Armenian Language and Culture Program

Ribét Academy is relaunching its Armenian Language and Culture program for the 2024-2025 school year.  The classes are taught in Eastern Armenian Dialect as a Second Language requirement.  The classes include Armenian Language, Literature, and Armenian History.  The Armenian Language and Culture program is an immersion style program in which class are taught with all text and spoken words in Armenian.  This program is available to elementary, middle school, and high school students.  

Elementary will focus on the alphabet and common words eventually reaching full sentences.  The historical and cultural aspect for elementary include going over holidays and well known Armenian historical events. These events will be used as the basis for the writing assignments.  By the time that a student has completed 5th grade of the elementary program they should be able to write multi-paragraph essays and understand cultural norms of Armenia.

Middle School will focus on Armenian from the stand point of someone who has heard the language and will know some letters and words, but might not be able to read full novels or writing naturally in Armenian yet.  As we know that there will be new students coming, all students will have a foundation section for the alphabet and common phrases in our first quarter before diving into our reading, writing, and presentations.  Armenian history and culture will not just be relegated to reading and writing assignments but will include a full history textbook for major events.  The students should be able to speak Armenian fluently enough to talk in regular conversation with some from Yerevan, Armenia.  If a student scores high enough on their 8th grade final they can use that year as completing their first year of High school second language.

High school is where a college-prep school truly shines.  Ribét has advanced and beginner classes for all core subjects and even elective classes.  With this philosophy we have developed second language classes where if someone is had a higher level or completed our middle school classes they can go to the level that is right for them.  The beginner level is foundational Armenian for students who speak, but do not read and write at high school level. Intermediate level would have a writing and speaking focus.  The expert level class is mastering oral conversation and reading comprehension using literature from Armenia’s best authors. Each high school level class teaches both history and language with each class using two textbooks one for Language and the other being history.