French, German, and Spanish are offered at most of the school system’s high schools, and consistently, a great majority of high school students elect to pursue at least two years of world language study. All high schools offer at least four consecutive years of French and Spanish study. Though German is not offered at four of the high schools, the student enrollment continues to remain static and sets the trend for the remainder of the State. Advanced placement course offerings in French, German, and Spanish exist at six of the high schools. International Baccalaureate (IB) French and Spanish courses are offered at one of the high schools.

A finely articulated world language curriculum is consistently in the process of revision, and this curriculum is intentionally designed to align with the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century and the Maryland State Curriculum for World Languages. World Language educators have set the pace with the development and implementation of Level 1 and Level 2 countywide assessments for all students. These assessments are designed to ensure that all students are meeting similar learning expectations.

Middle schools that offer Level 1 courses in world languages are Aberdeen Middle School and Fallston Middle School. Students enrolled in these middle school world language course offerings complete one full year of world language study and then matriculate to a Level 2 course offering upon enrollment in high school. Edgewood Middle School offers Intro to French and Intro to Spanish courses. Magnolia Middle School, North Harford Middle School, Patterson Mill Middle School, and Southampton Middle School offer a Foreign Language Exploratory (FLEX) course offering of seven weeks to sixth, seventh, or eighth grade students. This course provides a very basic introduction to French, German, and Spanish and provides students with a basis for choosing the language they elect to study in high school.

World Language education places integral focus on guiding students in developing a comprehensive understanding and ability to communicate in the target language. Students become the benefactors of fundamental and integral concepts that enrich their understanding of the target language studied and its culture.