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Competition

Warren area spanish students compete on a global market

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Warren Area High School Spanish students (from left) Seth Conarro, Emma McKibbin, and Myah Madril speak before the school board Monday regarding their success at the World Languages Competition at Slippery Rock University.

Hola. Me llamo Seth… Myah… Emma.

Three Warren Area High School students were recognized at Monday’s school board meeting for their performance at the recent World Languages Competition at Slippery Rock University.

Warren was represented by 20 students at the event. There were about 170 competitors from 21 schools, according to Spanish teacher Jewel Rozanski.

Selecting which students would compete was no easy task.

“Over 450 students take Spanish in our district,” Spanish teacher Gladys Archer said.

Students who had a high average in their class, showed “an interest to be a life-long learner of the language,” and an ability to perform under pressure, were selected, she said.

In addition to reading and listening, students were tested on their knowledge of culture and history.

There were three different languages tested in the competition, but Warren’s students competed only in Spanish.

There were about 30 students in each of the three levels of Spanish. Only the top three were recognized.

Warren had three of the nine. “We represented very well at that competition,” Rozanski said.

Sophomore Seth Conarro placed third in Spanish I.

Junior Myah Madril placed third in Spanish II.

And senior Emma McKibbin claimed first place in Spanish III.

For McKibbin, the competition was a measuring stick or a stepping stone.

“I plan to go into linguistics,” she said. “I hope to teach English to non-English speakers.”

Madril was also asked about her future plans for Spanish. “I think I’m probably going to minor in it in college,” she said.

The students generally agreed with Conarro that, “the hardest part was the cultural part of it.”

The teachers thanked the board for their support.

“There are so many benefits to knowing more than one language,” Archer said. “Our students are competing on a global market.”

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