The 1900s hallway is a vibrant international portal into various cultures and countries with the muffled tunes of “Brividi” and “La Vie En Rose” as a welcomed soundtrack. The distinct colors of each country’s flag lines the hallways, welcoming students into the foreign language department.
This year, the foreign language department is working to help better immerse students into their respective cultures. Italian teacher Signora Spagnuolo shared the importance of encouraging new interest for language classes, which is why a brand new Italian 1 class has been introduced this year. In a building typically only offering higher level Italian classes, the introduction of this class encourages students to pack their “bags” and step aboard a trip to learn about new cultures. Foreign language classes are all about unique and exciting experiences, and the introduction of the new PASCH network for the German language classes proves to be an effective way of helping immerse students into their cultures. German teacher Frau Franco explains how the “international network provides schools with assistance and programs for students and teachers such as contests, study trips to Germany, instructional materials, professional development, and more.” This provides a unique resource for German students as Frau Franco excitedly expresses that EBHS is one of “only 14 High Schools in all of the US” that offers the PASCH network.
On trips to both Germany and Italy, students are exposed to their languages in new and authentic ways. While these trips are obviously enticing ways to learn about cultures, not all students are able to participate. This is no problem though, as the teachers pilot their students to various countries and regions inside the classroom. Junior Diya Bajaj shares how the music in Madame Williams is “the type of peaceful music which would typically be playing in Paris cafes.” She says that the classroom environment transports her and “makes [her] feel French.” Junior Triviana Girgis notes how over her years of taking Spanish at the high school she has “been able to gain more knowledge about the various Spanish speaking countries” as well as “understand the culture and specific traditions more deeply” due to emphasis her classes have put on examining countries and culture. The strides that EBHS and the foreign language teachers are making to improve passion and excitement towards languages are helping keep the true values of the foreign language department.