World Languages

Learn a World Language

“And set in order the churches, and study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people.” –  D&C 90:15

Weekly live classes are taught by our caring and qualified mentors, to enhance comprehension, provide conversation practice, learn culture, and share stories about the growth of the Church around the world. High school courses also inspire and support regular progress in the Babbel language  program.

Students are welcome to take a World Language class with or without taking other Ensign Peak Academy classes.

Ensign Peak Academy will offer the following live World Language courses for the 2023-2024 school year:

High school year long courses are interesting and scholarly opportunities for high school credit, requiring 1-2 hrs. of practice per week in Babbel Languages.

  • Spanish 1
  • Spanish 2
  • German 1
  • French 1

Students in grades 7-8 may enroll in a high school course, with the understanding that it requires 1-2 hours of weekly practice in Babbel and is more rigorous.  

Review our 2023-2024 Live Class Schedule for details.

Self-Paced Foreign Language Courses

Students may study any language offered by Babbel on a self-paced basis. Languages include: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Norwegian, Danish, Turkish, Indonesian.

Intro to World Languages for Grades 5-8

One-semester courses for Grades 5-8 are fun and engaging introductions to World Language, with minimal homework.  These courses do not use Babbel, but are interactive lessons developed by Ensign Peak Academy. 

Children and youth will enjoy learning how to greet others, ask how someone is doing, repeat the alphabet, pray, count, recognize the months of the year and days of the week, say their birthday, colors, foods, and more. 

There are many benefits to learning a new language, including: brain growth, English language acquisition, boosts creativity, deepens connections between cultures, and improves attention span and memory.

  • Intro to Spanish
  • Intro to French

mariachi-2770114_1280Spanish

Not only is Spanish the second most spoken language in the world, there are lots of opportunities to use it in the United States. Our live, weekly Spanish class supplements Babbel activities with learning about the rich culture and restored Church in Latin America, as well as Spanish grammar.  Conversation and fun activities provide opportunities to use and improve your Spanish. High school courses use Babbel Languages. Middle school courses do not use Babbel, but instead use interactive lessons developed by Ensign Peak Academy.

Carolyn MarriottSpanish Mentor Carolyn Marriott has a passion for learning and teaching. Besides homeschooling her own seven children, she has decades of experience teaching youth in church and academic settings. Valuing community, she and her children participated in homeschool groups in Washington and Utah where she taught a variety of topics from Spanish, to U.S. History, to Economics. She currently thrives on learning with the students at Ensign Peak Academy. 

Carolyn has traveled in Chile, Central America, Europe, Canada, Argentina, and the United States, broadening her appreciation for the beautiful world and its people. She served a mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and received a BA in Spanish from Brigham Young University.

Currently, Carolyn lives with her husband and mother in Wallsburg, Utah. She loves gardening, reading and discussing classics, sewing aprons, going on long walks, and hosting “poetry teatime” for her grandchildren. 

German

Our live, weekly German class provides an exciting opportunity to practice German conversation, and enjoy an exciting immersive journey into the language, culture, and history of Germany! Whether you have German ancestry or are simply interested in that part of the world and language, you will explore your own personal connection to it and expand your knowledge and ability to communicate. You will learn about German culture and history through explorations into the holidays, music, food, literature, religion, geography, games etc. You will begin to see how culture and history affect our language, how we live, and our view of the world. This will include insights into the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany. You’ll also get fascinating glimpses into other German-speaking countries. You will set and be guided in achieving goals for learning the language and other interests regarding Germany. For those that would appreciate help with their German Family History, we will learn how we can better do that work. All of this will include celebrations of our achievements. High school courses use Babbel Languages. Middle school courses do not use Babbel, but instead use interactive lessons developed by Ensign Peak Academy.

German Mentor: Laura Johnston

eiffel-tower-3349075_640French

Did you know that nearly 30% of English vocabulary is derived from French? It’s an official language in 28 countries and across 5 continents with nearly 280 million French speakers worldwide and growing, especially in Africa. Join us and learn how to read a menu, introduce yourself, or sing a song in one of the most popular and beautiful languages in the world. 

Our weekly, live class includes Francophone and church culture, history and language practice in a fun and dynamic environment. You’ll get to know your classmates during conversation practice, presentations and games. Weekly classes also provide an opportunity to receive support as you progress through Babbel Languages. Middle school courses do not use Babbel, but instead use interactive lessons developed by Ensign Peak Academy.

French Mentor Kursten Mason has been an educator her entire life, from teaching ‘summer school’ to her siblings at a young age to teaching and mentoring in public, private, and homeschools. She attended the University of Utah, served a church mission in Paris France, and returned to finish her degree in French Education from Brigham Young University. Years later, she was homeschooling her three children and helping to found Commonwealth Schools.  

Her educational passions are literature, languages, culture and history with a special love for our Founding Fathers and mothers, especially George Washington, John and Abigail Adams. There is power and inspiration in learning about great men and women. She believes the most rewarding experience is to share that passion with youth and watch their eyes light up as they find something that excites and encourages them to learn and do hard things. 

She lives in Herriman, Utah with her husband, their cat and a flock of chickens. Her youngest son recently served a French-speaking mission in Canada. She enjoys time with family, scripture study, walking, Yoga, reading, traveling, and playing games.

Check out Babbel Languages here:  Babbel Homepage

How does Ensign Peak Academy use Babbel Languages?

  • Ensign Peak Academy has a school account with Babbel, allowing mentors and administrators to view all student work.
  • Babbel Refund Policy: When a student withdraws from any world language course, a prorated amount of $15 per month (Aug-May), for each unused month, is retained by Ensign Peak Academy to cover the cost of the language  license. This is due to the fact that Babbel sells annual licenses to schools, payable by lump sum, with no refund. Please let us know if you wish to continue using your license after withdrawal.

Grades and Credit

Middle school grades and high school credit is awarded upon completion of the course with a minimum grade C- or 70% with no more than 3 missing Babbel activities. Grades are based on Babbel achievement and progress, live class attendance and oral exam score. Completing half of the A1 or A2 lessons = 0.5 high school credit or one semester on a grade report.