World Languages

Course Options

Chinese: Levels 1 - 6, AP Prep

French: Levels 1 - 5

German: Levels 1 - 4 (levels 3 and 4 offered for credit through IU's Advanced College Project

Japanese: Levels 1 - 4, AP

Spanish: Levels 1 - 5, AP 

Ms. Sanchez Cisneros - Spanish 1 & 2

sanchezcisnerosm@bcsc.k12.in.us 

Mrs. Elizabeth Bays - Japanese/ELL

bayse@bcsc.k12.in.us

Mrs. Karen Bray - French

brayk@bcsc.k12.in.us 

Mrs. Marcia Cheek - 

Spanish

Dept. Coordinator

cheekm@bcsc.k12.in.us

Ms. Meagan Hearne - Spanish 

hearnem@bcsc.k12.in.us

Mrs. Amelia Shaw - German

shawa@bcsc.k12.in.us 


Ms. Jana Thompson - Chinese

thompsonj@bcsc.k12.in.us

Our Mission 

To meet the needs of a rapidly changing world by using authentic experiences to motivate students to understand and engage with people whose languages and cultures differ from their own .

Annual Culture Fair


This program is available for Indiana high school students who are juniors and have successfully completed 3 years or more of studies in French, Spanish, or German. Students must go throught a process of applying (with a non-refundable fee), an evaluative exam, and, if they qualify to continue in the process, letters of recommendation and an interview with IU faculty in the spring. This is a 7 week total language immersion program in the summer during which a student lives with a host family speaking only the language of the country and attending morning classes taught by Indiana University faculty. There are also activities and excursions during and after the homestays. Many previous Columbus North participants have scored high on AP Language exams and university placement tests. This is a life-altering experience ! Interested students should contact Mrs. Lahee (the CNHS liaison) in Room 183. Enrollment procedures and dates will be announced in the fall when information arrives from Indiana University. 

Löhne Exchange

Löhne, Germany is a sister city of Columbus.  Columbus North High School and the Städtisches Gymnasium in Löhne, Germany have had an exchange program for over 25 years.  Columbus families will host German students for a two week visit in the spring of 2023. Our next opportunity for travel will be in June, 2024. Students from Columubs will spend three weeks living with host families, attending school, and traveling to various cities throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Contact Frau Shaw for more information! 

China (Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai) Summer Trip

Having lived in China for 10 years, I desire that students see and experience the cultural and historical highlights of this great civilization.  Our nine day summer trip includes visits and flights to Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai.  Students interact and learn about Chinese heritage such as the Great Wall, Tian'anmen Square, the Temple of Heaven.  They visit a local home in the alleyways of Beijing for a homecooked meal.  Flying to Xi'an, they join in with early morning exercises in the local park, afterwards walking among the 'recently' unearthed terra cotta soldier army of the Qin Emperor.  In the evening, they walk along the 'Muslim Street' of shops which dates back to the Silk Road Era.  On to Shanghai, the New York of China, students get a skyline view of the city from 99 stories up in the Shanghai World Financial Center, travel to and walk through an active Buddhist temple, shop in the modern Nanjing Street pedestrian mall, and walk among the beautiful traditional gardens of the Yu Family.  The last evening is capped off by a boat trip on the Pu River to see the light show taking place every evening on the skyscrapers and the Bund of Shanghai.  In each city students enjoy shows of acrobatics, traditional theater, and martial arts.  Students enjoy this trip tremendously, and every day have the experience of using language in shopping and eating at a restaurant of their choice.  A once in a lifetime trip!

 Contact Jana Thompson for more information

Doing TaiJiquan @ Summer Palace

Learning about Teas & Tea Ceremony

Climbing the Great Wall

Visiting the Yu Gardens in Shanghai 

TBA - The CNHS Spanish dept. takes student trips every 2 years.  Our next trip will be in 2025. Contact Rebecca Burbrink or Marcia Cheek for more information


Miyoshi Friendship Ambassadors

Tokyo-Miyoshi-Kyoto Trip

The Japanese language students of Columbus North benefit from a strong and vibrant relationship with our sister city of Miyoshi in Japan.  Our program takes us to the bright lights and big city that is Tokyo, a week-long homestay in Miyoshi, and finishes with a stay in the traditional yet modern city of Kyoto.

Due to the long home stay, students need to be in Japanese 2 or higher to participate in this trip so get started with your Japanese study immediately!  

Please contact Mrs. Bays for further details!

Some of the Japanese activities from the 2019 Culture Fair

Culture Fair 2019.mp4