Learning a different language like Japanese or French can be easier due to clubs to improve knowledge about not only the language, but the culture. This includes food, clothes, and games either brought in by students and teachers or made during club time. Central Kitsap High School students run these associations on corresponding days, with the Japanese Culture club on Wednesdays and the French club every other Wednesday.
“I wanted to share my culture and share a piece of my childhood with everybody through things like food that are widely known in Japan,” Japanese Culture Club Vice President Kiana Roth said.
Clubs at CKHS allow students to connect more with the cultures as well as students of those backgrounds to share what they grew up with. Classes are another opportunity to learn another language with worksheets and activities. Through class time, teachers strive to help students achieve their goals in learning a new language by speaking or quizzes about objects and other things like household items.
“I really enjoyed learning French through doing as opposed to learning French through a textbook,” French teacher Kimberly Yee said. “So that was one of my main motivations was bringing that style of teaching and learning into the classroom as opposed to just having a textbook that you learned from.”
Language apps like Duolingo and Babbel are being used more frequently, as it’s become easier for students to access these resources that’ll teach them a new language. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube offer content creators the ability to add active translations, both verbally and written, to help people understand the language better. While using websites and apps are one method to learn, some teachers prefer to use their own materials. Instead of pulling from textbooks, they use their own experience from learning the language and are willing to share their experiences with students by bringing in things like games or items of clothing.
“We did a scarf,” Yee said. “Culture club, one of our members is really interested in learning how to tie ties and to tie scarves, which fashion is a big part of French culture.”
Items like Berets from France and Noragi from Japan have been implicated in everyday life in America. These are shown in clubs or classes for students to learn about and use. Different possibilities to learn languages are available like programs and schools.
“I learned French in school like a lot of people do but I also went to French camp,” Yee said. “And I really enjoyed learning French through doing as opposed to learning French.”
Schools and camps for specific languages exist for students to continue their education, but tuition can range from $150 to $2,000 per month or more. While camps, depending if it’s overnight or a single day, ranges from $300 to $3,000 per week.
“Teaching them traditions and cultures such as holidays, like recently, we had a slideshow about Girls’ Day called Hinamatsuri,” Roth said. “It’s really fun to teach other people about that because they get educated on different cultures.”
