Jennifer Teall, Vicksburg High School French teacher, received approval from the school board for students in third and fourth year Spanish and French classes to apply for the Biliteracy Seal in language proficiency, offered by the state of Michigan. It’s a special recognition to show the significant commitment that students make in the study of a second language besides English.
The seal will go on transcripts and diplomas, once it has been earned. The criteria includes, being functional in the second language, not necessarily fluent, Teall told the school board. There are currently 400 Vicksburg students enrolled in French or Spanish classes. They begin in 8th grade, as Michigan requires two years of a foreign language to graduate from high school.
More than 100 of those students continue on to take three and four years of a language course which makes them eligible for the seal which serves to legitimize their commitment, Teall said.