Our foreign language classes are one of the things that set Nysmith School apart. We offer French, Latin and Spanish at particular grade levels.

Students begin taking French at the age of three, and continue their foreign language study on a daily basis through the eighth grade, gaining an invaluable head start that is not offered at most schools. Students are introduced to Spanish in fourth and fifth grades, and all students take an introduction to Latin in sixth grade. In seventh and eighth grades, students may choose either French, Latin, or Spanish.

Our purpose in introducing French as early as possible is to present a new language and culture when, as research shows, minds are more receptive to different speech patterns.

Our students explore these languages and cultures through puppetry, music, dance, art, crafts and creative hands-on projects. We begin teaching proper grammar from the beginning; older students pursue a more academic program as it becomes more developmentally appropriate.

Once students have been introduced to one foreign language, it is much easier for them to fine tune the grammar later on as well as use learned skills to pick up other foreign languages.

Our hope is that every student will develop a basic understanding and love of a foreign language without being intimidated by the technical aspect of it.