IB Languages open students’ eyes to culture and history
From College Preparatory to International Baccalaureate [IB] courses, Newbury Park High School students work to learn languages to their fullest extent. NPHS offers four levels of courses for the Spanish, French and Chinese languages.
Jing Hu, IB Chinese teacher, enjoys how the IB curriculum allows her to educate students beyond grammatical rules and standard textbook problems, instead having an emphasis on culture. Hu’s course blends project-based assignments and group work, as opposed to solely depending on exams. “IB Chinese teaches transferable skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, cross-cultural communication and research. IB Chinese teaches transferable skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, cross-cultural communication, and research. For example, when students work in pairs to create commercial comparisons between the U.S. and China, they learn to view issues from different perspectives, an ability that’s valuable in history, sociology, and even English writing courses,” Hu said.
Ada Abregu Galvez, IB Spanish teacher, urges students to take IB language courses as they have many benefits for students, beyond a GPA boost. “[The best part of teaching IB language] is [that], we focus a lot on culture, traditions, customs, experience and they are also related to other IB courses, for example, technology, or, you know, psychology. So then you could see different themes, like human ingenuity or experience or identity,” Abregu Galvez said. For many IB teachers, their passion comes from the heart. “[I was inspired to start] teaching Spanish because it’s my own language. I used to live in different countries, and then I earned a degree in language arts,” Abregu Galvez said.
Like many other avid IB learners, Pedro Costa, junior, values the real-life meaning behind taking IB classes, gaining skills and knowledge that are more applicable to the real world than a regular class. “I would recommend IB to an underclassman because it’s a good way to get IB credit and boost your GPA to a 5.0 scale. The skills of an IB language class that apply to other classes are the communication skills involved,” Costa said. “For me, Spanish is easily the most social class as I am constantly talking in Spanish with my peers. This allows me to build a better connection with them and learn more about others.”
Fueled by the excitement of exploring a foreign language, Hu began to teach Chinese to help inspire students to learn about cultures outside of their own. “Taking an IB language course is about more than just learning a language—it’s about becoming a global citizen. IB language classes are also more fun, student-centered, self-driven, and creative, making the learning experience engaging and dynamic. I want my students to develop not only language skills but also critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, and self-expression,” Hu said.
Hu hopes her students gain the confidence to tackle new challenges and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds. “The most rewarding part is seeing students grow in both their language abilities and personal development. Witnessing them mature and become more confident is deeply fulfilling.”
