Schools
Learning Languages After School
During the 40-minute weekly program, students learn a variety of facts and figures, are taught to say hello in other languages.
From Sag Harbor School District: Sag Harbor Elementary School students are learning more about languages from around the world in several after-school enrichment programs, including the new third-grade club, Hello Three Ways.
Advised by teaching assistant Diane Deger, the club began last spring and provides an opportunity for the third-graders to experience the languages and cultures of the three countries that are part of their social studies curriculum. The countries of study are Italy, Japan and Kenya.
During the 40-minute weekly program, students learn a variety of facts and figures, are taught to say hello and introduce themselves in Japanese, Italian and Swahili, the language of Kenya. They also learn about the life of children in each of the countries through several activities such as making Kenyan talking sticks and celebrating Japanese Children’s Day, “kodomo no hi,” by creating paper kites, playing Bingo Lingo and sampling sushi.
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“The more students learn about how other children live, learn and speak, the more they realize that their dreams and goals are universal,” said Ms. Deger. “In Hello Three Ways, we are enjoying this experience, even if it is only three languages out of 6,500. It is a great place to start.” Ms. Deger, who holds a master’s degree in art history, has studied French, Italian, German and Japanese and has traveled extensively. She also provides after- school enrichment programs in Italian and Japanese throughout the school year. Hello Three Ways will again be offered to third-graders in spring 2018.
Photo courtesy of the Sag Harbor School District