When one learns a language, they are devoting their time to becoming a more cultured individual. Three language credits are offered at the high school: Spanish, French, and German. A foreign language can fill the graduation requirement of a fine arts credit. Within the language department, there are many opportunities for students to learn about different cultures and how to communicate/interact with those of another language. Students can also join respective clubs and honor societies, take the Seal of Biliteracy, and have the opportunity to travel abroad.
Chandler Ochoa and Beatriz Rabanal partner to teach Spanish, Madeleine Riley teaches French, and Anneliese Reichenberger teaches German. Each language teacher originates from various backgrounds and has their own language-learning journey. Ochoa has been teaching Spanish for eight years and started learning in middle school.
“I took Spanish all throughout high school, which is when I really fell in love with it. The experiences and the teacher I had were really cool, then she recommended that I do a program where I went to Paraguay for the summer after I graduated high school,” Ochoa said. “I got the travel bug so I went to Mexico and went to Puebla in college. Then I took a semester in Puerto Rico.”
Ochoa improved her speaking ability the most while in Puerto Rico as she took college classes in Spanish. She would speak to her friends and her boyfriend primarily in Spanish. Ochoa teaches her students to be disciplined and branch out from only speaking in a classroom setting. Students will not only learn the language with Ochoa but also the culture that coincides.
“I really enjoy teaching the language through songs, music, art, literature, and history,” Ochoa said. “Language is culture and culture is language and I like bringing them together and teaching students about the world and the possibilities of leaving their comfort zone and challenging themselves.”
Rabanal works alongside Ochoa to teach Spanish. Rabanal grew up in Spain and Spanish was her first language. Last year she and her family decided to move to the U.S. through a teaching exchange program. Before teaching formally in a school setting, Rabanal taught voluntarily for various reasons. Rabanal plans to return to Spain where her previous job is waiting for her.
“My favorite part with teaching Spanish is to be able to talk about my culture and to show other people what wonderful things are beyond what we are used to,” Rabanal said. “If you want to break those limits that we are sometimes surrounded by then you can get to know amazing things.”
Riley followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a French teacher. She has taught French for four years at the high school and has two years of college-level teaching experience. Like Ochoa, Riley was also able to have experience studying abroad in Belgium.
“I love teaching students that there are other traditions, customs, and ways of life,” Riley said. “Some things are super similar and relatable to our life here in the U.S. and some things are totally different and it is fun to see them learn.”
Riley said the biggest hardship in teaching a language is teaching her students that it is okay to make mistakes. It is common for students to be timid or scared that they will make a mistake which can make teaching an entire new language difficult.
“You have to let go of [timidness] and get over it and be fine with making mistakes. We learn from our mistakes,” Riley said.
Reichenberger has been teaching German for four years. The beginning of Reichenberger and Riley’s learning journey started very similarly.
“I started off learning German as a kid from my mom because my mom also speaks German so I learned it informally,” Reichenberger said. “Then I officially started learning German my freshman year of high school and then on into college.”
Reichenberger starts with basic concepts and vocabulary in her first-year German classes. She teaches the everyday things one would need to know in German. As students become more advanced they begin to learn themes. Reichenberger explained that in her upper-level class, they have done an entire unit on the environment.
“With teaching German, I especially love teaching about the culture. There are so many beautiful things about the German culture and I love sharing that with my students,” Reichenberger said.