Our congratulations to the 2018 FLENJ Scholarship winners! The high school seniors in this year’s FLENJ Scholarship competition submitted essays in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, and Japanese. The students have studied a second language for an average of five years, an indication that the students have benefited from longer sequences of language study. Most of the students who achieved semi-finalist status reported using the language they have been studying outside the classroom in a variety of circumstances involving work, travel and social activities.

The finalists from the essay part of the competition took part in an interview similar to ACTFL’s Modified Oral Proficiency Interview (MOPI). It was evident from their essays and their oral interviews that these students have achieved a high level of competence in their respective languages. These results provide additional evidence of the high levels of proficiency and communicative competence that can be attained after extended periods of language study. These students’ teachers and the districts and schools that have designed such quality programs should be commended.

The scholarship winners are:

Lauren Cohen, Spanish, Pascack Valley High School, Hillsdale	Talia Higgins, German, Haddonfield Memorial HS, Haddonfield	Elvenie Desrosiers, French, Columbia High School, Maplewood, NJ
Emily Decker, French, North Hunterdon High School, Annandale	Arpitha Gorur, French, Bridgewater/Raritan High School, Bridgewater