Students Inducted Into World Language Honor Societies

In her opening remarks, guest speaker Amanda Seewald, board member of the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, used a quote from South African President Nelson Mandela to illustrate the significance of having mastered a foreign language.   

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands it goes to his head,” she quoted Mandela as saying. “If you talk him in his own language it goes to his heart.”

One hundred and ninety seven juniors and seniors at Watchung Hills Regional High School demonstrated that they were keenly aware of the meaning of those words at the 6th Annual World language Honor Societies Induction ceremony at the high school on Thursday night.

Each of the high achieving students were inducted into a world language society —  Chinese, French, German Italian, Latin and Spanish. Eight students were inducted into two separate societies.

“It’s really cool that I get the chance to pursue other cultures because people have that stereotype about Americans that we are on the ignorant side,” said junior Victoria Mulhern. “It’s nice to be able to learn about other cultures and put it to use. I am hoping to be a lawyer so it would be nice to work on cases for other countries.”

After Seewald’s introduction, the instructor for each language read out the names of inductees.  Each stood as their names were called. The instructor then asked a student from the language group to give a short introduction, in language.  All spoke fluently as though it were their native tongue.

To be inducted into a world language society, students have to maintain an A grade average as determined by national honors society standards, which control all world language courses, whether advanced placement or accelerated. The achievement goes onto the student’s transcript and it is sent off to be included in a national registry.

“We actually do a calculation of their world language studies over the last three or four years (that they have received instruction),” said Brad Commerford, world languages supervisor at the high school. “It’s not like we are giving the honor away because the mathematical calculation is not ours, its imposed upon us.”

Students need to have completed six semesters of study and maintained a 93.4 percent average. Commerford said that he has roughly about 12 percent to 20 percent of the student body qualifies on a good year. Of this year’s 197 total inductees, 85 were returning seniors inducted for a second year. 

“It feels pretty good to be inducted,” said senior Jack Meyers, who was inducted into the Spanish and Latin societies. “I have always had a knack for languages ever since I was younger. One of my mom’s friends used to speak with me in Italian and I used to speak back.”

Meyers said that he intends major in journalism and minor in Spanish in college. 

Learning a foreign language of course is not an easy task, especially if you are over the age of three. Like any course, it takes countless hours of practice and a fair amount of memorization and language formulation.

“It’s great to be acknowledged or all the hard work,” said senior Samantha Ragsdale. “It’s not something that comes easy to everyone.

It’s basically like learning English all over again but in different language.” 

Seewald, for her part told the students that learning a second language not only increased their global perspective but provides opportunities they would otherwise not have.

“You will have a chance to engage with people that Americans before you did not have,” Seewald said. “You are the generation that can change the way that Americans perceive language and culture and the way that Americans are perceived.”