Caspar von Hollen ‘26, Commentary Staff Writer

Ever since I was born, I’ve visited my family in Germany yearly, and have spoken German with my father and other members of my family. Since my German is not perfect and Newark Academy does not offer German as a language, about four weeks ago, I looked for a way to enroll in a German program outside of school, with the intention of receiving school credit. After doing some research, I managed to find a few local programs that would let me take German classes at many different levels. I then emailed Dr. Atwell to ask if it would be possible for me to take German in one of these courses and to be granted language credits at Newark Academy. After consulting with the Language Department, Dr. Atwell responded, “Newark Academy requires that you study up through Level Three of a language that NA itself offers.” The reasons for the rule preventing students from outsourcing their language learning are important, but I believe that the benefits of letting students do so outweigh those reasons.

The primary reason for limiting students to the three languages that NA offers is because keeping the language program within the school maintains a standard of rigor. If students take languages outside Newark Academy, some might end up in less challenging environments than the Language Department wishes. If the program remains within the school, it can be monitored and altered more easily. I believe that, if given the option, many students would choose to take languages outside of school. With so many people taking language outside of school, the languages offered by Newark Academy could be negatively impacted. Keeping students’ learning within the school also fosters a sense of community. Whether by doing group projects in class or getting to know teachers, taking language courses within NA helps students spend more time building community. 

These arguments prevent the school from fostering language diversity, but they could be mitigated. Diversity is a very special aspect of Newark Academy and widening the range of languages learned by students only increases diversity. The argument that many students would want to take an independent language is also a problem that could be circumvented. An application process similar to the application for an independent immersion could be developed. The student could find a program teaching the language they’re interested in, fill out forms explaining their interest in taking language outside of school and review their plan with a designated teacher within the language department. The school would examine the rigor of the selected program to prevent a student from ending up in a classroom where they are not challenged. Additionally, if a small group of students are all interested in learning the same language, a small program could be set up for those students which would enable them to learn the language of their choice while remaining within the school. 

I believe that students should be allowed to take a language they are interested in if a suitable program is found while receiving school credit for it. It would only add to the amazing opportunities and diversity Newark Academy has to offer. Students could graduate with extensive knowledge of a language that they could use for the rest of their lives.