Students will get to know their world better through a foreign language. The ability to use and understand other languages is an asset in today’s world. At Ben Franklin, three years of French and Spanish are offered, and one year, ninth grade, is offered in German. Students may begin their language study in seventh, eighth or ninth grade. Students are able to continue to study at the high school level. Taking a foreign language involves studying the grammar structure of the language, learning topical vocabulary, and practicing communication skills in guided conversations. Geography and cultural differences and similarities are part of the course content.

Success in a foreign language requires that a student learn to respond in class in the target language, study daily outside of class, and be committed to learning and recalling the language from year to year.

Our goal is for our students to learn to appreciate the sounds of the languages and the culture of the people who speak them and develop some talent in communicating in their second language! Ninth grade students studying a foreign language will be invited to attend Festival of Nations, a cultural festival in St. Paul, Minnesota, held yearly in late April or early May.