The Fathers Building

Language

students around a Harkness table
Approach

At Lawrenceville, creating global citizens is central to our mission as a school. Language learning and developing an appreciation for other cultures go hand in hand. As students learn to communicate in other languages, they also begin to experience the world in new ways.

Focus

Students are supported in mastering the technical skills of language learning by our experienced teachers - they become confident communicators. Along the way, they will have a variety of opportunities to exercise their skills in collaboration and problem solving. Students collaborate daily as their proficiency for reading, writing, speaking, and listening contribute to a broader understanding of ancient and modern peoples. We use a combination of exercises and authentic materials to cultivate linguistic and cultural competence.

Language Class at Lawrenceville

 

 

Students around a Harkness table
Experience

At the introductory levels, students often work with peers to write and deliver presentations, projects, and skits. As they progress, they advance to more traditional Harkness discussions focused on analyzing films, texts, and other print and visual media.

Language Beyond the Classroom

Lawrenceville offers multiple opportunities to gain fluency, both within and outside the classroom. Our Harkness Travel Program has taken students to Spain, Italy, France, Greece, and a number of other countries. Additionally, co-curricular language clubs host activities such as breakfast in Spanish and lunch in French.

Language Department Faculty

Julio Alcantara

Titles: Spanish Teacher, Language Department, Adam-Chambers Award Fund

Josefina Ayllón-Ayllón

Titles: Spanish Teacher, Language Department
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Scott Barnard

Titles: Latin Teacher, Language Department
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Hugo Caraballo

Titles: Teacher, Language Department; Coordinator, Office of Multicultural Affairs
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Victoria Cirilo

Titles: Spanish Teacher, Language Department
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Hunter Cuniff

Titles: Spanish Teacher, Language Department
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Sangeeta Dhawan

Titles: French Teacher, Language Department
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Joaquin Gonzalez H'12

Titles: Spanish Teacher, Language Department, The Sidney Shea Distinguished Teaching Chair
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Brian Jacobs H'22

Titles: Department Chair and French Teacher, Language Department; Faculty Interviewer, Office of Admission, Independence Foundation Chair of 1960
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Patrick Loughlin

Titles: French Teacher, Language Department
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Elizabeth Montes

Titles: Spanish Teacher, Language Department

Michael Niu

Titles: Latin Teacher, Language Department
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Wendy Rosen

Titles: French Teacher, Language Department
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Hayden Stinson

Titles: Spanish Teacher, Language Department
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Adam Stokes

Titles: Latin Teacher, Language Department
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Melissa Verhey

Titles: French Teacher, Language Department
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Cynthia Yu

Titles: Chinese Teacher, Language Department
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Yanhong Zhang H'17

Titles: Chinese Teacher, Language Department
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