Which Language Should I Choose to Study at CRLS?

The CRLS World Language Department has compiled these resources to support eighth grade families as they select a language to study at CRLS. There are six World Languages offered at CRLS: Spanish, French, Latin, Arabic, Chinese and American Sign Language. Students must take two (2) semesters of one of the World Languages currently offered at CRLS to meet the graduation requirement. The U.S. Department of State provides rankings for the spoken languages taught at CRLS, with French and Spanish listed as Category I languages that are “similar to English” and Chinese and Arabic listed as Category IV languages that require significantly more hours of study to achieve the same level of proficiency. The Latin program at CRLS, one of the oldest such programs in the country, is not a spoken language but requires extensive memorization and the use of analytical skills similar to those needed for math problems and jigsaw puzzles. Sometimes students are surprised to learn that American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual-spatial language with complex syntax that is very different from English. ASL generally requires many more hours than the Category I languages to achieve proficiency due to the syntax and extra time needed for gestural skill development. The semester model allows students to take two languages over the course of their CRLS career, something that a handful of students choose to do each year.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any World Language questions.


Trying to decide which language you'd like to study at CRLS?


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Videos about language study at CRLS

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