World Languages

Chinese language teacher in classroom

Graduation Requirement: Three consecutive years of Upper School study in a single language (Chinese, French, or Spanish)

At Kent Denver, World Languages studies go beyond the mere teaching of language and culture. Here, we provide a vital cornerstone for key life skills, with listening, critical thinking, effective public speaking, writing and collaborative work contributing to that foundation.

Simply, proficiency in a language other than one’s native tongue is an essential skill in a constantly changing world. Such proficiency—the ability to see the world and the self through a more global prism—is also a foundational component of a liberal arts education. While never forgetting the need to help our students do well in college, we also keep our collective eye on an even more important goal—specifically, to allow our students to communicate effectively with people from other cultures.

We develop the skills of aural comprehension, reading, speaking and writing in all levels. The study of culture plays a major role as well. Through the study of literature, which begins at the intermediate level, we encourage our students to not only improve their vocabulary and analytic skills, but also to see the world from different cultural perspectives. Moreover, while we actively integrate technology into the classroom, we never lose sight of the fact that human interaction exists at the core of what we do.

Perhaps above all, we value curiosity about the world. Kent Denver offers three languages—Chinese, French and Spanish—to students in grades 6-12. Instruction spans beginner-level through AP.

Kent Denver's World Languages program offers students entry into the ever-changing, increasingly interconnected global society.

Seal of Biliteracy

Kent Denver is proud to offer the Seal of Biliteracy through Senate Bill 17-123. This seal is for any student who attains proficiency in one or more world languages—in addition to English—by graduation.

 


 

Browse a Sample of our Offerings

Filter by subject and school to see an example of the academic offerings available to students at Kent Denver School. 

Meet Our World Languages Faculty

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Lindsay Bababekov

Lindsay Bababekov

Titles: Spanish Teacher
Biography:

M.A.—Spanish
B.A.—Spanish Literary Studies

“I love being able to help foster a love of learning another language. Language opens doors to new people, places, and cultures. It is a gift to be able to communicate in another language, and I love to help build my students’ curiosities about the world that we live in.”

Ms. Bababekov joined Kent Denver’s Middle School in 2023 after spending the last year at Colorado Academy. She has nearly 15 years of experience teaching Spanish, coaching sports and serving as an advisor in schools in Washington, Connecticut, Massachusetts and now Colorado. Ms. Bababekov began her career while earning her Bachelor’s Degree, working as an Elementary School Spanish teacher. After graduating college in 2009 and living in Guatemala for 6 months, she transitioned to teaching full-time, where she spent the next 13 years helping students anywhere from Pre-K to 9th grade learn and develop their skills in Spanish.

During the early years of her teaching career, Ms. Bababekov also earned her Master’s Degree in Spanish, which included completing coursework in the summers of 2012 and 2013 at Universidad Argentina de la Empresa in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When she’s not teaching, Ms. Bababekov has served as an advisor for school yoga and ukulele clubs, as well as a faculty trip chaperone—which included her leading international trips with students to Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Matthew Bentley

Matthew Bentley

Titles: Spanish Teacher
Biography:

B.A.
M.A.
Ph.D.

"I help students see the world, themselves and each other from a different perspective. I love the never-ending process of figuring out what works, and the yearly cycle of re-inventing myself and my classes."

Prior to working at Kent Denver, Mr. Bentley was a professor at Wabash College. He also taught in the Humanities Department at the University of Colorado-Boulder and in the Languages and Literature Department at the University of Denver.

Allison Cain

Allison Cain

Titles: French Teacher
Biography:

B.A.—French Literature
M.Ed.—Curriculum and Instruction
M.A.—French Global Studies

“For me, teaching the French language begins with creating community—a community of classroom citizens as well as future global citizens. My students remind me that we cannot learn in isolation. The perspectives, experiences and histories of those around us enrich who we are."

Ms. Cain believes that language study opens doors to a deeper level of self-knowledge. "In learning French, we are doing more than learning words and grammar rules; we are uncovering truths, beliefs and stories from those of a different culture," she explains. "The presence of the 'other,' whether across the circle in our French classroom or across the ocean, is essential in understanding ourselves.”

Ms. Cain loves the Kent Denver community. She especially loves seeing her students grow over their time and watching them evolve into more confident and open-minded speakers of the French language.

Annick Chen

Annick Chen

Titles: Chinese Teacher
Biography:

B.A.—French
M.A.—Visual Arts

"As a teacher, I get the opportunity to make a significant difference in the world each and every day just by touching the lives of my students."

Prior to arriving at Kent Denver in 2016, Ms. Chen taught Chinese language at Denver South and Abraham Lincoln High Schools. She was named the 2015-16 Teacher of the Year by the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers and has received numerous awards for her teaching.

"Teaching my native language, Chinese, enables me to draw upon my own culture and personal experience as a foreign language learner as I teach my students to effectively communicate with me in Chinese on a daily basis," Ms. Chen says. "In addition, it allows me to help my students gain an appreciation for another language and culture, to broaden their worldview and to build essential skills for global competence."

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