The World Language Fair took place on Jan. 28 at lunch in the quad. Students had the opportunity to explore all the language classes offered at Woodside High School while earning extra credit. The attendance at the World Language Fair was tremendous.
Participating student were given a slip of paper to record their activity in the World Language Fair. These slips, called “passports,” earned students extra credit once completed. According to Spanish teacher Karen Dorsey, world language classes unite Woodside students.
“In part, you form a community in the classes because you’re taking the same language from year to year,” Dorsey said. “We make community [by] choosing to learn to a common goal and [through] the events that happen, like the World Language fair or clubs.”
Woodside High School currently offers four world languages, going up to and in some cases beyond the fourth level. Junior Madison Killen is currently taking AP Spanish, a level beyond the regular one to four level classes. Many students, like Killen, appreciate the diversity in Woodside’s course offerings.
“I think because they have four different options, and [they’re] very different languages, it’s cool,” Killen said. “You can basically choose what you want.”
According to junior and AP Spanish student Kamran Zamanian, the importance of these languages isn’t just about speaking them or putting them on a transcript.
“It really does open your worldview and your world perspective,” Zamanian said. “I know almost every class has some type of cultural project or cultural learning involved.”
Since the class of 2003, the University of California and California State University systems have agreed to adopt the A-G requirements for all incoming college freshmen. One of these requirements is 2 years minimum of a foreign language.
“The area we live in is very diverse, and people generally speak a lot of languages in this area. The more languages you speak, the more you can communicate with people,” Dorsey said. “It is also important if you plan on becoming A-G eligible.”
According to Dorsey, this growth of languages at Woodside and in the surrounding communities sparked an amazing turnout at the World Language Fair.
“A lot of people attended, so many that we ran out of passports. I think it was fun,” Dorsey said. “I like to see students interact with language and with culture outside of class.”
