World Languages Mission Statement 

Our mission in the Upper Moreland School District is to create a community of life-long learners who will develop the linguistic skills and cultural understanding to communicate successfully and function in all aspects of a multi-lingual and multi-cultural global society.

Upper Moreland School District is the proud home of a long-standing World Language Department, offering courses in French, German, and Spanish. Over the years, the department has been repeatedly recognized  by the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association (PSMLA) as an Exemplary Program and recipient of the Golden Globe Award. Within our high quality programs, students have had the opportunity to acquire new language skills and to engage in special events, clubs, field trips, and travel. Students begin their language studies at the elementary level and have the opportunity to continue their language learning throughout their entire Upper Moreland educational experience. Additionally, all students at our high school are required to complete two years of a world language in order to graduate.

The 3-12 World Language program follows the guidelines of the six Advance Placement themes.  These themes include: Global Challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary Life, Personal and Public Identities, Families and Communities, and Beauty and Aesthetics.  Theme-based instructional units will engage each student in thinking and learning processes which include intensive involvement in the target language, and differentiated, personalized student-centered activities. Opportunities are woven into the program for students to learn and understand cultures inherent to each target language.  Students are expected to gain an increasing level of communicative proficiency, within the interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive modes in the language with each additional level of the language as defined by the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency guidelines and the Pennsylvania Core Standards.

World Readiness Standards (Goal Areas)

• Communication: Communicate effectively in more than one language in order to function in a variety of situations and for multiple purposes
• Cultures: Interact with cultural competence and understanding
• Connections: Connect with other disciplines and acquire information and diverse perspectives in order to use the language to function in academic and career related situations
• Comparisons: Develop insight into the nature of language and culture in order to interact with cultural competence
• Communities: Communicate and interact with cultural competence in order to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world

Included below is an overview of our world language offerings within our schools: