Learning the lingo: Vestavia HS students earn Seal of Biliteracy

In a world that is increasingly diverse and connected, Vestavia Hills High School students are becoming proficient in multiple languages, giving them an upper hand when it comes to college scholarships and future employment.

The Seal of Biliteracy is a certificate that students earn by taking a proficiency test, and most students can achieve proficiency if they have gone through level 4 of foreign language classes at the high school, with each level taking one year to complete.

Earning the seal shows employers and colleges the student can “survive” in the language, said Laura Buder, a German teacher at the high school.

Vestavia Hills High School was the first high school in the state to offer the Seal of Biliteracy, which can also be earned by students earning a 3 or higher on the AP exam for their chosen language.

The foreign language programs at both the middle school level and at the high school are strong, said Lisa Garrison, who teaches Spanish at the high school.

The high school offers: American sign language, which has three levels; Latin, which has four levels, including Advanced Placement Latin; as well as Spanish, French and German, which all go through level 5, including AP IV and honors classes, Garrison said.

“We live in a world now that is very connected,” Garrison said. “We’re not a small little pond anymore.”

With a large amount of international business in the Southeast, there is no shortage of career opportunities for students who achieve the Seal of Biliteracy, Buder said. Some alumni have even gone on to work in Germany and other countries, while others study abroad.

Ben Reynolds has achieved the Seal of Biliteracy in German and said earning it has opened up scholarship opportunities and is one step closer to earning a doctorate one day.

Jackson Woolley hopes to be a part of a study abroad program at Auburn University, and his German studies at Vestavia Hills High School have helped put him a step ahead in that regard. Woolley wants to pursue mechanical engineering, and a study abroad program in Germany would help prepare him for that field. With the program being selective, Woolley said the Seal of Biliteracy gives him an advantage over other students.

Zoe Woodrow said she wants to be a doctor and potentially work in Germany, while Zia Tahmaseb said she wants to do something in either business or in teaching.

Preparing to take the proficiency test has affected both students and teachers. Garrison said the entire foreign languages department has gone through changes, including more of a focus on more than just grammar and vocabulary. Students learn listening, reading, speaking and writing skills.

“It’s empowering to students to show what they can do,” Garrison said.

Because of that, the department has also improved its retention rates, seeing more students fall in love with the languages and taking classes throughout their high school career.

Katherine Morrison will soon take the proficiency test, and she said she is excited about the opportunity. All of the tests she has taken so far have prepared her for this one, she said.

Alba Rosales speaks Spanish at home, but she will earn the Seal of Biliteracy in both Spanish and German. She said even though she has grown up around Spanish, she wanted to learn more about the grammar and the language, and German presents her a challenge as she works to be bilingual.

“Whenever I went to Guatemala (from which her family came), they weren’t expecting me to speak Spanish or to have the Seal of Biliteracy,” Rosales said. “With German, people appreciate you wanting to learn the language and culture.”

During the pilot year offering the seal — the 2016-17 school year, the high school awarded 42 students with the honor. In total, the school has awarded 243 seals in eight languages. During that time, the school has added several teachers to help teach the influx of students into the various programs, Garrison said.

In addition to earning the Seal of Biliteracy, students can also earn college credit.

Garrison said learning a foreign language helps people not only learn another language but develop empathy for those learning English, allowing them to show compassion to them. Buder said those skills can be used even if a student doesn’t incorporate their foreign language skills into their career.

“When you actually put yourself in a situation where you’re learning a different language and you’re experiencing a new culture, you all of a sudden have so much more empathy for others who are coming into our culture,” Buder said. “You understand so much more about what they’re going through and can relate to people so much better.

“A lot of times we’re scared to be around people who aren’t like us, and we feel uncomfortable being around people that aren’t like us, and that leads to a lot of misunderstandings,” Buder said. “When you actually learn the language and learn a new culture, you’re so much more open to other people who are different from you, and I think that helps our society as a whole, if more people are able to communicate with those who are different from them.”