By Borislava Panayotova
Learning a language is hard. The way to make it easier is to join a club that can make the learning fun. TPA has only four languages but these clubs are filled with excitement. You can join all of these clubs without actually having the language as a class.
Spanish Club
Food is a very important part of Spanish culture. That is why the Spanish Club makes sure to have free food every meeting. But what exactly is Spanish Club? Is it just food? Or is it something more?
Well, first you must know that there are two different Spanish Clubs. The original one is Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica Chapter “Nellie Campobello” (named after the famous Mexican writer). The SHH Chapter “Nellie Campobello” is a part of a national society. Both clubs stand for the same thing though. The extended learning of the Spanish language.
During club meetings, students “invite people who speak Spanish to give a talk, play educational games, cook Hispanic food, celebrate the Day of the Dead, organize the “Quesadilla Cafe,” and develop a spelling bee. These are just a few of the activities students have come up with. Some of the credit goes to President Kylie Klassen who created a survey to see which activities students will enjoy the most.
“The activities of the Spanish Club will help students improve their vocabulary and grammar by using them to communicate in real situations,” says Dr Cardoso. Spanish is the most spoken language in the world and joining Spanish Club can improve your knowledge of Spanish culture as well as language.
German Club
Why would you even join German Club if you’re not even in a German class? “Because German is fun!” Herr Gray says. He is of course correct. The German Club may be small but it has so much potential.
If you are looking to travel in college, knowing any language can help you. If you are looking to travel to Germany, it can help you so much more. Speaking German aloud can help you get comfortable with understanding and speaking. That is exactly how joining German Club can help you.
If you enjoy playing games, German Club is also for you. You get to hang out with friends and crush everyone in German Monopoly. There is of course free food at every meeting. If more people join the club then there can be more free food.
Classics Club
Latin may seem like a dead language but its club is definitely alive. The Classics kids love competition and the upperclassmen love using Greek to win every game. But that is the spirit of Classics Club.
Just like Spanish Club, there are two Classics Clubs. One is the original and the other is Classics to Honor Society. The Classics Club’s main focus is to play games and forward your knowledge of the Classics. CHS is for competitive people who like to focus on Certamen, a quiz bowl type game. All games played by students are games that the students came up with by themselves.
“Regular Classics Club is just a fun way to learn more about Classics,” Dr. Riesbeck says. Knowing something about Classics will definitely help you in the future. Most Western languages derived from Latin, and having a basic idea of it can help you learn all the other ones.
French Club
The French Club is not yet an official club. That is understandable since French had a change in teachers this year. However, Madame Doran says, “I’m really excited that the students want to do a French Club. . .” The way to support French Club would be to join right away so it can receive real club status.
During meetings, students exercise their French skills and practice public speaking using those skills. Of course they also play fun games. Students also get to show off their interests during meetings. Growth as a public speaker is a major part of French Club.
The way to improve French Club, we would need more people to join. If you enjoy France and like hanging out and playing games, you would love French Club.