The language teachers of the high school got together and planned a Foreign Language Fun Day for all language students last month. The day had a West African theme and included a film about West Africa, a traveler who shared his adventures, and a local West African dance and drum group.

The teachers worked hard to get a fun language day for their French, Spanish and Latin class, which included freshman, sophomores, and juniors. Spanish Teacher Tiesa Graf applied for the Michael E. Smith Endowment Grant to get money to allow this day and other foreign language activities this year. “[The students] came away with an increased awareness of West Africa and the global community,” Graf said.

The film students watched was “Globe Trekker – West Africa: Ghana and the Ivory Coast.” This film shows traveler Megan McCormick as she ventures through West Africa. This film showed West African dress, traditions, food, and really gave a strong example of the culture in both Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

The traveler, David Duran, and the group, WOFA, came from the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts charter school. Duran talked about the multiple countries he has visited, which include Switzerland, Iceland, Spain, and West Africa. He encouraged students to travel as much as possible, and shared his passion of experiencing new cultures.

The dance troop WOFA brought energy and fun into the traditional West African dance. The leader, Kabisko Kaba (Bisko), led the drummers after sharing his personal story about West Africa with students.

Spanish teacher Paula Lonergan said the goal of the day was “to do something to open people’s minds to the big world out there and how great it is to see it.” We agree that this goal was reached.

Spotlight staff members thought Duran’s pictures were inspiring, as they showed how beautiful the world is. Other Spotlight staff added that WOFA’s performance enlightened the students to the expression of a new culture. Students at the high school said they enjoyed learning about West Africa, and overall had a fun experience.

Graf told Spotlight that a Foreign Language Fun Day for next year is already in progress.

“We hope to continue to look for funding to provide more events similar to this so we can continue our mission,” she said. “I already wrote the grant for next year, and was awarded all of the money.”

Spotlight looks forward to another day like this in the future. Students and teachers are happy with the success of this West African Foreign Language Fun Day.

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