Placement Tests

 

Mount Saint Joseph High School is proud to offer three options for the world language requirement: Spanish, Italian and Chinese (Mandarin). Many middle and some elementary schools offer the early opportunity to study Spanish, and when it comes time to choose a high-school language course, many students elect Spanish because of their early exposure. As the instructors of the Italian & Chinese language programs at Mount Saint Joseph, we are writing to encourage your son to consider the study of Italian or Chinese. 

 

There are many reasons to study Chinese (Mandarin): cognitive development, marketability, economic necessity, cultural appreciation, national security, and enhanced potential for human connection. 

 

Learning Mandarin stimulates cognitive development because its structure (logographic, based on pictures and characters) is very different from alphabetic languages. Learning it challenges your mind to see language in a new and interesting way; each word is more than just an arrangement of letters—it is a work of art in itself. (For instance, míng, 明, meaning “bright,” or “clear,” is a compound of the characters for “sun,” (日) and “moon” 月, combining, both visually and linguistically, two bright celestial bodies.) Further, Mandarin is difficult to master on one’s own, without the help of dedicated teaching and classroom time—take advantage of this opportunity to learn it in high school! Some students might be reluctant to study Mandarin because of its unfamiliarity, but don’t worry. Our courses require no prior knowledge of Mandarin, and proceed at any appropriate pace for beginners.

 

China is already the world’s second largest economy, and is a major business and military rival to the US: Mandarin speakers are already sought after on the public and private job markets, and they will be exponentially more marketable by the time you graduate college. China is a force on the world’s stage, and those who understand it and its language and culture will get a part in the unfolding drama; those who don’t will get left aside.  Its culture (philosophy, music, film, and poetry) is fascinating, and can only be fully appreciated in its native language. Further, speaking Mandarin will allow you to cultivate all sorts of relationships with people living in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and in ethnic Chinese enclaves throughout the world. Mandarin is already one of the most spoken languages on earth, and its use is spreading rapidly beyond its one billion native speakers. Finally, as an added bonus, by the end of the course you will be able to order off the Chinese-character menus in one of the Chinatowns in the Baltimore-Washington Metro area, and experience one of the world’s richest culinary traditions.

There are many reasons to study Italian: family parentage, Italy’s important role as the seat of Catholicism, the impact of Italian heritage across the eras of Antiquity, the Renaissance and Modernity, art & theology, music & song, cuisine & film, sport & travel, design & industry -- Italian language & culture capture and express all of these and more, with unique expression.

 

Italy is a member of the European Union, and the Group of Eight – the world’s richest industrialized nations. Over 60 million native speakers of Italian live in Italy alone, not to mention the Italian diaspora, including the rich Italian-American experience & contribution emblematic of the American Dream! 1.2 million Italian-Americans participated in World War II, 15 million have identified as Italian-American at U.S. Census, Baltimore is the 15^th largest city of Italian descent, and 5% of Maryland’s population is Italian-American. Italy is a primary country of choice for university students studying abroad. Italian language & cultures are to know & experience, to enrich one’s life & profession, and are just around the corner!

 

Our World Language programs offer yearly National Exam competitions, extracurricular cultural activities, service and fellowship, art tours, luncheons, and other events. Classes include classic film, music, arts & cultural studies in addition to language instruction. Each year we are proud to elect advanced students to the World Language Honor Societies. 

 

Thank you for your time in reading this letter and in encouraging your son to consider the study of Italian or Mandarin. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you wish to discuss any aspect of your son’s world language interests.

 

 

Dr. Elizabeth Scali Pease, epease@msjnet.edu (Italian)

Mr. Jonathan Gibbons, jgibbons@msjnet.edu (Italian)

Mrs. Leticia Marenco-Picardo, lmarenco@msjnet.edu (Mandarin Chinese)