Technology and modern life in general have transformed once isolated countries and continents into a truly global community. Given the nature of this development, the importance of the study of foreign languages becomes clear, indeed. Foreign language acquisition broadens our understanding of the cultures we encounter daily. Apart from this very practical aspect of foreign language learning, the study of foreign languages is of itself a worthy intellectual pursuit. Not only does it afford the student a greater context for understanding other academic subjects such as classical and modern history, literature, and science, it also is a discipline which deepens the understanding of one’s own language and culture. Goethe wrote that lacking the knowledge of a foreign language, one could know little of one’s own language. Certainly, this observation has taken on dimensions of significance in the twenty-first century that not even Goethe could have foreseen in his own time. The Foreign Language Department at Episcopal High School seeks to incorporate not only the more practical aspects of foreign language learning, it stresses the intellectual and academic elements of that study as well.
Mindful of the philosophy of our department, foreign language teachers at Episcopal High School set specific pedagogical objectives in their instruction. Among these objectives, we include the promotion of proficiency in the four skills of communication (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). We seek to teach those study skills unique to language learning, as well as to promote students’ in-depth study of one or more foreign languages from beginning to advanced levels. We incorporate literary, historical, and social dimensions of the "target" cultures into our teaching. As an extension of the classroom curriculum, we enable and encourage our students to deepen their linguistic proficiency and cultural understanding through studies abroad (e.g., Episcopal High School’s foreign programs and our participation as an associate member in the School Year Abroad programs in China, Italy, Vietnam, Spain, and France).