabulary, oral presentations, essay writing, reading comprehension practice, and a thorough review of complex grammatical structure when needed, with an emphasis on making vocabulary and grammar practical both orally and in writing. Sixth Formers may use the following course sequence: 3451 French 4 (F), 3452 French 4 (W), 3453 French 4 (S).
French 6: Advanced Readings (F)

Prerequisite: French AP Language. In this course students will continue their study of French literature. They will also read and study poetry, plays, short stories, or novels from the Francophone world. A unit might be devoted to the history and evolution of French cinema. Students will continue to be immersed in a French-speaking environment. They will work on developing their oral and analytical skills through discussion of literature, using a more sophisticated vocabulary.
Spanish 1 (Y)

This course lays the foundation for language study. Students learn three tenses: present, preterite, and imperfect. They learn many practical vocabulary words related to families, houses, school, food, and transportation. Writing, speaking, listening, and reading are all components of this course. Classes are conducted in Spanish, and students have numerous opportunities to speak. The current text is Breaking the Spanish Barrier, Level I. Throughout the year, students read short chapter books and periodically watch video programs.
Spanish 2 (Y)

In the second year, students expand their grammatical foundation. The present perfect, pluperfect, future, conditional, future perfect, and conditional perfect are considered. In addition, the subjunctive mood is presented, including the present perfect subjunctive, as well as formal and familiar commands. Vocabulary expansion is a priority. Students give oral presentations, participate in skits, listen to dialogues and songs, and speak and write extensively. They also read an exciting series of short fiction. The current text is Breaking the Spanish Barrier, Level II.
Spanish 3 (Y)

This year is the final intense year of grammatical study. The subjunctive mood is studied in great depth, including the imperfect subjunctive. Intensive review and amplification of grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure occur throughout the year. The current text is: Breaking the Spanish Barrier, Level III. Students also read collections of short stories and articles from the Internet, which they discuss in class. Short videos and movies are viewed periodically for cultural content.
Spanish 4 (Y)

The focus of this course is on improving language skills, written and oral—vocabulary, grammar review, reading, and conversation. A student will do periodic reviews of important grammar and will make frequent presentations in class. Speaking and listening skills are especially emphasized. Thematic units include travel, high-tech, food, animals, music, and sports. Films and television documentaries are viewed periodically. Sixth Formers may use the following course sequence: 3411 Spanish 4 (F), 3412 Spanish 4 (W), 3413 Spanish 4 (S).
Spanish 6: Advanced Readings (F)

In this course students will delve into Spanish and Latin American literature through the reading of different authors as well as viewing films by different cinematographers. The purpose of the course is for the students to develop their conversational and analytical skills while acquiring more sophisticated vocabulary through the discussion of the course material. The course is open to students who have completed AP Spanish Language or with the permission of the instructor. All courses will be conducted in Spanish. Term courses might come from the following topics: Borges, Historical Fiction, and Esperpento; Historias sobre la historia; A survey of Spanish literature from Spain to the Americas; La ciudad y los perros; Mexico and its Ghosts; Cien Años de Soledad; Periodismo Narrativo.

View the Course Catalog

Our Faculty

Rebecca Stanton

World Languages Department Head, French

978-448-7388

rstanton@groton.org
Bio
Rebecca Stanton, the chair of Groton’s Modern Language Department, holds a BA from Universite Rene Descartes, and LLM degrees from Universite Pantheon Sorbonne and Boston University. After graduating from BU with a specialty in tax law, she worked for a lawyer in Boston, then turned her energies toward teaching. She joined Groton’s faculty in 1993. Besides teaching French, Rebecca recently created an Arabic elective for seniors, which she co-taught. In 2009, she was awarded the Breck Award , which recognizes excellence in teaching.

Rebecca is faculty advisor to the Jewish community, French club, Spanish club, International Community Advising Program, and a judge for the Groton Debate Society. She also works part-time in the Admission Office.

