Last year, several students walked out of Advanced Placement French enthused by the prospect of another full year of high-level French language and deep study of Francophone culture. This year, those students were deeply disappointed when French 5 was cut due to the lack of students interested in the class.

“I was incredibly disappointed to hear that French 5 had been canceled,” senior Nadège Aoki said. “Our French teachers are so supportive and dedicated, so it’s a shame that more students can’t find the space in their schedule to continue their study of the language,”

Student enrollment was low because of the high number of required classes for students. However, French teachers Cynthia Van de Kamp and Genevieve Delfosse have come up with a solution.

They have submitted a proposal for a new French 5 semester class so students can keep up their French and still take required semester classes or do out-of-the-building mentorships. They expect that many more students would seize this opportunity in order to stay immersed in the language if the class were approved.

“You put a lot of effort into speaking French, and students don’t want to lose their ability. Foreign languages are like musical instruments—you have to practice,” Delfosse said.

The proposal cannot be approved until next year, but for those students who would like to keep up their understanding of the language, there is a temporary fix.

“The kids who wanted to take French 5 this year are welcome to come to French Honor Society meetings so they can practice,” Van de Kamp said.