ASL and Spanish students from Randall, West Plains, Canyon, and Bushland competed in the second annual Festival de Lenguas (festival of languages) on Jan. 31. This was an event for students to show off their progress in becoming bilingual and learning a foreign language. Although taking a foreign language class is a graduation requirement, these students went the extra mile to show off what they have learned and become more involved in a culture that is not their own.
“I thought it was good!” ASL teacher Darla Meraz said. “I feel like this event encourages kids they can do great things with a new language, that this event shows kids how fun language can be with all of the stories and poetry and jokes, they get to see the language in a more fun and natural way instead of just language structure!”
Meraz said she is excited about the emergence of language competitions, due to there not being any UIL event dedicated to language.
“I feel that language is less stressed here in the U.S. than it is in other countries; it is only mandatory to take one language versus upwards of five in other countries,” Meraz said. “You also are only required to take 2 years of the language when that is nowhere near the amount of time to become fluent.”
The rankings are as follows:
ASL Beginning Poetry
Caidence Carner with “Dandelions” – 3rd
Maddison Irvin with “ASL and Tree are the Same” – 2nd
ASL Advanced Poetry
Kaylie Kashuba with “To a Hearing Mother” – 2nd
ASL Story Telling
Robert Barnett with “The Tunnel” – 2nd
ASL Jokes
Michal Black with “The White Ape” – 1st
ASL Info Board
Zoey Jones with “Language Deprivation” – 2nd
Teagan Bull, Brynlee Ledford, Yesenia Guenther, and Aurora Maetas with “Murder or Self-Defense” – 1st
ASL Photography
Willow Jordan with “Reverberate Pride” – 2nd
ASL 3D Art
Kenzie Kaser and Xyian Crain with “All Tied Up” – 1st
Pinata Making
Kiara Amador, Aubree Arzola, and Makynzee Brooks with “Casita” – 2nd
Spanish 2D Art
Emily Rodriguez with “Orgullo de las Mexicanas” – 2nd
Isaiah Rose with “La Belleza de la Vista” – 1st
Spanish Info Board
Yeroslavi Lucio with “Flamenco” – Unplaced
Kaylee Ramos with “Folklorico” – 2nd