Placement Tests

 

Mount Saint Joseph High School is proud to offer three options for the two-year world language requirement: Spanish, Italian and French. 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 & French language programs at Mount Saint Joseph, we are writing to encourage your son to consider the study of French or Italian.

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!

 

There are many reasons to study French: spoken on every continent by more than 120 million people in France and in over 40 Francophone countries & territories around the globe, it is one of the official languages of the European Union, the United Nations, NATO, & the Order of the Xaverian Brothers who sponsor our school. At the Olympic games, French is, along with English, one of the official languages. 

 

France is a world leader in air and space technology, Quebec is one of our major trading partners, and important French industries have offices in the United States. French is a strong complementary language to Sciences, Technology & Engineering, and for continuing specialization in the Humanities & Arts, Film Studies, & Cuisine. French language & culture transmit the legacy of Western civilization, our Catholic faith, and our own Democracy.

 

Both programs offer yearly National Exam competitions, World Language Club activities and fellowship, art tours and luncheons. Each year we are proud to elect advanced students to the World Language Honor Societies. Classes include classic Film, Music, Art & Cultural studies.

 

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

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Scali Pease, Ph.D., epease@msjnet.edu and Jonathan Gibbons jgibbons@msjnet.edu
Instructors, Italian & French