Group Advocates For World Languages Instruction in Granby Schools

Granby resident and parent Valorie Hollister cringes whenever she attends an international conference for work, as she notices that the only people who can’t speak a language other than English are Americans.

So, to ensure the next generation does not suffer the same fate as the current one, Hollister and fellow Granby residents and parents Danielle Sandridge and Laura Fetridge formed GLObe - short for Global Learning Opportunities - a community group that advocates that Granby students receive early exposure to foreign languages and cultures.

The group, according to its Facebook page, also encourages Granby students “to broaden their horizons and become globally competent citizens.”

“The goal is to make people realize how important world languages are,” Sandridge said in a recent interview.

Though it was officially organized in January 2012, GLObe has been working informally for the last two years advocating for the expansion of the World Languages curriculum in Granby schools as well creating foreign language education opportunities elsewhere.

GLObe, for example, was instrumental in the creation of the K-6 after-school Spanish program that is run through the Parks & Recreation Department. It’s a partnership that is funded by the Granby Education Foundation, which pays a small stipend for the instructor and the materials.

The after-school program, which started with a pilot program last spring and extended to full-time this fall, currently has 60 kids - one class each at , and - as well as a lengthy waiting list.

The benefits of learning a second language, according to Sandridge and Hollister, extend beyond the obvious of gaining a new skill set.

Specifically, Hollister and Sandridge both point to studies that show that students who are proficient in a second language not only have a better world view, but also test better, increase their cognitive abilities, improve their spelling and, yes, even hone their English skills.

What’s more, learning at least one foreign language is also an imperative in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, according to Hollister and Sandridge.

“My interest is helping my children become world citizens, not just Americans,” Hollister said. “It’s the ability to compete in the world. I cannot conceive competing with children from other countries without learning more than one language.”

“We are preparing our children to be future leaders and have the ability to communicate and understand,” Sandridge added. “This is a global world. It’s critical on all levels.”

GLObe’s advocacy efforts appear to be paying off, as Superintendent of Schools Alan Addley included the addition of a full-time Spanish teacher for grades 5 and 6 and a part-time Mandarin Chinese teacher at the high school in the to the Board of Education on Wednesday.

Sandridge and Hollister both said they would prefer to have the instruction begin even earlier in schools, as the studies have shown that instruction would have a greater benefit and more of an impact on students.

“Our preference is to ask to get it into the first and second grade,” Hollister said. “For students in K through 2, It’s amazing how fast they grab on to it.”

Sandridge and Hollister point to Glastonbury’s foreign language curriculum as a model for what they would like to eventually see in Granby.

Glastonbury, for example, has foreign language study from grades 1 through 12, and is integrated in all other forms of the curriculum, including math, science and language arts.

Still, for now, Addley’s budget has the full support of GLObe and its members, who are thrilled at the prospect of expanding the World Languages curriculum.

“The next two months are critical,” Sandridge said of the budget approval process. “But it’s just a start. The goal is to have it trickle down to 3rd and 4th grade, as well as Kearns Primary School.”

Correction: Sandridge was originally identified as Sturridge. The Granbys Patch regrets the error.