We’re asking students, recent grads, teachers, and counselors five questions on how languages play a role in shaping personal and professional success…
Meet Keren—a New Jersey high school junior considering a future career in clinical psychology or international relations/international law.
1. Please tell us a little about your earliest experiences with languages—with family at home and later in school. What was the best part of attending a dual-language Spanish immersion school?
Both my parents moved to the US from Russia shortly before I was born, so my first language is Russian. I learned English when I went to preschool, and then started learning Spanish at my bilingual school in kindergarten, all the way through 8th grade. In high school, I started learning French, and in my own time also started trying to learn Italian.
I would say that the most interesting part about dual-language education (in my experience) is that at the beginning you hate it; I was coming in from just having learned a language in preschool and now I was expected to start over with Spanish? Any kindergartner would have a meltdown. But eventually everyone got used to it. At first, nobody understood anything, but even if you speak to a five year old in their native language, they rarely listen, so it wasn’t that different.
By the end of 8th grade, I was immensely grateful for having had this opportunity and just so incredibly appreciative of all the circumstances in my life that had led to me learning these languages, because I was starting to register the significance of it in the real world.
2. You were able to jump ahead a few levels in French during high school! Why do you think this was possible, and what have you most enjoyed about your current AP course?
I think this was possible because my previous knowledge of Spanish and Russian had made me much more open to language learning—both the process and the overall experience. Also, in my opinion, the vocabulary and grammar structures are quite similar, which made it easier to form connections and learn faster.
What I have enjoyed most about my current AP course is the people I’ve met through it. I never would have met some of the most important people in my life if it hadn’t been for that class.
3. What are some ways that you are learning new and/or using languages outside of the classroom?
One way I like to learn new languages outside of the classroom is to sometimes watch social media in the language that I am trying to learn. This was an assignment that we had in my first year of high school: to switch our computer and phone language to French for a week. The words were all pretty simple, and I knew what everything meant anyway, but it made me feel more confident in my language abilities.
I think the best way to learn a new language is by full immersion, and what better way to immerse yourself in something than the place where we spend most of our time today: our screens.
4. What advice would you like to share with other students who are considering starting a language—or facing a challenge with their current language(s)?
Honestly, just keep going. It does get easier, even though it may not seem like it. If you need motivation, look into the science behind language learning—understanding what is happening in your brain and how you can accelerate the process gives you hope and encouragement to continue learning.
5. Why is it important for young people to have access to language learning opportunities?
It is important for young people to have access to language learning opportunities because knowing a language other than your first language opens up so many more doors and opportunities for you: a plethora of new jobs, new friends, new experiences, and much more.
Learning languages when you’re young and your brain is more moldable (plastic) makes it easier to pick up and retain new ones, and gives you a higher chance of becoming fluent in them.
BONUS QUESTION: Have you got a favorite word or expression in another language than English?
I don’t have a favorite word or expression in another language because, in general, I like the words and phrases that aren’t translatable. These are words that you just can’t describe because their essence would not be translated accurately when trying to convey it in a different language.
Explore more student & recent grad voices across our blog. And, as always, visit @LangConnectsFdn on social media to share your story with us.