Students who are in the Cumberland County Schools' World Language Program learn valuable life skills, teachers say. 

The program offers two different learning experiences, in five different languages.

Immersion classes teach core subjects, such as math or science, in a target language, whereas foreign language classes teach students how to speak, read and write in a target language.

Chinese and Spanish immersion and foreign language classes are available at the elementary school level.

French, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese immersion and foreign language classes are available at the middle school level.

Spanish, Latin, Chinese, Arabic and French foreign language classes are available at the high school level.

David Green, the principal at Anne Chesnutt Middle School, one of two middle schools that offer the program, said he quickly fell in love with the Spanish immersion classes.

 "My daughter is in second grade and she is able to comprehend and do sentences in Spanish," he said. "It just blows my mind seeing what she’s been capable of.”

Spanish immersion classes are offered at E. E. Miller Elementary School, Howard Hall Elementary School, William H. Owen Elementary School and Morganton Road Elementary School. Mandarin Chinese immersion classes are offered at New Century International Elementary School.

Middle school students who complete the program receive two high school credits, Green added. New Century International Middle School also offers the program. 

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There are five teachers from Colombia, one teacher from China, one teacher from Saudi Arabia and one teacher from Puerto Rico who teach at Anne Chesnutt Middle School.

Green said he is impressed with how dedicated the international teachers are.

Claudia Cardenas, a Colombian teacher at the school, teaches math in Spanish as a way to immerse children into learning the language. 

“I decided to teach here because I believe it’s a great opportunity to share my knowledge and improve my teaching skills,” she said.

Angelica Restrepo, a Spanish teacher from Colombia who’s been teaching for almost a decade, said she is enjoying teaching in the U.S. Each teacher will begin their second year of teaching in the U.S. starting in the fall.

“The most important reason for me to come to the U.S. was to teach, learn and share,” she said.

Both teachers agreed that learning how to speak a different language is an important life skill.

“I believe that being able to communicate with someone in his or her language is an incredible gift,” Restrepo said. “Also, language is the most direct connection to other cultures, traditions, art and history of the people.”

She added that people who know how to speak more than one language are more competitive in the workforce.

Both teachers say they began studying English in elementary school.

Restrepo said she was hired through a program called Participate Learning. Cardenas said she was hired through a program called Education Partners International.

Cumberland County Schools has a long-standing partnership with Participate Learning and Education Partners International. Both companies recruit and vet international teacher candidates. If the candidate is approved, his or her information is placed in a portal that principals have access, giving them a chance to interview and offer positions to the candidates, according to CCS Director of Human Resources Tonya Page via email. 

For more information about the World Language Program through Cumberland County Schools, visit the school district's online page.

“It’s never too late to start learning a new language,” Restrepo said.

Health and education writer Ariana-Jasmine Castrellon can be reached at acastrellon@gannett.com or 910-486-3561.