World Languages

    Telephone: 240-740-4640

    The goal of the world languages program is to educate students in a language and culture in order to make them knowledgeable and active members of a global society. Students will learn to use world languages for meaningful communication in both spoken and written form.

    Staff Members

    Name Position Email
    Ms. Jennifer O'Neil Resource Teacher Jennifer_Oneil1@mcpsmd.org
    Mr. Tsion Andualem Teacher  
    Ms. Ingrid Bell Teacher Ingrid_M_Bell@mcpsmd.org
    Ms. Jihan Davis Teacher Jihan_C_Davis@mcpsmd.org
    Ms. Claudia Gargiulo Teacher Claudia_Gargiulo1@mcpsmd.org
    Ms. Elizabeth Med-Haaland Teacher  
    Mr. Pedro PowerMelgar Teacher Pedro_E_PowerMelgar@mcpsmd.org
    Ms. Loren Salkin-Monzon Teacher Loren_Salkin-monzon@mcpsmd.org
    Mr. Edgardo Sermeno Teacher Edgardo_Sermeno@mcpsmd.org

    Mission and Enduring Understandings

    The world languages program emphasizes language as it is used in real-life situations that students are most likely to encounter. Through world language study, students develop sensitivity to the cultural and linguistic heritage of other groups, understand their influence on American culture, and become prepared to participate in a society characterized by linguistic and cultural diversity.

    Enduring Understandings:

    • As the world moves towards a global community, it is increasingly important to be able to communicate in languages other than English.
    • It is important to understand the perspectives of a culture that generate its patterns of behavior, ways of life, worldviews, and contributions.
    • Proficiency in a world language is a vehicle to gaining knowledge that can only be acquired through that language and its culture.
    • The study of a world language enables students to develop insights into the nature of language and culture.
    • Learning a world language enables an individual to participate in multilingual communities.

    World Language Courses

    Northwood currently offers courses in Chinese, French, and Spanish, including Advanced Placement language courses for French and Spanish.

    If students select a world language to fulfill the Maryland diploma requirements, it is recommended that the two world language credits be in the same language. World language courses must be taken in sequential order. The prerequisite for all courses, except for a beginning course (classified as 1A), is successful completion of the preceding course.