Students in New York Learn Japanese as their 3rd language

[fake_innocent]

A charter school in Manhattan, New York called New Heights Academy where its students are part of a unique program to learn Japanese and is the only foreign language offered.

Despite having many language options to choose from, school administrators said they chose Japanese in order to expose students to a language and culture that would broaden their worldview.

With the whole school population, 82% of the students are Hispanic. In fact, many of the students will be trilingual before they graduate from high school.

"Language acquisition is very important to our school," said Stacy Winitt, the school’s founder and executive director. "Being bilingual or trilingual is an extraordinarily marketable skill, and it is important to us that we equip our high school graduates with many competitive advantages to help them succeed in college and the work environment."

Students did not have much contact with Asian societies, which Winitt says was also a factor in choosing the Japanese language.

"Not only did I want my students to learn a new language, but I wanted the opportunity to expose them to a new culture as well," said Winitt.

Michael Brito, 16, one of the first-year Japanese student. Like many of his peers who speaks Spanish at home, he said the writing has been a challenge. However, speaking Japanese has become easier.

Also, the program helps student forge new relationships. Several students said that whenever they go to a Japanese restaurant, they initiate conversations with their server.

A few students have already expressed a desire to continue learning the language following high school.

Jeffrey Rodriguez, 17, said he has been studying on his own with plans of going overseas someday, an idea he didn't consider before taking the class.

"I really want to go to Japan. I'm even thinking in college about studying abroad in Japan," he said.

[VIERAN]

japanese as a third language is not really bad at all. in fact is gives a more advantage for those students learning it. i think this news is a good shot. they should also include chinese languages too in the future.

[lilmizzruby]

tat is really cool...i wish i can learn japanese too and korean...

[ZeroRegret]

weird... our school has many third languages that we can learn. to name a few:

French (well its a second language)
Japanese
Spanish
Chinese
Korean (gotta go elsewhere though to a different facility)