The Daily Hampshire Gazette – Sarah Crosby
“While Spanish and French are among those widely spoken languages, he concluded, Chinese, German, Arabic and Portuguese, a language also spoken in Brazil, increasingly “have currency.” Data from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shows that in Massachusetts during the 2014-15 school year, Spanish classes had over four times the enrollment of any other language, followed by French and then Latin. Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, German and American Sign Language showed enrollment between approximately 2,000 to 8,000 students, while several hundred students opted for Japanese, Arabic and Russian. At Hampshire Regional High School in Westhampton, students are embracing languages outside of the school’s robust Spanish and French programs. Principal Kristen Smidy said juniors and seniors have taken virtual courses in German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and Latin. The interactive online courses include speaking segments, which students complete by talking into a microphone. A changing landscape in foreign policy, international relations and global business has been a key factor in student demand for less traditional language skills, Smidy said.”(more)