Textbooks, workbooks, readers, newspapers, magazines, video and audiotapes, films, realia, computer software, and other technological resources as available help bring language and culture to life. To the extent possible, listening materials include native speakers in authentic situations in the target culture, and reading materials are drawn from authentic sources in the target language. In Levels 1-3, the vocabulary that students learn is directly related to the purposes and situations identified. Teachers may also select vocabulary to reflect students' needs and interests in each situation. Vocabulary instruction, which is grouped by topic, is heavily emphasized at the beginning levels of each language.
Some illustrative topics are family, foods, personal health, clothing, and numbers.
A greater emphasis on linguistic competence, through which vocabulary and grammatical structures enhance communication, permeates all spheres. The content spheres represent an interdisciplinary approach integrating culture and language in order to more richly develop students' understanding. The Program of Studies contains course descriptions as well as broad statements of what students are expected to learn in foreign language courses. These instructional objectives are approved by the Board of Education for all students in Grades 9-12. The theme areas are introduced in Level 1 and reinforced and expanded in Levels 2 and 3.