Seniors are buzzing with excitement as they look ahead to college and the chance to minor in language classes! More than ever, they’re eager to dive into new cultures, boost their skills, and make their college experience unforgettable-and a language minor is the perfect way to do just that.
Many high school seniors are increasingly interested in minoring in a foreign language when they enter college. They recognize that being bilingual or multilingual can open doors to exciting career opportunities and enhance their cultural understanding. Caleb Fricke, (12), answers a question asking what motivated him to minor in French to hopefully better his options in the future.
“I just felt like it could really help me out, especially if I want to go abroad someday. French will always be another language I communicate with other people”.
Learning a second language can greatly benefit someone’s career in many ways. It opens up opportunities to work with international clients or companies, making communication smoother and more effective. Henry Strickland, (12), another senior wanting to minor in French, answers how he thinks knowing a second language will benefit their future career.
“I can go over to the different places in the world and talk to them for business in that language, and if those people were to come over here, I would be able to be their translator”.
Other than French, seniors are also able to minor in other languages such as ASL (American Sign Language), which some are wanting to take part in. Seniors often advise underclassmen minoring in a language to stay consisten with practice, even outside of class, because regular exposure helps with fluency. Zach Fink, (12), is considering minoring in ASL, and gives advice to underclassmen thinking about minoring in ASL as well.
“I would tell them just to do it if they love the language, and if they have a passion for it just get involved”. Balancing a language minor with a major and other responsibilities usually involves strong organization and time management skills. Lucienne Ortinau, (12), another senior wanting to minor in ASL explains how they are able to balance their language minor with their major, and other responsibilities.
“So I am kind of in a good position where I’m studying speech and language pathology as my major in college, and it goes pretty well hand in hand with ASL. A lot of speech and language pathology can work with kids that have disabilities, and also a lot of teachers use ASL when talking because it’s easier to communicate in that way. Like when babies are first born, people use baby signs because that’s the easiest way to communicate with kids. So it will definitely be useful for me in the future when I am doing all my internships and getting my job”.