Rebecca and her husband, Gary, have two children, Emilie ’09, who attends Boston University, and Alexandre, who attends the International School of Boston. When time allows, Rebecca can be found with a good book, a glass of wine, and a map of the next country she plans to visit.
Andy Anderson

Associate Head of School, Spanish, Dillon Chair of the Humanities

978-448-7503

aanderson@groton.org
Bio
Associate Head of School Andy Anderson arrived at Groton in the spring of 1980 to coach rowing. After returning to the consulting world for six months, he came back to the Circle in January of 1981 to teach English and work in the Admission Office. After ten years in that capacity, he switched to teaching Spanish full time, a move that was possible because he grew up in Latin America and Spain. He has taught Spanish at Groton for the past thirty years.

Coaching rowing is a passion for Andy, who has coached national champions on the club, college, and high school level, including the Groton girls in 1995. For many years, Andy was a coach for the U.S. National team in rowing; his boats won three gold medals at the World Championships. At Groton, he is the director of rowing and coaches the boys varsity boats. He writes a monthly column for Rowing magazine and has published a book, The Compleat Dr. Rowing. Andy holds Groton's Dillon Chair of the Humanities. Andy lives in the Richards House with his wife Cola Parker, who coaches girls rowing at Groton, and his three children, all of whom graduated from Groton '15, '17, and '20.
Renee Bai

Chinese, History and Social Science

978-448-7794

rbai@groton.org
Bio
Originally from China, Renee holds a B.A. in economics from Gordon College in Massachusetts. She worked in asset management as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charterholder before joining the Groton faculty in 2015. Renee teaches Chinese as well as economics, and works with the Stagecraft crew in theater. She also serves as a dorm affiliate in the Second Form girls’ dormitory.

Nelson Mandela once said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” Renee is a firm believer in this “heart” power and is passionate to pass it down to her students. Having worked as an interpreter/translator/tutor with people in various fields, from professors to politicians to pro athletes, Renee brings real-world applications to linguistic and cultural studies. She is also an active community organizer. In her spare time, she has hosted over one hundred multicultural events in the Greater Boston area and beyond.

Renee considers herself a traveler, storyteller, gourmand, and accidental poet. She lives in Groton, MA and is constantly perfecting her scallion pancake recipe for advisory dinners.
John Conner

Dean of Faculty, Spanish, E. Roland Harriman Chair

978-448-7557

jconner@groton.org
Bio
John Conner, affectionately known throughout the Groton community as "Señor," arrived at Groton School in 1981. A graduate of Amherst College, John received his MA in Spanish Language and Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin a few years after a backpacking adventure throughout Europe, where he fell in love with Spain, its language, people, and culture. John’s textbook series, Breaking the Barrier (Breaking the Spanish Barrier and Breaking the French Barrier) reflects his creativity, tongue-in-cheek fascination with pop culture, and belief that all students can succeed in languages. Breaking the Barrier shines an unapologetic light on the importance of grammar in mastering a foreign language. According to Señor, "When you have a good foundation in grammar, you can go places you've never been before!" He is a frequent speaker at language conferences throughout the world. Breaking the Barrier was the first series showcased on Apple's iTextbook store.

At Groton School, Señor Conner is also dean of faculty; he is the current recipient of the E. Roland Harriman Chair. He also coaches boys varsity tennis, a perennial powerhouse in the ISL; the squad won the league in 2018 with a 15–0 record. Señor Conner has four children, Jamie ’11, Hannah ’14, Alexandra ’16, and Sarah ’19.
Stephen Fernández

Spanish, Dorm Head

978-448-7710

sfernandez@groton.org
Shannon Jin

Chinese, Murphy Family Chair for Asian Studies

978-448-7888

sjin@groton.org
Franck Koffi

French

978-448-7814

fkoffi@groton.org
Bio
Before joining Groton School, Franck taught French at the French Library in Boston, at Clark University, and at Suffolk University. He received a Maîtrise (BA) de Lettres modernes and DEA (MA) de Littératures française, francophones et comparée at Université Michel de Montaigne Bordeaux 3, and a master's in communications and advertising from INSEEC-Paris. Among his many interests are basketball, soccer, news, and politics, and how news and politics interact and are perceived in our modern societies.
Fanny Vera de Viacava

Spanish

978-448-2132

fviacava@groton.org
Bio
Luis Viacava

Spanish, Dorm Head

978-448-7603

lviacava@groton.org
Bio