AP classes are the hardest classes you can take at our school, and there are many reasons why students should not take level 6 languages. It’s not worth it to take them, especially after taking the AP class for your language. AP is technically the highest you can do that can be used as college credit. You do not get a college credit for taking a level six language. Additionally, most students will not even have the chance to take a level six language; starting in middle school, you would have to have taken a language.
“I’ve taken French, and now I’m in AP French and I feel like the class is very rigorous and if I had another year at WJ I wouldn’t take a level 6 language. I feel like I have mastered French so I’m also taking Spanish to keep learning languages,” senior Marina Thorn said.
In level 6 language classes, the amount of students taking the class is very low, with some class sizes having fewer than 10 students, such as last year’s Spanish literature class. Most classes only have upperclassmen students because it takes so many years to get up to a level 6 language.
A language class takes up an elective spot. This means that for those who have a different passion or a credit they need to fulfill, taking a level 6 language can get in the way of that especially since classes are so small there is a limited amount of classes and there is seldomly more than one class for language levels so high up.
There isn’t a huge benefit to taking level 6 because students feel like that it is just a repeat of the AP class they took the previous year. Instead of having a class that is so similar to other AP classes instead, MCPS should implement an interactive language class instead of level 6 languages.
Senior Olin Kimball took Spanish and passed AP Spanish Language and Culture.
“I decided not to take AP Spanish lit because of how difficult I heard the class was. Level 6 is after that and I was not planning on doing level 6 because I don’t see the point. Multiple people who took the class said it was super hard for them, and considering it was my senior year and I already signed up for three AP classes, I wanted to be realistic and not give myself too intense of a course load. I still really enjoy the language, as I want to minor in Spanish during college, and I maintain my Spanish ability through watching Spanish movies and listening to Spanish music,” Kimball said.
Interactive classes should be instituted because it would draw more attention to language classes and those who choose to take them get a real hands-on class and experience rather than learning similar content from the year before. Level 6 language classes do not give you that needed experience after taking the AP class prior.
