Language instruction begins with Spanish classes in First Grade, giving the children insights into and facility with other cultures. Hearing and speaking other languages encourages children to be subliminally aware of cultural differences through forming phrases and expressions, encouraging the child to be more creative in their own thoughts and ideas.
Spanish
All students study Spanish in grades 1 through 8. The curriculum begins with songs and poems, moving into more technical aspects of the language in the upper grades.
Mandarin
The middle school Chinese class is an introduction to Mandarin in which students learn to read and write traditional Chinese characters and engage in conversations, while mastering Mandarin grammar and syntax. Students also experience the cultures of the people who speak Mandarin through traditional poetry, songs, calligraphy, and foods.
According to Steiner, the encounter with other languages should not only serve to extend the individual’s horizon in a formal manner. It should also enrich and diversify his inner life, nurturing his very soul. - C. Jaffke 1996 Fremdsprachenunterricht auf der Primarstufe. Seine Begründung und Praxis in der Waldorf-pädagogik. 2nd, revised edition
