With a new year approaching, many are turning to the thoughts of the upcoming school year and what that will look like. Already, many people have scheduled for the following year, and eventually, the eighth graders will be scheduling for their first year in high school. However, this won’t be like any of the current high schoolers’ scheduling experiences, because diploma requirements are changing. While this new diploma is not entirely set in stone, it is clear that it will impact many classes and subjects. One department in schools is looking like it will be especially affected, and that is the Language Department.
Gone are the days of directed electives such as fine arts, career and technical education, and world languages. On the other hand, the new diploma looks like it is now encouraging students to take an emphasis on personalized electives, which means that for the basic diploma, languages are no longer required or emphasized. While they are still required for the honors diploma, many students might turn their focus elsewhere.
“[I] don’t know how [the new diploma] will be…[but] I hope that people recognize the importance of learning a world language in our diverse world,” NHS Spanish teacher Marc Slain said.
Learning a language can provide many benefits including problem-solving and critical thinking skills, along with the ability to understand your own language better. And on top of it all, it looks great on a job resume.
“I feel like I can relate to a lot more people now that I can speak more languages and I feel like my brain is stronger…it’s really interesting what foreign language can do to a brain…just in general there’s a lot that you can do with it,” NHS’s French teacher Mrs. Arendt said.
Despite Indiana’s lack of emphasis in the diploma for world languages, the administration and the NHS community are far from drawing back, focusing instead on full disclosure and communication with parents and families.
“I know that admin here is doing the best that they can to… talk to parents and fully explain [the new diploma],” said Mrs. Arendt.
By doing this, they will not only let parents and students know all of their options, but will also make clear the classes and credits that colleges like to see in students, one quality of which is a world language credit.
“The [current] Indiana High School Diploma does not mandate world language. However, colleges in our state and everywhere love to see that you’ve at least tried a year or two— two would be ideal,” NHS Counselor Craig Spinner said.
Because of this, many middle and high-schoolers here in Noblesville are already taking a language class, one of which is Lauryn Stone, an 8th grader. Despite only being in her first year of Spanish, she is already feeling like she is progressing in her language learning.
“It’s easier than I thought,” Stone said. “It’s definitely hard to learn a new language, but it’s also really fun to go talk to my friends in Spanish because we’re at the point where we can literally have an entire conversation in a different language.”
She says she would definitely recommend learning a language to those who are not yet, or are considering.
“You never know [where] you’re going to meet someone that speaks a different language. It comes in handy… to have that in your back pocket, just in case,” Stone said.
Thus, despite Indiana changing their requirements, NHS’s emphasis on world language will remain the same— with languages being stressed and encouraged both now and in the future for generations to come.
“We still want [students] to take [world language]. It makes you well rounded,” said NHS Counselor Craig Spinner.
So maybe the next time you’re scheduling, consider taking a world language— C’est amusant/Est divertido!
