Posted April 28, 2025
Note: This article appeared in the November issue of Hi-Lights, the Plymouth High School student newspaper.
By Iris Johnson
of the Hi-Lights staff
Our school offers five levels of Spanish classes, with 312 students enrolled. However, some students prefer to learn a different language, which is done through the Facilitated Language Studies (FLS) class.
FLS is an independent study class where students work at their own pace to learn a language of their choice. The language they are studying can make a difference in how their course is structured. Students work with in-person and online tutors and language websites like Duolingo.
The class started in 2010 as an Arabic class, but now offers five languages: Arabic, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and German. “We had an Egyptian teacher through a program called TCLP (Teachers of Critical Languages Program). I found that I wanted to continue the class so kids had an opportunity to learn Arabic even without a teacher,” said Spanish teacher Laura Koebel.
This year, German was added because the in-person German classes stopped being offered. Four students study German and work with former German teacher Sandy Nicholson. “In this class, we structure our units. … We decide as a group what we want to do but we structure it ourselves,” said junior Addison Arnold.
Addison has been taking German for three years. In her first year, she took the German class offered by the school. When it wasn’t offered her second year, she studied the class online through the Wisconsin Virtual Academy.
Although the German students have an in-person teacher, there are still some challenges with learning the language. “Frau [Nicholson] is not with us all the time so it’s really independent,” Addison said.
FLS is a class of only 12 people, and in addition to their coursework, they participate in other cultural activities. “We do a lot of cultural projects and field trips. We try to bring in speakers. Any way to bring the cultural aspect to the class,” Mrs. Koebel said.
Four students are studying Russian this school year. Senior A’ziyah Bailey has been learning Russian for the past two years in the FLS class. “I just like the fact that their culture is entirely different from ours, their language is entirely different from ours, it’s just something totally different,” A’ziyah said.
Other schools in Wisconsin offer programs similar to Facilitated Language Studies. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) reported that Wisconsin has more than 40 schools that offer Less Commonly Taught Languages (any languages other than English, German, Spanish, and French). In the nation, there are fewer than 100 of these programs, with 76,000 students enrolled.
However, the scarcity of a language can provide great opportunities post-high school. “I love the scholarship opportunities that you get with it,” said junior Ruby Lucksted. One example is the Russian Flagship Program, offered by UW-Madison. This program offers up to $15,000 for Russian language activities during college.
Lack of student interest and difficulty are the main reasons these languages are not offered more around the United States. According to Babbel, a language learning website, Arabic is the second hardest language for English speakers to learn. “I like how the words are pronounced,” said junior Bryanna Saltos. “They are hard to pronounce, but they are unique.” Bryanna said she’s learning Arabic because she wants to travel to Dubai someday.
World events and online trends can increase the enrollment of a certain language. “When manga and anime were huge, we had big numbers in Japanese for a long time,” Mrs. Koebel said. This year, only two students study Japanese.
Facilitated Language Studies is open to sophomores through seniors. The prerequisite is to be enrolled in Spanish 2 or higher. However, if students have studied a language on their own and show that they are dedicated, they may be allowed to enroll, according to Mrs. Koebel. “Knowing a second language or a third language is a superpower. Everyone in the language department highly recommends that you continue with a language, and taking one in FLS really sets you apart,” she said.
