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Arabic is added to Schenectady Foreign Language Options

Schenectady is the only Capital Region School to Offer Both Mandarin and Arabic; Language Coordinator Seated on State Critical Languages Board

The Schenectady City School District will be expanding the district-wide foreign language program by offering Arabic and expanding the study of Mandarin Chinese in the 2008 – 2009 school year, making Schenectady the only Capital Region public school district to offer both of these critical languages as part of the curriculum.  Also effective in September, the foreign language requirement will be implemented a grade level earlier which means all seventh graders must begin foreign language studies.

Arabic studies will be offered to students at three schools in the fall, Central Park Middle School and to the sixth graders in the two elementary schools that feed to it, King Magnet School and Paige Elementary School.   

Ron Hamelin, coordinator of World Languages and ESL Services, said that King and Paige were selected first because of the programs and themes of their schools.  King is a Magnet School that would benefit from the language program and Paige is the district’s largest English as a Second Language (ESL) center with a substantial middle-eastern population. 

Hamelin said the studies will then expand to the other schools including Schenectady High School.  “We have to build capacity,” he said.  “We will have to hire more teachers and then we can offer Arabic I and II and expand to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program.” 

“Our students will benefit in many ways,” said Hamelin.  “For one, the School of Global Commerce will become more global.”  He added, “Arabic is the 5th most widely spoken language in the world and is the most desirable language for U.S. Security.”   He pointed out that only 1% of FBI agents speak Arabic.  “The C.I.A., Department of State and Department of Defense are all in high demand for those speaking Arabic.”   He also added that Schenectady has a sizeable Arabic-speaking and Muslim community who he believes would be attracted to such an offering. 

Additionally, Hamelin noted that there are cognitive benefits to learning the right-to-left writing script of Arabic.  “The calligraphy is beautiful,” he added.  “This could also be an expansion and collaboration with the fine arts program in the area of Arabic script calligraphy.”

The program is being modeled after the Mandarin Chinese program that began at Howe International Magnet School and Mont Pleasant Middle School in March 2007.   The 10-week Mandarin program expanded to the Academy of Culture and Communication at Pleasant Valley, Van Corlaer Elementary School, Howe International Magnet School and Hamilton Elementary this school year.   “Mandarin began last year in 5^th and 6^th grade to build capacity,” said Hamelin.  “We will continue to expand the program into the middle school and the high school and will eventually be offered in all of the district’s middle schools as well as Schenectady High School. 

Hamelin said that both Mandarin and Arabic are Level 4 languages, the most difficult level of proficiency.    He added that it’s imperative for students to start learning these languages as early possible.  “That is why it’s important for students to begin learning them in the earlier grades and a reason why the district is moving the language requirement to seventh grade.”

“This is very exciting for our district and our students,” said Hamelin.  “We are the only public school district in the area, and quite possibly in the entire state, that will offer these languages as regular course offerings with certified teachers.”  As a result, the New York State Education Department has asked Hamelin to be on the New York State Board of Critical Languages whose purpose is to help other districts establish programs in critical languages.  “It’s quite an honor,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being a part of that board.” 

While the district is looking for foreign language teachers, Hamelin said they do have one Arabic teacher for the 2008-2009 school year.   

Hamelin is headed to Madrid on April 3 through the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Languages to meet Spanish exchange teachers through a program in which teachers can teach in the U.S. for up to three years. 

“I’m very pleased with the direction that our World Language Program is moving and with the support of the superintendent and assistant superintendent,” said Hamelin.  “It’s only going to continue to grow.”

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Press Release

Daily Gazette  04/03/08
Language study expanding:  City schools put increasing focus on Arabic, Chinese