World Languages

In addition to the Lycée’s core languages of French and English, all students from Grade 6 to Grade 12 study a third language or more – Arabic, Chinese, German, Italian, or Spanish.

With a foundation in two languages already, learning a third, even fourth or fifth language for some of our students, comes quite naturally to them. Our approach focuses on high academic standards, cultural immersion, and real-world application – a reflection of the French concept of “langues vivantes” (living languages).

Rigorous Curriculum & European Standards

The Lycée’s World Languages Program is developed from the curriculum of the French Ministry of Education. It provides a structured approach with skills and competencies that build on each other year on year. By Grade 12, all students are expected to function comfortably in the language.

Our Secondary student language assessments follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CECRL). This rigorous, internationally recognized framework guides skills development across five key areas: listening, reading, writing, experiencing, and interacting.

The quality of our instruction is central to our success

Our World Languages faculty come from many different countries and professional backgrounds, and hold advanced degrees in their world languages of instruction.
They are either native speakers of the language or have lived a significant part of their lives in the associated country/culture(s).
They bring a deep passion for the language and its culture(s), along with a strong drive to bring it to life in engaging, relevant ways for our students.
Teachers use project-based learning approaches to help students develop comfort and facility in the language through such creative activities as podcasts, writing workshops, theater exercises, video editing, and games, along with advanced technologies such as virtual reality and AI.

Culture, Diversity, and Real-World Learning

Cultural engagement and immersion is a significant part of student learning at the Lycée. When a communication-centered approach is combined with a deep understanding of culture, students become better anchored in the realities of the world around them. This approach also fosters an openness to explore new perspectives and grow as a person.

Global Community: The international environment of our students provides authentic opportunities to forge connections with peers and their families, reinforcing the languages being learned.

Immersive Programs: We offer a variety of immersive cultural exchange programs, as well as local and international service-learning initiatives, encouraging students to apply their linguistic and cultural understanding in the service of others.

The NYC Advantage: Taking advantage of our New York City location, we include many local immersive experiences throughout the school year, such as trips to cultural centers and various ethnic enclaves in and around the city.

Language Offerings

Arabic

The Lycée offers the study of Modern Standard Arabic, also known as Literary Arabic. This standardized variant is used across the entire Arab world for written communication (press, literature, signage, and correspondence).

Arabic is offered starting in Grade 6, and can be added as an optional world language in Grade 10. For Primary students, beginner and intermediate Arabic courses are also available through our After-School Activities Program.

The program is enriched by cultural and practical activities:

Study trips are organized (most recently to Marrakech, Casablanca, and Essaouira) for students in Grades 8, 9, and 10.
Students participate in local excursions, including trips to the United Nations, cultural restaurants, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The students attend musical performances by the New York Arabic Orchestra.

German

German is offered beginning in Grade 6, and the program offers several opportunities for linguistic and cultural enrichment:

A school trip to Berlin is organized every two years for students in either Grade 8, 9, or 10. This trip includes lessons at a language school as well as cultural tours of Berlin.
Students take regular field trips to the Goethe-Institut of New York to participate in German culture and language activities.
The Lycée has an exchange program with the German International School of New York (GISNY) in Westchester, which brings Lycée students of German and GISNY students of French together for shared cultural and linguistic activities, promoting the mutual practice of their language of study.

Italian

Italian is offered beginning in Grade 6, with an Italian instructor who is a pioneer in the use of iPads and other advanced language learning tools to help students attain mastery and fluency.

Study trips are offered in either Grade 8, Grade 9, or Grade 10.

Recent trips have included a cultural visit to Venice; to Rome and Naples to discover the heart of Antiquity, and to Sicily for the study of classical languages and Italian.

Local excursions include cultural visits to Little Italy and hands-on workshops like pizza-making and gelato tastings.

Mandarin

Students can learn Mandarin beginning in Grade 6. In class, students are immersed in authentic, real-life language contexts.

The Mandarin program also offers multiple opportunities for linguistic and cultural enrichment designed to strengthen students’ language skills:

Trips are organized to Singapore, Taiwan, and China for students in Grade 8, 9, or 10. Students use the language daily conducting interviews with local people. After the trip, students create imaginative narratives in Mandarin reflecting on their cultural experiences.
In China, students spend two days at Fudan University in Shanghai, participating in cultural and language workshops with Chinese students. As part of the ongoing exchange, Chinese students then visit our school for a day, where they shadow their buddies.
In New York, students visit the China Institute of America or the Tenement Museum to discover the Chinese immigrant experience.

Spanish

The Lycée offers the study of Spanish aligned with Spanish and/or Hispanic American norms, introducing students to the cultural diversity of the Spanish-speaking world.

Spanish is offered starting in Grade 6, and can be added as an optional world language in Grade 10.

Study Trips:

Grade 8 students have an opportunity to visit Oaxaca, Mexico, where they stay with host families and take part in group cultural activities.
Grade 10 students can opt for a cultural trip to Toledo, Spain, where they take Spanish classes at a local university in the morning and explore the city in the afternoon.
Grade 12 students take part in a cultural trip to Puerto Rico, as part of an interdisciplinary project exploring the island’s history, political identity, and linguistic context.
Local excursions include visits to NYC museums, exhibitions or activities, such as a scavenger hunt focused on the Hispanic world.

The program also features poetry workshops for Grades 9, 11, and 12, and lectures delivered by NYU doctoral candidates specializing in the history of the Hispanic world.

Our Mission in Action

Learning Without Borders: Lycée Students in China

Each spring, Lycée students in Mandarin courses in Grades 8 to 10 take a cultural and linguistic journey to China.

#Academic excellence

#GlobalCitizen

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