I was sitting inside of a dumpling restaurant in Chicago’s Chinatown and actually understanding some of the words both on the menu and being said by our waiter.
Earlier this year, I had that experience while on a field trip with Mr. Mark Antonietti’s Mandarin 4 Class. When I was in eighth grade and chose to take Mandarin as my high school language class, I had no clue that four years later it would lead to an experience like that.
The field trip opened my eyes to just how much I had really learned about the language and customs of Chinese people through Mr. Antonietti’s class during my four years at MC.
The trip also made me think back towards the end of my sophomore year when my classmates and I were told that Mandarin 3 was not a required class and that it was entirely up to the student to choose whether or not he wanted to go beyond the required two years for a language course.
I and a few others chose to stay on the Mandarin track, and many more went on to take four years of Spanish and Latin, the other two language classes offered at MC.
With the rest of my time here at MC now winding down, I can confidently say that taking all four years of a language was a smart choice that has set me up to succeed in college, both educationally and financially, and it has made my high school experience feel more well-rounded.
“After two years I was on the fence,” says senior and Mandarin classmate of mine, Ryan Clark. “I knew from other guys that colleges prefer it if you have all four years, but I also definitely thought about dropping it and taking an instrument class or some other cool elective.”
Clark has not chosen where he will attend college just yet; however, he knows that it is likely that he would not have to take a language at most of the schools he applied to.
All universities and tracks for majors are different, so while it is not certain a student can opt out of a language in college if they took it for all four years in high school, it is likely. For example, I am committed to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this fall, and I am not required to fulfill any credits for a language class. Instead, I and many other college freshmen who took four years of a language in high school have the option to take a different class that better suits my major more than a Mandarin class would, or not even fill that extra slot in at all.
The reason I am not required to take a language at UNL is because I already took it for the entirety of my time at MC, and my specific major does not correlate with the language tracks. However, if I were to have to take a language this fall, I would still feel prepared heading into it.
“Once we started Mandarin 3, the class definitely got more difficult,” says Clark. “We were going through lessons faster and also covering them more in depth. We also learnt more about the culture behind the language a lot more than we did in the first two years of the class. I’m glad I decided to stay in Mandarin for all four years because I felt as if I got the full experience of the class, which will help me in college if I do end up taking it.”
While Clark and I have been on the Mandarin track for all four years, many other seniors have also taken Spanish and Latin.
“I think that a language adds a different aspect,” says senior and four-year Spanish student Jordan Whaley. “It’s different from reading in an English class or solving problems in a math class. You learn different skills like conversational ones. I also think if you intend to go to college it looks best on your transcript that you completed all four years. It definitely depends on what you’re majoring in, but for most cases I think having all four years will set you up.”
Setting oneself up to be successful in college is great, but like Whaley says, a language class can also implement conversational skills into students that a class like Physics or AP English 4 might not.
Learning a different language requires one to at some point thoroughly understand what it is they are hearing, reading, and speaking. It may seem basic, but touching up on those aspects of speech and language can help a student be more well-rounded in the long run.
It’s not the fact that two years isn’t long enough to take in these skills, but going beyond the required amount allows a student to further their understanding of languages in general.
And it’s not just students that are appreciative of learning a new language at MC. Their teachers enjoy the process as well.
“Any time you spend on learning a new language will also help you improve your use of English,” says Latin teacher Dr. Jon Berry. “You get better at understanding grammar and how people communicate.”
These skills are valuable, but not always taken advantage of by everyone.
“A two year requirement is actually pretty good because not every school even has a requirement in the first place,” says Dr. Berry. “However, I think students should take four years to fully immerse themselves in the process of learning a foreign language. Two years generally might not be enough time for all students to do that.”
If a student is very interested in learning how to play the drums or guitar, or if they don’t see themselves going to college after graduating from MC, then maybe taking four years of a language isn’t for them.
But for those who want to save some time and effort in college and don’t have a particular elective in mind, going beyond the two-year requirement is for you.
“I’ve had students who are miserable in my Latin class and all they want to do is drop out and go take another elective like graphic design,” says Dr. Berry. “I’ve also had students go on to actually study Latin in college. Everyone is different, but I still encourage most guys to take all four years of my class.”
