Woodbridge Students Help Celebrate Foreign Language Week

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Small Town USA this isn’t. Our town today is the world, made smaller through the Internet. Today’s global melting pot is in our schools, where the universal language is an encouraging smile; language barriers are overcome with laughter; and eyes open wide with wonder.

Such expressive means to communicate are often the first resort for newcomers who represent over 105 languages and 160 cultures that are thriving in the homes of Prince William County Public School (PWCS) students.

During National Foreign Language Week, March 6-11, we salute those who teach and learn world languages that reflect the rich diversity of our community. The School Division’s 185 world language teachers put the week’s theme, “You’re Connected…Now Communicate” into practice every day. Instruction in French and Spanish begins at the elementary school level in six schools and continues in middle schools and high schools. Other languages studied in high school are American Sign Language, German, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, and the classical language, Latin.

A variety of presentations, events and collaborative activities have been planned during March to celebrate Prince William County’s cultural and language diversity.

“We believe school activities that offer a deeper understanding about the countries and peoples of the languages our students are learning will encourage them to more fully engage in these cultures and hopefully inspire a lifelong interest,” says Carol Bass, PWCS supervisor of World Languages.

About 50 Battlefield High School French students coordinated a community service project for children in the school’s Head Start preschool program. The students assembled and decorated “card stock shoes,” stuffed them full of hats, mittens, pencils, crayons, and children’s books, and presented them to the youngsters. “We received thanks by way of pictures and thank you notes….I think that both big and little kids alike loved the activity,” said French teacher Marilyn Clemence.

At Lake Ridge Middle School, students celebrated Mardi Gras in true New Orleans tradition by making masks and “shoebox” parade floats, with the help of Assistant Principal Krsunthia Childs. “Students of French learned about New Orleans culture as part of the Francophone world,” says French teacher Kim Maynard. “Every grade level had a different activity. Eighth-graders learned about jazz bands and the Krewes (crews that put on a parade) and elected a King and Queen of Mardi Gras.”

Woodbridge High School German students recently attended the two-day annual conference of the Virginia Organization of German Students, where they learned in a workshop how to cook potato latkes (pancakes), a traditional dish of Germany and the Baltic states, and enjoyed all kinds of German customs, traditions, and academic competitions. They placed second in the Battle of the Brains contest, a quiz in English and German that tests their knowledge of German culture, language, and history. “All are looking forward to attending the convention next year, as they had a wonderful, enriching experience,” said German teacher Carol Butler.

Cross-cultural communication skills are invaluable in preparing students for the global world in which they live and will one day work. Students who study a second language learn that second-language acquisition is a lengthy process; for many, this builds tolerance of recently arrived immigrants who are also learning a new language.

The United States, a nation of immigrants, has historically benefited from the contributions of people born in other countries who have excelled in careers that affect the quality of life–medicine, science, technology, the arts, education, sports, and government. Possessing the ability to communicate in another language and understanding other cultures can help to ensure our nation’s future economic, business, and political success on the world stage.

-Press release