In order to help our students graduate with a greater understanding of their responsibilities in a global society, the modern languages department requires that students demonstrate competence through the third-year level in a foreign language. To this end, we offer courses in French, German, and Spanish.
Classes are lively, taught almost solely in the target language.
They emphasize real-life situations and vocabulary, while including elements of native culture, history, and literature. They have chatted with native speakers on the Internet and performed their own skits in class in the language of instruction. Students can further test their comprehension by reading current publications in their chosen foreign language at the Ford Library. Hotchkiss is an active member of the School Year Abroad program, which allows qualified students to spend a school year in France, Spain, or the People's Republic of China.