Abbey Mosteller participates as a French student in the online world language conference. Photo Credits: Sawyer Kennedy, Watauga Yearbook.
Watauga High School students recently learned how they can continue to hone their second language skills and use this language throughout their lives at the Global Youth Credentialing and Recognizing Excellence and Determination (YCRED) conference. This was the third time Watauga language students have participated in the conference.
The online conference allowed more than 22,000 students from 59 countries to participate. The conference provided a day where students could learn about various languages and cultures around the world, regardless of what language they were studying. Savannah Wilson is a Spanish teacher at Watauga and helped organize the conference for WHS students.
“We provide opportunities for our students to leverage their language credentials, level up their language skills, and link their learning to future experiences,” Wilson said. “Students see how their language study can continue after high school. They get to experience and see the value of a conference and the idea of professional development. Students choose and explore what interests them.”
The students get a true conference experience with their ability to choose from four strands: Level-up, Listen and Learn, Link, and Leverage. Each one provides insight into a unique skill that will help transform their foreign language experience.
The World Language Department hopes this conference will inspire students to keep learning past high school and teach them the value of language learning.
“We are so excited to give our students this opportunity to become more globally aware of how they can use their language skills in the future,” Wilson said. “It is beneficial for them to see why languages are so important and how other countries value language learning.”
The conference has continued to grow in terms of turnout and session offerings. This has encouraged students to keep participating and learning from the conference. Senior Alyssa Everett participated in the conference for the second time. Everett noticed “more people being more involved in the conference.”
Since this is her second year participating, Everett knew what to expect and which sessions she wanted to attend to build on her language skills.
“The main thing most people mentioned to practice your language skills is studying abroad,” Everett said. “This conference has inspired me to study abroad, preferably in France, whenever I get the chance.”
The conference was started two years ago and has become an annual event for the department. The World Language Department wanted to note that the conference was sponsored by several local and North Carolina businesses, including Lowes Foods of Boone, Stick Boy Bread Company, Zaxby’s, Panera Bread, Los Arcoiris, Mo’ Sweets, Dos Amigos, Mellow Mushroom, Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria, Barberitos, Tuckers Cafe, and Mysterium Escape Adventures.
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