Why This Class

As a parent, you want to help your student develop the skills to unlock the opportunities they desire. Whether they wish to spend time in a foreign country or apply to a competitive university, learning a new language in high school can help (it also improves memory and increases attention span). At Williamsburg, we partner with Rosetta Stone to offer your student a cutting-edge language learning experience.

Through Rosetta Stone, students expand their vocabulary with words describing daily tasks, cultural experiences, schoolwork, family, and travel. Each Rosetta Stone course has 3 or 5 levels of study available in each language (as shown below). Each level is worth 0.5 credits and takes 20-70 hours to complete (depending on a student’s aptitude for languages and the difficulty of the language selected).

Languages with up to five levels available (Courses 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A):

• English (US)
• French
• German
• Russian
• Spanish (Latin America)
• Spanish (Spain)

We’re making room for more Live world language courses by retiring some of our Self-Paced options. If a language listed below does not include Level 1A or 1B, it is being phased out. First-time world language students must start with Level 1A, so be sure to select a language where 1A is available.

• Arabic 1B and 2A
• Dutch 1B, and 2A
• Hebrew 1B and 2A
• Irish 2A
• Italian 1B and 2A
• Japanese 1A, 1B, and 2A
• Korean 1B and 2A
• Latin 1B and 2A
• Polish 2A
• Portuguese (Brazil) 1B and 2A
• Swedish 1B and 2A
• Tagalog 1B and 2A

(Check this table to see how Rosetta Stone levels translate to Williamsburg courses.)

By pursuing mastery in a world language, students broaden their perspective on the world, gain confidence in their communication skills, and lay the groundwork to succeed in future studies or travel to another country. Who knows what doors will open when your student learns a new language?

Please note:

• Many colleges require two credits of a world language. Williamsburg can only offer 2.0 credits total for languages where four to five levels are available (.5 credits awarded per level).
• Our World Language courses are not NCAA-approved.

Overarching Questions

How does learning a new language give me opportunities?

What can I learn about the cultures that speak the language I am learning?

How do I develop my confidence in writing and speaking a new language?

What similarities and differences exist between my first language and a new language?