World Languages

Language courses at Northfield Mount Hermon focus on communication, so you’ll hold real conversations, watch movies, read newspapers, maybe even write to a pen pal in your new language. Our faculty is always looking for even more creative ways to teach. You might study verb tenses by writing a fairy tale, or learn Chinese by publishing character books. Some classes even make movies, including writing the scripts, performing the scenes, and shooting the footage—all in the target language!

 

There are programs in both Spanish and French that allow you to teach at local elementary schools. You’ll earn both language credits and work job credits as you develop lesson plans and create materials. You’ll also keep a journal, documenting how much both you and your students are learning.

 

We also have study abroad programs in places like Uruguay and China. Surrounded by the language and living with a local family, you’ll quickly pick up speaking and listening skills and become more passionate about and compassionate for the country and the people. You’ll even work on a field project, which will teach you more about the history, politics, and ecology of the area.

 

We have classes in Latin too, which give you incredible insight into English and other modern languages. And reading and discussing Vergil or Cicero gives you a much deeper understanding of Roman history, life, and culture and its huge impact on almost every aspect of our lives today.

 

So whether you choose to be introduced to Arabic or go through Advanced Placement Spanish, NMH’s language classes will teach you to look at the world differently and then describe it in a new way.