Over the past few years, the population of Oak Park High School has increased exponentially with a record breaking 470 freshmen in the class of 2029. This population increase also leads to an array of diverse backgrounds, spanning many cultures and languages.
At OPHS, there are currently three language classes offered: Spanish, French and Chinese with the most common class being Spanish. However, there are many more languages offered in schools around the world than these four.
One of Oak Park’s main goals is educating students on global languages. However, the question that remains is if it is possible to have more language courses and if so, what are the benefits of multiple language courses?
Out of the eight AP foreign language classes that the College Board offers, OPHS offers only three: Spanish, French and Chinese. An AP language class is beneficial to take because it gives students the opportunity to excel in learning. You also have the option to take the AP class or even the AP exam to gain college credit.
Additionally, they look great on college applications, showing the rigor of the language course pathway you took in high school
One of the main reasons for implementing more language classes is allowing all high school grades to take a variety of classes ranging from CP, Honors, to AP courses. Freshman who are fluent in a language offered at OPHS can take the AP language exam and acquire college credit if they score higher than a three.
The remaining AP College Board foreign language classes are German, Italian, Japanese, Latin and Spanish Literature. These courses were chosen by the College Board based on the needs of students and how critical they are considered by governments and businesses.
German
German may seem a surprising pick to be an AP foreign language class but Boston University, reveals that it’s the tenth most commonly spoken language in the world with it also being a lingua franca, a common language between speakers whose native languages are different, of Central and Eastern Europe. For any STEM majors, German is the second most commonly used scientific language in the world. For business majors, Germany is the world’s second-largest exporter and ranks number one in Europe for their economy. Knowing how to speak German while conducting deals with a country can significantly boost economic outcomes. Some OPHS students have already shown interest in learning German.
“Half of my family lives in Germany and it would save me the trouble of going outside of school [to learn] it,” junior Peter Duggan wrote.
Italian
“Ciao,” “pizza” and “pasta.” Those are likely the only Italian words the average American knows. However, for students pursuing the arts, Italy has over 60% of the entire world’s art treasures according to UNESCO, the cultural and educational agency of the United Nations. Some famous pieces include the Sistine Chapel ceiling and “The Last Supper,” with Italy also being home to some of the greatest artists of all time like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
In addition, any future chefs should head to Italy right away as it is the world leader in culinary arts. Italian itself is the language with the highest number of words for naming foods, restaurants, dishes and produce.
Furthermore, Italian is the language of musical notation, so musicians might as well make the next step and learn the whole language. Learning to speak Italian will forge bridges between cultures and introduce you to a new world, especially if you plan to study the arts, the culinary arts and music.
“My father was born and raised in Milan, Italy,” junior Dani Trivelli wrote. “I still have family living [in] Italy. While they do know English, it is not very good. I would love to be able to fluently communicate with them. Anyone would benefit from having this language taught at OPHS. It’s important to learn a language, and Italian is such a beautiful language.”
Japanese
Some people may say that Japanese is the same as Chinese but that could not be further from the truth. Though Japanese has borrowed heavily from Chinese with the writing system and some vocabulary, each language is distinct and belongs to a different language family.
With Japan as the second largest economy in the world, any business, engineering, manufacturing, research, economics or political science majors will end up competing, if not working, for a Japanese entity. Being able to communicate with potential customers in Japan is key to expansion into the Japanese market as consumers there spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year on consumer goods and services; like clothing and entertainment.
“If I could speak any language I would learn to speak Japanese because in the future, I hope to live in Japan and explore their culture,” junior Michelle Plascencia said.
Latin
Latin has been around for approximately 2,700 years with the language originating in present day Rome, Italy. Latin, like any language, offers numerous benefits such as enhancing critical thinking skills and improving cognition. Latin is the base language for all Romance languages and has many terms in both law and science.
“I want to learn Latin because I feel it’s the basis of many different languages such as English, Spanish, French, etc,” junior Emily Kong wrote. “It could be beneficial if I want to learn more languages in the future. Plus, it’s helpful when it comes to science and taxonomy.”
Spanish Literature
One of the most unique AP classes is Spanish Literature and Culture. It is usually taken after AP Spanish Language and Culture, the only language to have two different AP classes. It is the equivalent of AP English Literature and Composition, where students read works in poetic and prose form.
For students who want to continue to learn Spanish, this class offers the opportunity to excel in the hardest aspects of learning a language: reading and writing. Unfortunately, with the lack of interest in OPHS for AP Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish teacher Francisco Henning believes it is highly unlikely the class will make an appearance.
“Zero [chance],” Henning said. “That is what [the district] told me when they interviewed me here because in order to run a class, you need 20 students signed up. Due to the complexity of that class, they doubted, at the district level, that anyone would ever sign up for it. “
However, the future is never set in stone. The class is one of the best ways to improve your Spanish and increase your fluency. Due to a large speaking population in California, Spanish is a vital skill for job opportunities and forming cultural connections. At his previous workplace, Henning enjoyed teaching the precursor to the class, Spanish Literature 101.
“The funniest memory of that class is [that] it was 100% Spanish all the time. It was interesting to see the kids work [with] current events in Spanish because the point was you would use sources from either Latin America or Spain and cover [subjects] in the United States with a different perspective.”
Conclusion
By allowing the implementation of more languages at OPHS, it gives students the option to take languages they are passionate about learning, not ones they have to take simply to get into college. According to Preply.com, over 30% of Americans only learned a foreign language because it was required in their schools. In the same study, 70% regretted not learning a foreign language.
With the removal of ASL, from OPHS, the school needs to provide at least one new language. Adding in more language classes will allow students to have more variety when choosing classes, helping them fulfill their language requirements. Though introducing a new language at OPHS involves many costly factors such as finding a new teacher, buying textbooks and gathering interest, the benefits outweigh the expenses. For students, career opportunities, expanded social connection and improved cognitive skills are among the vast positives of learning a second language.
Good luck on your bilingual, trilingual or multilingual journey!
Bye!
Tschüss!
Ciao!
さよなら！
Vale!
¡Adiós!
