With languages other than English becoming evermore common, many have begun to push for increased education in other world languages. Although Spanish, French, and German are courses available for students to take at DGS, there has been a growing sentiment that world language courses have become undervalued, with not enough students realizing the potential benefits that learning another language can provide.
While English is the most common language around the U.S, The U.S Census Bureau reports that almost one in five people over the age of five speak a language other than English at home. In Illinois, that number is closer to one in four people
The University of the Potomac found that learning other languages poses numerous health benefits, including longer attention span, slower cognitive decline and better memory—benefits which many don’t know about. With modern technology being linked to shortened attention spans, learning a new language poses a useful and proven way to better one’s health while also expanding their horizons.
The benefits of knowing other languages stretches beyond personal health benefits, it also helps set up students for future success. World language department chair Tara Basar shared that “colleges look for students who commit to something for all four years.”
Under current DGS graduation requirements, taking a world language isn’t required, but is recommended for students who intend to go to a four year college or university. However, this requirement will be changing soon, because of new Illinois Board of Education requirements which will require at least two years of a world language for students who enter ninth grade in the 2028-29 school year.
This is a welcome change by teachers as they believe this will ultimately benefit students beyond DGS. Spanish Teacher Cyndi Montero shared how students apply these languages.
“There’s been quite a few students who have studied abroad. In college, that’s really been an eye opening experience for those students not only just learning the language but culturally opening themselves up to different ways of thinking and doing things,” Montero said.
While some might think that learning another language isn’t important, world languages provides benefits beyond academic ones, including a new cultural perspective which can serve to broaden the horizons of many individuals.
French Teacher Sophia Reuillon commented on how much research is out there about the benefits of learning a new language.
Even with all the recorded benefits of continuing to learn another language, enrollment beyond introductory courses is noticeably less than the higher levels. Courses like AP French can have fewer than 20 students participating in the class, lower than the larger first and second year classes.
In higher level German classes, this problem is even more pronounced. There’s only one teacher instructing all levels of German; reflecting the lower enrollment of students and the declining interest in pursuing higher level language courses. Reaching the point that higher level German classes are generally grouped into one section due to the low enrollment.
Despite the lower enrollment levels, world language teachers share how the sense of community in these classes are still strong. German teacher Sarah Moreno talked about the involvement of German students.
“There’s a community. A lot of the students [in German] are also involved in German Club, German Honor Society and go on the German trip every two or three years,” Moreno said.
In Spanish classes, Montero notes how students support each other beyond the class.
“I see students helping each other that are in different classes. They talk to each other in Spanish. They feel that connection with each other because they’re going through the same process of learning the language,” Montero said.
The benefits of community with those who also learn a language extends beyond DGS. The University of North Georgia notes that “One participates more effectively and responsibly in a multi-cultural world if one knows another language”.
With DGS utilizing “You Belong here”, there hasn’t been as much of a push for students to learn world languages, skills which according to the American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages, has been proven to promote a stronger sense of community and belonging.
When freshmen are being introduced to the classes at DGS, they’re greeted with lengthy presentations on English, math and CTE classes, but when it comes down to world languages there isn’t anything more than a footnote.
This lack of emphasis and awareness of world languages can be worse for students, especially if they come from a middle school which doesn’t offer an introductory world language class for their students.
For those who do take a world language class, many don’t continue past the first two years. Basar mentioned how
“Many students are only told of the two years of world language a college requires and at times don’t continue past that,” Basar said.
The students who do stay usually go all in with that course. In the 2024-25 school year a large number of students were inducted in different national honors societies. These are students who decided to stick with a language for at least 3 years.
World languages continue to stay in the conversation and encourage students to enroll in a world language course. With culture week, a week-long celebration held in the second semester dedicated to celebrating and recognizing different cultures at DGS, world language clubs are able to be in the spotlight. Whether that comes from the hallway decorations, the announcements every morning or the food trucks, students are shown the place that world language classes and clubs have in the community.
Even with the effort put in by the department for increased engagement, part of the responsibility still falls on members of the school community to engage and reciprocate that level of engagement.
It’s never too late to start learning a language, with multiple classes, levels and ways to get involved, it’s been proven to be a way to better a person’s health and cultural awareness.