Students of Delta High School are well aware of the two foreign language classes: Spanish with Luis Meza, and French with Tiffany Hendrix. However, some students and these two teachers have opinions on other languages that should be a class opportunity at Delta High School. Tiffany Hendrix, for example, said that Mandarin Chinese should be an option at Delta High School because of a higher difficulty level.
Along with our teachers, there are also some students who are from foreign countries such as Germany, Spain, Thailand, and more.
It is known that Spanish and French are the two easiest languages for English speakers to learn. Studies also show that languages such as German, Dutch, and even Norwegian are easy for English speakers to learn in just a few years. To learn and memorize up to one hundred words, it can take people only 3-5 weeks according to the famous language-learning app, Duolingo. To reach fluency in a new language, it can take up to 2-3 years. That may seem like a long time, but the benefits are worth it.
For job opportunities, it is helpful to know another language because of foreigners that may be touring the United States or other countries where they may not be fluent. One benefit is that, despite the time it takes to learn a new language, you can connect with people around the world, especially if you are multilingual. Another benefit is a better chance of getting hired for jobs such as customer service.
French teacher Tiffany Hendrix said that French is easy at first, but then gets progressively harder as the weeks drag on. Something interesting about the French language is that not just French people speak French. Other countries nearby, such as Belgium, Switzerland, and even parts of Canada have some French speakers out there. Hendrix isn’t actually from France or any of the other mildly fluent countries, but she had learned French for over seven years
Like Hendrix, Spanish teacher Luis Meza said the same thing about the difficulty of learning a new language for English speakers; on a scale from 1-10, Spanish ranges surprisingly from 7-9.
“You have to hear Spanish every day, all around you,” Meza said. “Then you’re used to it after a while.”
Meza’s recommendations for new languages are both Latin and Italian, which are both more difficult to learn. However, both of those languages fit under the Spanish umbrella, having a similar pronunciation in some words. According to berlitz.com, Spanish is one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn, yet, like French, it can take years to become fluent in the language.
In addition to foreign language teachers, there are also other teachers who speak a second language. One of those would be art teacher Pablo Payan, who is fluent in Spanish. While Payan doesn’t teach Spanish, he is fluent in the language and also knows people who have benefited from learning a foreign language.
“I think finding teachers that can teach multiple languages at once can be super helpful for students,” Payan said. “Like finding one that teaches Italian, German, Portuguese, etc.”
Along with the multilingual teachers, Payan also suggested that students find out what languages they would be interested in learning, and to think about suggesting them to the school.
Finally, with foreign exchange students, one of the most popular among Delta High is Marco Arangio. He arrived from Italy in late December, fitting in well with students and his classes. Arangio says that the foreign language classes are very different from being fluent in a second language, as the classes simply teach the grammar used as well as some phrases. He also says that is why he doesn’t like to learn languages at school because of that simplicity. For instance, the languages at Delta High School really only teach students the basic grammar rules as well as words and phrases. This is also the same for learning on an app, such as Duolingo. The lessons are split into units just like the classes are. During those units, students learn some words and simple phrases at first, but then the lessons progressively get harder the more the student begins to learn.
Like Hendrix said, Arangio has also said foreigners don’t often forget their main language, even when they are surrounded by people who speak much differently. According to languagebird.com, research shows that learning a language on an app or website is quicker than learning in school, as people can learn at their own pace rather than having to wait each day to continue learning. This also means that students can have a hard time remembering certain words or phrases if they aren’t able to be in class at all times, whereas on an app like Duolingo, students can use the app whenever they please.
