Kathryn L. Beppler
2008 Hall of Fame Nominee
Evanston High School
Evanston, WY
2008 Finalist from PNCFL
French
“The value of learning a language and culture is that it has become a life skill. We language teachers are the key to our students’ survival, and I mean this literally. When cultures clash, individuals must have the skills to communicate their perspectives and to know when to step back from a disagreement. These skills are taught in today’s standards-based classrooms where students are no longer simply taught the rules of grammar and lists of vocabulary to memorize. They learn to negotiate meaning and to be members of a group with different needs and boundaries. Only by serious foreign language education, will our students be able to develop these skills so vital to interacting in the world community.”