The Virginia House of Delegates passed House Bill 340 on Friday, which would allow students to pursue the Advanced Diploma through Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses in lieu of foreign languages.
“I think it’s interesting,” Junior and French 4 student Eleanor Pride said of the bill, “But I think it’s important that students know parts of a language other than English.”
If passed by the Senate and signed into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin, the bill would not force Advanced Diploma candidates to forgo foreign language in favor of CTE classes, but instead offer an additional pathway to interested students.
Jada Pryor, one of Pride’s classmates, is supportive of the move.
“While learning a world language is helpful,” Pryor said, “I know most students simply choose them because they must, instead of being interested or engaged in the classes.”
House Bill 340 will now move on to the Senate, and if passed will go into effect in the 2023-2024 school year.