THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 11, 1994 TAG: 9411090184
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HEIDI GLICK, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Sporting her silver crown and ``Miss Virginia'' banner, Cullen Johnson, this year's runner-up in the Miss America Pageant, made a quick visit to her alma mater - Trantwood Elementary - recently
There, she told students about the importance of knowing foreign languages. ``The world is changing,'' she said. ``By the time you all are my age, you're really going to need foreign language.''
That was a fitting topic for Johnson. Her platform is multi-culturalism, and she placed second to Heather Whitestone, the first deaf person to ever win the Miss America Pageant. The need for people to learn more about the deaf culture fits in well with her message, she said.
``There are so many different ways for you to reach out and touch someone,'' Johnson added. ``You're like little sponges. You can absorb all of this knowledge.''
Cheerful and bubbly, Miss Virginia, who attended Trantwood as a child, told the students how she learned French as a little girl. ``My grandfather wrote me letters in French,'' she explained. ``I didn't understand them.'' Eventually, however, she started reading them, learning the language and eventually writing back in French. ``I was learning a foreign language,'' Johnson said.
Tommy Scheurich, a first-grader, raised his hand and said, ``I just know how to say something in German.''
``Well, say it,'' encouraged Johnson.
The boy paused a moment seemingly forgetting what he was going to say and said, ``As soon as it comes back in my head.''
When Johnson asked how many students know another language almost all of them raised their hand.
Not a surprise.
Every child at Trantwood gets a 20- to 40-minute foreign language lesson once a week during the regular school day, thanks to the school's Foreign Language Action Team which is made up of seven parents. This past year the team has rounded up community volunteers and high school students to teach the mini lessons as well as organize funding.
Eileen Scotti, one of the volunteers, said the team's purpose is to integrate foreign language in the school day. Scotti helped start the committee this year after her daughter, Lisa, a second-grader, had a teacher last year who was fluent in French and often spoke and counted in that language. ``My daughter just ate it up,'' Scotti said. ``We had a great time with it.'' Now her daughter is absorbing and talking it.
Scotti's teenager at Cox, however, is struggling through two years of language, having never been exposed to it before.
So Scotti and other parents want their children exposed early.
Johnson agreed.
She told the children, ``You're lucky to be learning a foreign language at such an early age.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by PETER D. SUNDBERG
ABOVE: Cullen Johnson, runner-up Miss America, is surrounded by
Trantwood Elementary students.
LEFT: Johnson asks the French-language class to pronounce the French
word for her cardinal pin.
by CNB