Billings West High students are some of the best German language-learners in the nation.
Every year for the last three years a West student has nabbed a spot to travel to Germany for three weeks on scholarship — current senior Lola Sheridan accomplished the feat last year, and senior Hudson Wyss, the year prior. This year, sophomore Johanna Smith will go for the three weeks, with 37 other top-ranking students from across the country.
“Less than 50 students qualify nationally, and the fact that we have three who are currently still West High students is incredible,” West High School German teacher Paul Asleson said. “My colleagues and I pour so much into the program. So, to see these results, it gives us validation in what we’re doing—we’re elevating students to the highest level.”
They also win medals. In January, 38 medals were awarded to West High students for performance in the National German Exam, placing the school in the top 30% nationwide. Six were gold medalists, ranking in the top 10%.
People are also reading…
Roughly 15,000 students across the country take the national exam every year.
It’s a rare thing nationally, for there to be three full-time German language teachers at one high school, Asleson said, let alone two native German speakers as part of the faculty.
Of West High’s 2,200 students, 409 students are enrolled in German classes this semester. What inspires so many students to take German 1, continue on to German 2, and 3 and earn national ranks and medals while doing so?
“There’s a lot of debate out there within the language teaching community about what language learning should look like,” Asleson said. “There used to be this perception of only smart people could learn a language. Only the gifted people stuck around and took three, four years of a language.”
Asleson and his colleagues Olga Shatalova and Natasha Campbell though, are passionate about breaking barriers to language learning, and creating a fun, inclusive space for all students to excel in.
“We really jumped on board with the idea that every single student is able to learn a language,” he said. “I think that attitude of embracing all students to come into our program, all students can succeed, I think that’s one huge pillar of our program.”
Teaching methods used by the three of them may seem a little out-of-the-box when compared to traditional second-language curriculums. It’s more science-driven, similar to how children learn their first language, Asleson said.
“It’s subconscious,” he said. “We’re facilitating a space where language will come naturally. There’s very little English spoken at all by the time they get to level 3.”
Campbell, who teaches German 1, tells her students to make as many mistakes as they can.
“They’re like a two-year-old kid, you’re excited when the kid is speaking, saying something. That’s how we are, always supporting,” Campbell said. “They don’t have any fear, they have fun, they speak.”
It’s more about that “Aha!” moment for Campbell, than assigning homework, she said.
“They don’t even know they’re learning… but for 52 minutes, they’re engaged.”