Put a student who only took the required two years of a language next to a student earning the Seal of Biliteracy and you’ll see two completely different outcomes. This is a clear sign that our language classes don’t work equally well for every student.
San Juan Hills High school requires its students to take two years of a language other than English in order to graduate. That leaves students with the option of picking between taking French or Spanish to fill that requirement or taking classes online.
The different outcomes between the students who take two years of a language versus those who continue onto more advanced courses raises the question of how effective language classes actually are.
Many students will practice vocabulary, complete speaking and writing assignments, pass the class and then move on.
“The projects we do aren’t very beneficial for me because it’s difficult to do the research, I found studying the vocab sheets works a lot better for me,” said Ashlyn Engel, French lll student.
It takes years in order to become fluent in a foreign language. Just learning the basics can be challenging if not impossible for some. Some students pick up languages easily; however there are others who find it difficult and confusing due to the fast-paced teaching methods.
“I recognize that we also need to put a lot of focus on the skills that are more useful for students, with most using the language by speaking it instead of writing it,” said Madame Keeler.
Just like English, the language courses cover the basics first, such as the alphabet, introductions, and simple phrases/sentences. This foundation is meant to help students succeed, but many feel that the lessons move too quickly for beginning speakers.
“I found it difficult to learn numbers at first as a beginner, but I used this word sheet with definitions and that really helped me,” said Issac Najera, French l student.
Even with good study habits and constant practice help, the main component that makes or breaks a student’s ability to learn is the teacher. Language teachers have different methods of teaching. Some focus more on culture, while others focus more on curriculum.
“The culture aspect of our classroom is real, when I teach students how to talk about going to the movies, we’ll actually look up what movies are playing in France,” said Linda Keeler.
While culture is important, many students benefit more from learning from vocabulary sheets and conversational activities.
Teachers should offer more guided practices before introducing new topics in order to appeal to beginning learners. By adding more conversational activities, visual aids, and check-ins on understanding students will learn the language efficiently.
If San Juan Hills wants language learning to be more effective then we need to rethink how classes are paced and supported.
What’s clear is that the two required years of a language aren’t enough for students to feel confident. Our language programs need to meet students in the middle and give them the time and support they need to thrive.
