Searcy, Ark., (LP) — Searcy High School put together a very successful Foreign Language Week for students this year. Every year during the months in Spring, the foreign language teachers select a week for Foreign Language Week which is filled with lots of learning experiences, entertainment, and fun. Students in foreign language classes, Spanish and French, are the only students that get to participate. The students get to experience different cultures and learn new things about different traditions. It gives students knowledge of what people are like, what they eat, how they live, their lifestyle, etc. Foreign Language Week this year was designed for students to have a fun learning experience.
The foreign language teachers meet together to discuss the events of that week. Mrs. Nielsen, the teacher behind Foreign Language Week stated, “We have the same routine of events that are planned for the week, and we have been doing that for years now.” She has been teaching Spanish for decades now but, “Always enjoyed putting together Foreign Language Week.” The students always have, “A positive feedback after Foreign Language Week”, said Mrs. Nielsen.
The students week is filled with fun events starting on Monday when they got to eat Hispanic styled nachos. On Tuesday, students were able to learn about Hispanic culture with two guest speakers that attend Harding but came to America from Mexico and Honduras. Students got to ask the speakers any questions they had regarding their culture, tradition, etc. Caitlin Amos, a Spanish II student stated, “It was very interesting to learn about the speakers heritage and their lifestyle back in their country.” On Wednesday, students watched many different performances, from students singing cover of songs in Spanish or French, to Hispanic students performing a dance routine. During some of the dance performances, students were welcome to participate and learn the dance. Lastly, on Thursday and Friday students watched a movie, this year the movie was Coco which really excited the students. Caitlin said, “I feel like Coco was a good movie because it tied in with the things we learned in Spanish.”
The students, as well as the teachers, had an amazing experience during Foreign Language Week. Jewell Duncan, a Spanish IV student said, “I’ve been in Spanish since I was a freshman and now I’m a senior but Foreign Language Week is just one of those things you never get tired of.”
Students that participate in Foreign Language Week have so much fun and learn so many new things that they share their experience with their peers which encourages them to think about or actually even sign up to be in a foreign language class. These kinds of events are a really good upbringing to students awareness in diversity and gives them a certain interest in learning and experiencing new things.
