Jamin Lynch
2008 Hall of Fame Nominee
Independence High School
San Jose, CA
2008 Finalist from SWCOLT
German and English
“The Austrian Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once stated, ‘Die Grenzen der Sprache sind die Grenzen der Welt’ equating to, ‘The boundaries of one’s language are the boundaries of one’s world.’ To me, this means communicating in more than one language is a valuable key which opens doors to new worlds. Without the key of language, a student’s understanding of countries, cultures, and communities remains relatively superficial, because the student remains a relative outsider. But, language learning transforms the student into an active participant. As a teacher of language, I have a terrific opportunity and a sincere responsibility to help students cross boundaries into new worlds, for the value of language learning and culture cannot be understated. As we continue into the 21st century, we need to create a world community which respects, appreciates, and understands all of our valuable cultures.”