By: Arianna Chen
At San Marin, students have the choice to enroll in either French or Spanish as an elective. Three years is usually recommended, but most students only take two to meet A-G standards.
Some students have taken advantage of San Marin’s foreign language programs and plan to, or have already stayed in, for all four years. Some students chose to extend their knowledge of a
foreign language for the benefit of speaking to others in the community, as well as speaking
the language when they travel where they can use their skills to communicate with others.
Sophomore Emily Elbing is taking Spanish 2 at school through APEX. Elbing chose Spanish because her mom said she would use it more than French, since there are a lot of Spanish-speakers in California. Elbing believes knowing another language will make a difference in her future.
“Spanish is used more in the world than French, which is why I think it’s going to help me
more,” Elbing said.
Since Elbing wants to stay in the general area around California, she knows it will help her long-term. When applying for jobs, it will also make her more competitive in the workplace.
Elbing is taking Spanish 2 online since there isn’t a teacher for it, which she finds difficult
because she doesn’t get to have in-person interaction while learning.
Although this year has been hard for Elbing, she wants to continue to learn Spanish for
the rest of high school.
Senior Regan McGinnis is currently in AP Spanish. McGinnis chose to continue learning Spanish after starting it in middle school. She has decided to stay with it throughout high
school because she, like Elbing, believes it will help her outside of school and later in life.
“The reason I stayed with it is because of how helpful it is, especially in California because we have such a large Spanish-speaking population,” McGinnis said.
McGinnis works at Mamita, a Mexican restaurant, and constantly uses the Spanish she has learned to interact with customers and fellow employees.
“It is especially important for me to speak it to communicate at my job,” McGinnis said.
Going forward, McGinnis plans on staying in California and becoming a nurse. The healthcare industry serves a diverse population, and McGinnis thinks her skills will be valuable to future employers.
Junior Samara Pineda is currently taking French 3, since she is already fluent in Spanish. By the end of high school, she hopes to be somewhat fluent in French, so she can use the three languages in everyday life. Pineda believes that if she gains more knowledge of another language, it can open opportunities for her.
“I thought it would be interesting to take another language,” Pineda said. “It has helped me expand my vocabulary and be more open-minded.”
