Northwest Academy offers courses in Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese, ranging from the Introductory level to a Near-Native Fluency level. The Near-Native Fluency level classes are designed for students who come from language immersion programs or who otherwise have exceptionally high fluency levels in reading, writing, and conversation. The Northwest Academy language program follows a natural language acquisition/communication model. Students must demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking before advancing to the next language level so as to enhance their abilities to become functionally fluent in their target languages. World Language teachers at Northwest Academy have experience in classrooms from middle school to college. They bring a passion for language and international culture to their students, and each teacher aims for student-centered language environment in which English is rarely used and where authentic language experiences are favored over rote memorization and grammar drills.