CHAGRIN FALLS -- Chagrin Falls High School is now not only teaching Mandarin, but also Arabic.
Many schools across the country are adding more languages to the traditional French and Spanish. To compete globally, students are now learning Mandarin with many local schools offering it.
Arabic is still not as common as Mandarin, but Chagrin Falls High School is one of the first to teach it. The school offers two classes.
Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world, so the school district felt students needed the opportunity to learn it.
“It’s an emerging language,” says Steve Thompson, Chagrin Falls Superintendent. About 20 students currently take the classes, but it has grown in popularity.
Only 100 schools across the country teach Arabic, but that number is expected to increase.
