Highland is very different from other schools because of it’s unique environment. There are many different languages that are spoken in the halls. And there is a wide diversity in the students that attend this school. A class has recently been added that has set apart Highland even more from other schools. Starting next year Arabic classes will be offered and taught by Matthew Smith.

Smith is currently an English teacher for 9th and 10th graders. Before he became a teacher he went to Brigham Young University and studied Arabic because of his heritage. His mother’s family was from Syria and he grew up with some of the Syrian traditions like food. He ended up spending two years studying Arabic and then ended up living in the Middle East. The first time he went was for an internship where he helped a company in Jordan. And the second time was to take college classes in the Middle East to study Arabic.

Principal Jenson heard he spoke Arabic and asked him if he wanted to teach a class. Smith is excited to teach the class next year, but it will be difficult to find a method to teach with. Arabic is ranked one of the hardest languages to learn because of the way it is written and many other factors.

“I don’t know how I’m going to teach it,” said Smith. “But I know I’m going to focus on how Arabic is unique, different and fun. The writing is so different than any other language and it’s so exciting to see your name in a completely different style of language. Showing that to the students is just really exciting.”

Arabic will be a useful language in the future that should be taught in more schools. There are many refugees being pushed into America because of the conflicts Middle East. Without communication it will start to get difficult to control. Many things have been affected by the Middle East and learning their language will be helpful for the future.

“I think with all of the refugees being pushed into the western world because of the conflicts in the Middle East we are going to want to communicate with them,” said Smith. “That would be one thing and a second thing is other students who enjoy that part of the world it’s useful to know Arabic so you can travel and communicate. But any language is useful because it’s important to know a language in order to learn about a culture.”