Reply to Virginia explores plan to end advanced diplomas: 'Equitably serving the needs...of all of Virginia l

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m all for having only one type of diploma. My DS, who has ADHD and ASD, has wanted the advanced diploma. He’s taking mostly honors classes and is in the 2nd year of a foreign language but is having a hard time with it. The advanced diploma requires 3 years of one language or 2 years of 2 different languages. The language requirement may end up preventing him from receiving the advanced diploma, although he also takes AP classes in other subjects.

Also, the advanced diploma effectively puts more value on a foreign language than other subjects like business or computer technology classes. The current advanced diploma requirements are outdated.

[b]Since everyone now has access to Google translate on their phones, knowing how to speak a foreign language is less important.[/b][/quote]

World languages instruction is about so much more than just the words. It's also about the culture, the geography, the history, the government, the economy, the educational systems, etc. of the places where different languages are spoken, in addition to the connections in the brain that WL learning provides (it's been suggested that it's similar to math and music instruction). It's not just learning what to say, but how to say it, what non-verbal communication to use, and an understanding of cultures as a whole. At its core, it's about understanding others, really (both in language and culture).

-WL teacher of 23 years [/quote]

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