The number of students enrolling in Spanish classes is currently on the decline as fewer students sign up. With only one Spanish teacher, the foreign language department has also gotten smaller with the retirement of Dr. Jody Ziemann in 2024.
“Our class right now is small, we only have five people. I think lower Spanish classes have more people in them though,” junior Lily Johnson said.
Colleges have stopped requiring two years of foreign language, meaning a lot of current students aren’t required to take Spanish classes, and those who do consist solely of students who are interested in learning another language.
“Spanish is not required any more as a foreign language language requirement in colleges, so the students who are taking it are doing so because they have a desire to take it,” Spanish teacher Jairo Granados said. “Whether it is for expanding their horizons, for traveling purposes, maybe because they have family members who speak Spanish, there’s a variety of reasons.”
The student population is dwindling. There are fewer students overall, so classes are getting smaller across the board.
“The classes are being reduced in number for different reasons, one is the student population is declining, and it’s not a requirement in colleges, so we’ve lost that clientele,” Granados said. “Spanish One the average is 14 students per class, and then the numbers reduce as you advance to Spanish Two, Three, Four.”
Despite the class sizes reducing, those taking Spanish find there are immense benefits to learning another language.
“I think it’s really important. It gives us an opportunity to learn a different language, which is nice for communication with anybody,” junior Becca Bartol said.
Learning a foreign language opens up opportunities later down the line. Studying a language different from a native tongue can challenge your brain and help you understand different cultures and people.
“Languages are a form of communication. That’s how human beings communicate, so learning a foreign language, number one you’re connecting with other human beings, number two, you’re bridging gaps. So even if we can speak English, which is a universal language, if you can speak the same language as someone you are creating a pathway to understanding their culture,” Granados said. “Plus, it is scientifically proven that cognitively speaking, learning a foreign language makes you a smarter person because you’re creating new neural paths.”
The Foreign Language Department has also downsized.
“We used to have two and a half positions, or teachers here, Mrs. Ziemann, Mrs. Daubner, and myself here in the high school. If we combine the high school with the middle school, we used to have three full-time positions, and now we only have one,” Granados said.
While the program is downsizing, and the classes are reducing, the gains of taking a Spanish class are advantageous to jobs, meeting people, and understanding other cultures.
“Spanish, even though it’s academically a demanding class because you are teaching your brain to think in a different way, I think it’s worth a try,” Granados said. “I encourage every student to try Spanish One, and see if it’s something they want to pursue because it’ll open up lots of opportunities, jobs for further education,relationships, for traveling, for many different reasons.”
