German was added to the world languages curriculum this year after being voted the most preferred by students.
“Students in both North and Central and community members took a survey on what language they wanted, and it was German. Number two was [Mandarin] Chinese,” said the world languages department chair Valerie Padgette-Krause
The new German teacher, Katelynn Canales, teaches at both Grayslake North and Central, giving new opportunities to students.
“We’re really excited about the teacher who’s teaching it. We’re just really excited to give students the chance to learn something new,” Padgette-Krause said.
There are 77 students taking German as a second language. Out of the 77 students, 26 of them are freshmen, and most of them are sophomores.
“I want students to love German. I want them to be able to communicate and use what they’re learning,” Padgette-Krause said.
German is not taught in many of the surrounding areas, making Grayslake stand out among the rest.
“I think German is an interesting language. It functions differently than the other foreign languages that are taught here. It also has a different sound to it than the romance languages, and I think that could be very interesting to the students,” said German teacher Katelynn Canales.
Canales learned German by living in Germany when she was 18 and attended a German high school.
“I really like the language itself. I find the grammar fascinating and the way they build words,” Canales said.
Canales speaks French and Spanish as well and believes learning new languages is very important.
“Germany is a leader in various industries, and I think many students will be interested in that,” Canales said.
Students in the German classes really appreciate the class.
“I like how open you can be and how she doesn’t allow you to be judged for messing up,” said freshman Asha Fry.
Many of the students agree that it’s very beneficial to learn a foreign language.
“I like learning a new language and being able to communicate with more people,” said senior Yasmin Salah.