Five Types of World Language Programs in High Schools
All PWCS high schools offer high school credit-bearing world language courses among the current 10 different language offerings: Arabic, ASL, French, German, Italian, Korean, Latin, Russian, Spanish, Spanish for Fluent Speakers from level one through level five or six depending on student interest.
Our annual PWCS High Course Catalog describes all of the courses offered in each high school each year. World language offerings may vary each year depending on student enrollment and interest.
There are five types of world language high school programs among our 15 high schools as follows:
- Advanced Placement Courses are offered in these high schools: Battlefield, Colgan, Forest Park, Freedom, Osbourn Park, Patriot, and Woodbridge
- Cambridge International Programme Schools: Brentsville District and Potomac
- CISL (The Center for International Studies and Languages): Hylton
- Diploma Programme, International Baccalaureate: Gar-Field and Unity Reed
- Virtual Prince William - visit link for details and world language course offerings.
- Regular programs: Gainesville, Independent non-Traditional
All high school world language courses meet the Virginia Department of Education requirements for the 140 contact hours, local curriculum aligned to the State Standards of Learning (SOLs) for World Languages integrating the ACTFL Core Practices which are:
- Current and research-based principles such as Understanding by Design or backwards curriculum design
- Proficiency-based instruction applying the vocabulary and grammar in real-life, meaningful contexts
- Providing engaging and communicative activities
- Monitoring student skill building progress with on-going feedback and performance assessments
- Using authentic resources, culturally and linguistically inclusive of all of the speakers of each world language.
Languages Offered in High Schools
Offering may vary in each high school.
- ASL (American Sign Language)
- Arabic
- French
- German
- Italian
- Korean
- Latin
- Russian
- Spanish
- Spanish for Fluent Speakers (SFS)