Earth: the planet in which most people who have taken a language class live. Photo courtesy of Space.com. 

  Students at San Luis Obispo High School are often left conflicted as to which language pathway to take, understanding that the decision is mandatory to earning those sweet sweet language credits. 

  Students taking Spanish class at SLOHS find that they learn useful skills, and that it is a fairly laid-back class that doesn’t take much after-school time away from sports and other activities.  

  “It’s pretty independent…I could just do the work and be done with it,” said sophomore Frank Lyon. 

  Additionally, Spanish class offers important skills that students can use to communicate with people all across the world. 

  Another pathway to be taken is Latin. Due to its ancient roots and huge influence on many romance languages, as well as English, Latin offers a unique opportunity to delve deep into the realms of etymology. 

  “A lot of people don’t end up taking Latin, so you tend to get really close to the people you’re with,” said senior Karma Waller. 

  With its unique community and useful insight into many languages across the world, Latin is a wonderful class to take. 

  Lastly, ASL (American Sign Language) offers the unique experience of learning to communicate without speaking, providing many opportunities for communicating with the deaf or hard of hearing, and in times when silence is necessary. Seriously, stop talking backstage. 

 “I can communicate with as many people as I can and in as many different ways as I can,” said freshman Luke Miller.

  With all three of these fantastic options available, it can still be difficult to decide which language to spend your hours learning. The good news is that SLOHS students can learn them all if they feel so inclined! Yippee!