Inaugural Festival of Nations is May 11
By Sarah Hall
Editor
Learning a second language has been proven to have countless benefits — it improves students’ reading abilities and standardized test scores, it limits age-related memory loss, it improves problem-solving ability and it helps create a more positive attitude toward other cultures, just to name a few.
But beyond that, as we become more connected in today’s global society, learning a second language has the added benefit of helping today’s youth get ahead in the world. That’s the mentality behind the Language Learners Club at North Syracuse Junior High School.
“Language learning is a must have skill for the 21st century,” according to the club’s brochure. “With an economy interconnected more than ever, speaking a second language is a must.”
The club was founded by eighth-grader James Corl III last October to promote learning a second language.
“I started this club as I learned Italian on my own and found that learning a new language can be an exciting and fun adventure,” Corl said. “The club will help make it easier for those that want to learn a second language.”
While NSJHS only offers three languages—French, German and Spanish—nine different tongues are represented in the club, including Italian, Dutch, Korean, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. In addition to regular meetings, where members, under the guidance of faculty advisor Elise Micale, study different aspects of their target languages, the club has held several celebrations of culture and language, including a Christmas Around the World event and a commemoration of Foreign Language Week.
The Language Learners Club’s next event will take place next week. The Festival of Nations will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, at the junior high. Admission is $1; food tickets are $0.25 each.
“There will be 15 different countries represented at the event with each country being represented with tri-fold poster about the different elements of the culture,” Corl said. “Along with the poster will be a traditional food sample from each country.”
Corl said the club thought it was important to have each country’s food and culture represented at the event.
“[That’s] just as important as their language,” he said. “This will not only open other students’ eyes about a country or culture, but then in turn make them want to learn the language.”
The community is welcome at the Festival of Nations; their support will help the Language Learners Club to not only maintain the organizaton, but also to further its mission to spread foreign languages throughout the community.
“One of our goals is to teach younger children about foreign languages and purchase books on learning different languages, to be put in the school library,” Corl said. “We have been working very hard to get this club off the ground and it would mean a great deal if the community would come out and support us and our mission of creating a more multilingual society.”
