The word “language” means more than people may think at first. Far from being only a means of verbal communication between people, language can be a written system of code.
The world is dominated now by smartphones and other forms of advanced technology, and while a user may feel like they’re dialoguing with their device, the real exchange of language is between the program and the person coding it.
Of course, the familiar definition of language is also as meaningful as ever! Don’t think that there’s no utility in learning a new language just because technology makes translating basic phrases easier. Anyone who has ever travelled abroad and can speak the local language understands just how deeply hard-wired language is in the human condition.
OVS is proud to offer a wide selection of courses teaching multiple kinds of languages, including computer and spoken languages worldwide.
It’s never been easier for people worldwide to access Canadian online high school right from their living room, so let’s take a closer look at all the different types of languages students can and should learn this summer.
International Languages
Learning a new language does a lot more than merely let you talk with other people. Absorbing a new language helps you think in a different way. Many people report that their mind works differently depending on the language their interior monologue is using.
Vladimir Nabokov’s essay on the Art of Translation speaks to how impossible it is to convert fiction written in one language into another without losing anything along the way. Learning international languages connects people with a region and a culture. Even more than that, language is culture.
There are very compelling reasons why people learn Russian to read Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina in the original, or Punjabi to read Ghalib’s poetry. Language is much more than a functional way to understand another person: it’s a window into another way of doing things that is nearly impossible to otherwise see or understand.
Some languages have their own “je ne sais quoi” that can’t be expressed without using words from that language! OVS is proud to offer students lessons in a wide range of languages:
Knowing foreign languages opens many career options, from politics, journalism, translations, and more. Our expert teachers instruct students in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the above languages.
Expect to read different forms of fiction and explore the history and customs of foreign countries in exciting ways. By the end, students will be ready to use these languages in personal, professional, and academic settings.
Coding is the Future
Nobody can say exactly what the future will look like, but it will probably be written in code! It’s hard to overstate the extent to which technology dominates our modern society, and it doesn’t seem poised to stop any time soon.
Computers have been central to work-life for decades. Meanwhile, people everywhere use smartphones for personal and commercial purposes. They keep us in touch in ways old phones couldn’t, and people rely on apps for banking, navigating, listening to music, and too many other reasons to name.
The video game industry has gone from sucking up quarters to being worth many billions of dollars annually, and it only keeps growing.
Courses like ICS3U teach students the computer science skills they’ll need later in their academic career and gives a backstage look at how programming really works. There’s a major difference between knowing how to use a computer and learning to create the code that powers it, and the latter has a leg up in the job market.
Students at OVS will design software using programming tools professionals rely on in the field, applying the software development lifecycle model. In time, students will gain the confidence and skills to write and use subprograms within computer programs, relying on creative problem-solving rather than rote command inputs.
They will demonstrate the ability to use one-dimensional arrays and proper code maintenance techniques and conventions when creating a computer program.
Our grade 11 computer science course also focuses on the environmental and ergonomic, emerging research in computer science, and global career trends in programming and related fields. In other words, we’ll give you the know-how to enter the job market and the background information you need to get your bearings and get a clearer idea of where you want to work.
Different Ways to Learn
Coding is not a subject that you can simply learn from reading a textbook. It’s very hands-on because the code itself is practically a living thing. OVS students learn coding in various settings: individually, cooperatively, independently, under the direction of the teacher, and through examples followed by practice.
Teachers can use different strategies depending on the student’s needs and goals, from virtual labs, online simulations, animations, videos, discussion forums, and other interactive methods.
Students can use the coding skills they learn this summer with the grade 11 course or ICS4U to design their own video game, software, app, and countless other things. Knowing how to use Java is a huge plus, as it’s the basis for countless programs used by millions of people worldwide, such as Netflix, Spotify, LinkedIn, Uber, Amazon, Minecraft, and more.
Of course, teenagers still need summer to relax and socialize! But if your child needs some extra support for courses from grade 7-12, OVS has them covered. We’re very proud to offer immersive classes in foreign languages and computer programming, which we know will not only open up doors in society but broaden minds.