Foreign Language (Spanish K - 3, French 4&5) The Foreign Language Program in the Lower School is designed to help students develop listening and speaking proficiency, with an emphasis on developing an appreciation for both the language and diverse cultures. TPR (Total Physical Response) is used as a way to immerse children fully, by listening and speaking only in the language that is being learned. Games, songs, videos, stories, manipulatives and a great deal of interactive, hands-on learning inspires a joyful, meaningful and effective approach to learning and retaining proficiency in a foreign language. At the kindergarten level, children learn and comprehend basic vocabulary, structures and expressions for everyday communication, and the ability to respond to simple questions, statements and commands using words, phrases and short sentences. The later grades focus on developing and reinforcing and refining proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Through the use of workbooks and textbooks with an inductive approach, students gain an understanding of how the language is structured grammatically and how they can use this knowledge to communicate about the world around them. In addition, by developing their skills of observation, students acquire an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of the culture.