C’est simple comme bonjour: Julia Harstick and Megan Liu

When a student reaches a certain level in French classes, they are required to take the state AAPPL test, ACTFL Assessment of Performance towards Proficiency in Languages, which determines their proficiency in the language. They are also able to gain a seal of bi-literacy by receiving above a certain score on each of the four sections of the test. 

Megan Liu and Julia Harstick are both students who received the seal this year. Liu has been taking French for five years and Harstick has been taking French for seven years.

Liu sees taking French as an opportunity to become more well-rounded. 

“I believe that learning another language is so important, especially in today’s world. Of course, learning another language is diving into another culture not just in France but in other francophone countries which I find absolutely fascinating. I love learning about other cultures from the different holidays celebrated to the types of unique foods. Through taking French, I felt like I widened my perspectives and allowed me to think about my own culture in a new, unique light as well. I decided to continue taking French because I found that learning another language was so refreshing and different from the other subjects at school that I’m taking. French was just nice to take as I felt that it provided me with great benefits in learning,” Liu said. 

Harstick sees French in a little different way. She enjoys the community that the class provides, and she was inspired to start by one of her family members. 

“I continued to take French because I had been taking it with the same people for a number of years so we were all close and I wanted to continue to be with those people. I also just love the language. My mom speaks fluent French so she’s who initially inspired me to take it but now I speak better than she does. I also think it’s really important to have some grasp in a foreign language because it really puts you outside of your comfort zone and opens you up to new cultures,” Harstick said. 

For the AAPPL test, students have to take four sections and score an I3 or above in each section in order to receive the seal. Each section has multiple prompts in order to properly test how well a student can understand, comprehend, and communicate in both speaking and writing. Each section pinpoints a specific skill: reading, listening, writing and speaking. 

Liu and Harstick both comment on how difficult and frustrating the test is, for if you do amazing in three sections and not on one, you will not be able to receive your seal. However, the way that the classmates worked together to study for the exam speaks volumes for the community they have built in the class. 

When looking back at studying French through their high school years, both Liu and Harstick think fondly of the experiences they’ve had with their classmates and their teacher. 

“The people in AP French have seriously become my family and I feel so comfortable in this space. We like to have fun and dance around but when we have work to get done we will get serious and get our work done as well. My classmates and my teacher seriously make French class feel like a family and a safe place always,” Liu said. 

“The dynamic is like a big group of friends, or like Megan put it, a family. We’ve basically all been together for four years and had the same teacher for three years so everyone is super comfortable with each other. It’s a super safe space and most of the time assignments don’t feel like work because everyone helps each other out which helps take the load off. The class just feels like hanging out with friends, I love it,” Harstick said.