THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512190105
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Foreign languages aren't so foreign to two Norfolk high school students who participated in monthlong total-immersion programs in Spanish and French as part of the Governor's Foreign Language Academy.
Maury High School senior Raven Patterson, 16, is taking fifth-year Spanish, fourth-year German and second-year French. Her stepfather, who is Dutch, was born in Indonesia. Her mother started teaching her Spanish when she was in fifth grade. As a child, she traveled to French-speaking Canada; while in sixth grade, she went to England. She has worked as a translator for Operation Smile and accompanied a medical team on a mission to Venezuela. She also has visited Israel as a youth ambassador of the Norfolk Public Schools.
Farah Khadiri, 17, a senior at Granby High School, was born in Arabic-speaking Morocco, where she lived until coming to Norfolk six years ago. Growing up in a Moroccan family, she attended a private school where she learned French. Arriving in Norfolk, she spoke no English; in sixth grade she took English as a Second Language for a year. She began studying French again in eighth grade and is now in her fifth year of it.
``Americans only speak English,'' Patterson said. ``It's important to speak the languages of people in other countries. As Americans, we expect people to speak our language.''
Patterson and Khadiri applied for the program in their junior years. Patterson applied for the Spanish program, Khadiri for the French.
Both were taken aback when they received the package containing information and instructions - and rules - for their monthlong stay this past summer.
``I was shocked when I got the rules,'' Khadiri recalled. ``You can't use the phone or any other language for the whole month.''
That is the theory behind total immersion language instruction, according to Ann Rolbin, coordinator of foreign languages for the Norfolk Public Schools. Everything is done in the language being studied. Each student must sign a pledge to speak only the language being taught, except in situations involving health or safety.
The French and Spanish Academies were at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind in Staunton.
A Lake Taylor High School student, Erin Harkins, participated in the Asian Area Studies program this summer.
Patterson and Khadiri experienced pangs of uncertainty after arriving in Staunton in early July. Patterson anticipated a long month without contact with her family or friends. She never had been away from home by herself for so long.
``I was very homesick,'' Khadiri said. ``I didn't think this was what I wanted to do - go a whole month without seeing my family. I wanted to go home.''
Both changed their opinions as July wore on. Their days were filled with classes from 7:30 a.m. until noon. There were excursions to a lake, a carnival, and - once a week - to Wal-Mart. There were activities, such as aerobics and singing, and projects such as folk dancing. A weekly dance. Homework. ``Lights out'' was at 10 p.m.
Both slipped up only once. Patterson exclaimed, ``What have I done?!,'' when she spilled some ink. Khadiri blurted ``Watch out!'' to a student who was about to fall. Despite disapproving stares from their classmates, they weren't penalized.
Khadiri explained that French gradually replaced English in her thoughts and even her dreams.
``I said to myself, `Wow, I'm thinking all of this in French,' '' she recalled.
By the end of July, neither wanted to leave. Both cried. Khadiri noted that it took her a tearful hour and a half to say good-bye. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Raven Patterson
Farah Khadiri
by CNB