Foreign language classes could soon be taught without saying one word.
Computer coding could be the foreign language class in the future. That’s the goal for Florida Senator Jeff Brandes. If his new bill passes schools will be able to offer computer coding classes and they'll count as foreign language credit.
“I think it’s absolutely amazing!" said Ridgewood High School Senior, Jason Cloud.
He is just beginning to learn coding through his school’s new Hour of Code. But he’s not getting credit. Students are spending their own free time to learn simple coding.
“Before graduating from high school they could have a career," said teacher Christina Finn.
She’s closely tracking the bill with high hopes. But it’s not the first time a similar bill has gone before lawmakers. Two other bills, which unlike this version required computer coding at schools, failed in the past two years. Some lawmakers hesitated calling it a language.
“It is a foreign language! It’s not something that you or I talk on a normal basis to. It’s actually very intricate, very rigorous," she said.
There’s a chance out of state colleges wont recognize the credit. Still, Cloud believes it could only help students like him think about coding in their future.
“To be able to say ‘I can do this,' and work for a big corporation like Google and Facebook," said Cloud.
