Junior Nishita Prasad finishes up her French homework during lunch before heading to class. Prasad said she likes the changes being made to the classes because they have improved her overall understanding of the language.

This year, French 4 teachers are focusing more on a better understanding of the language that surpasses learning basic vocabulary. Students are participating in social and emotional learning (SEL) in order to improve their knowledge of French.

Andrea Yocum, chairperson of the world language department and French teacher, said “I would say in general this year we’re focusing more on proficiency based activities which means students using the language in a less rehearsed and memorized way through immersion. We’re also continuing to focus on the school-wide goal of the SEL activities, which stands for social and emotional learning.” Yocum said that teachers are trying to do more projects out in the hallway or in groups and get people more involved by doing community-based activities.

Nishita Prasad, French 4 student and junior, said she definitely thinks the new structure of teaching has helped develop her grammar and conversation skills. She said, “Immersion is a great way to make sure you’re practicing conversational language, especially knowing how to think fast in French, not just planning out sentences for a minute before you say them. I like the new projects and things we do in French 4 because they keep the class more interesting and engaging.”