Should You Take a Language All Four Years?

Should You Take a Language All Four Years?

Exeter High School offers three different languages: Spanish, French, and Latin. Taking a language in high school is required for the first two years. After the requirement is completed, the decision is left up to the individual student if they want to continue learning another language, but how do you decide? Although it's not necessary, continuing with the language you have already begun learning can provide many opportunities and benefits. I spoke to different students who have taken each of these classes to hear students’ perspectives on each of the courses.

French is offered at Exeter High School in many different variants: Honors and CP French I, Honors and CP French II, Honors and CP French III, Honors and CP French IV,  and AP French. All of these are full-year courses available to eager French students. Not only can you benefit by learning a new language, but you could also be given the opportunity to go to France! These French students were able to use their knowledge of the French language by going to French-speaking countries, interacting with locals, and widening their knowledge and understanding of French culture. I asked two French students, Lily Beauchesne and Caroline Henning, about how they felt about taking French all four years. “All of the teachers are so amazing, they are all fair and give out fair amounts of work but still are teaching you”. Lily Beauchesne stated. The duo also talked about how French class formed their lifelong friendship. If you continue to take French in high school, the different opportunities present themselves the more active you are with taking the language.

Latin can only be taken at the Honors level for Latin I, II, III, IV and Latin V. Latin is considered a dead language, but the language has become a useful tool for students here at Exeter. Many students think that Latin is a difficult and useless language to learn, but one student, Kendall Harvell, claims she “did not find it any more difficult than [Spanish].” For a dead language, Latin has many uses across the globe, such as in an English class. The origin of all the words you use every day will be revealed during this exciting course. Latin is a language that is still relevant today, for example, a new pope has been elected, revealing real-world usage of Latin in the world. You can take this class to stand out, gaining historical information on the origin of language and speak in a way few can translate. 

Spanish is the third language offered at Exeter High School, having a wide range of classes to take. Like French, you can take CP and Honors Spanish I, CP and Honors Spanish II, CP and Honors Spanish III, CP and Honors Spanish IV, CP and Honors Spanish V, and AP Spanish. Spanish is an extremely common language spoken in the world, even more common than English! Spanish is a language filled with different tenses and conjugations that may overwhelm you at first, but as the years go on, you will feel very accomplished with the new information that you have learned. Whether it's a trip to Spain or reading instructions, Spanish is everywhere. Taking the class for more than the required years lets you know that you want to be there and choose to take the class, so you will have more fun with it. 

Exeter High School offers more than just the required two years for a reason. If you have room in your schedule, continuing to take a language is a great way to continue to learn a fun subject that is worth your time. The real-world experiences and travel benefits you can gain by comprehending another language provide endless opportunities. If you want to take a step further, testing to see if you qualify to be fluent in another language, or continuing a course you're passionate about in college, can benefit your future in many different ways. If you go into the workforce, being able to understand someone who doesn't speak English will greatly help you and the people around you. Taking a language all four years of high school is not required; however, I certainly recommend that you try to keep a world language in your schedule during your time here at Exeter High School.