National Foreign Language Week ranges from March 7 to March 11. Because of that, foreign language teachers hatched a photo hunt during the week to honor their respective languages.

The cultural photo search is in its first year. There are pictures of French, Spanish, and German cultures visible all over in the hallways. The goal is to take down the photos that were put up around the school representing one of the three languages that are taught here and match it to the correct language class. 

If students get it correct, they can receive a prize. The prizes can range depending on the teacher or photo. The prizes could be a gift card, candy, or redbird bucks.

Spanish teacher Michelle Bachman is one of the AHS foreign language teachers that took place in organizing the search for the school. While there are many reasons they organized the hunt, the main point for it was recognition.

“The purpose of the Cultural Photo Search is to publicize our foreign language classes,” Bachman said. “We want to make sure that all students know that Spanish, French, and German classes exist at Alton High, and we hope that some kids who hadn’t considered taking a language will think about taking one of our classes in the future.”

The language teachers also wanted to showcase the ethnicities and people attached to the languages as well. “Learning a language is about more than just speaking, reading, writing, and listening,” Bachman said.  “It’s about appreciating other cultures and realizing how those cultures have influenced our daily lives.”

In the end, the photo search is an opportunity to further dive in and learn about languages taught every day here and the cultures that come with it. If you want further information about foreign language classes, email Mrs. Bachman @mbachman.altonschools.org.