The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The Language and Linguistics Club meet in upper school French teacher Galina Tchourilovas room on Feb. 27. The presentation focused on sociolinguistics and the diversity of dialects.

Discussing dialects: Language and Linguistics Club discovers sociolinguistics

by Vivek Moorjani, Humans of Harker Profiler March 6, 2024

Language and Linguistics Club held a meeting on Feb. 27 discussing sociolinguistics and how it connects to modern day life after school from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. in upper school French teacher Galina Tchourilova’s...

Samuel Tong (10) fills out his answer form for the 2024 NACLO competition in Nichols Auditorium on Jan. 25. “It was a fun experience even though the questions were a little challenging, and I got the opportunity to do some critical thinking, Samuel said.

Students compete in annual national linguistics competition

by Jonathan Szeto, Assistant News Editor February 3, 2024

Twenty-nine students participated in the North American Computational Linguistics Open Competition in the Nichols Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Jan. 25. The three-hour exam, which included eight...

An illustration of the debate between subtitles and dubs for foreign language film, represented by Japanese anime characters Tanjiro Kamado and Zenitsu Agatsuma from Demon Slayer. Often, fans of foreign shows take a strong stance on one or the other for their optimal viewing experience.

Subtitles vs. dubbing: Lost in translation?

by Ella Yee, Co-News Editor November 9, 2022

Harker Aquila · Aquila Audible of "Subtitles vs. dubbing: Lost in translation?" When Netflix released “Squid Game” last September, viewers immediately raved about the Korean television show’s...

By normalizing these insults and comments and allowing them to circulate, we normalize casual homophobia and ableism and allow the seeds of prejudice to grow in our environment.

Derogatory slang perpetuates prejudice

by Margaret Cartee, Asst. Opinion Editor March 23, 2022

Standing in the lunch line outside of Manzanita Hall, I stare intently at my phone, focused on the daily Wordle puzzle. Even though I’m mostly absorbed in thought, I can make out the sound of a senior...

STEM Spotlight is a new Aquila repeater showcasing STEM clubs and their initiatives.

STEM Spotlight: Language and Linguistics Club

by Mark Hu, STEM Editor January 11, 2021

"STEM Spotlight" is a new repeater exploring what STEM clubs at Harker have been doing during remote learning. This week’s featured club is the Language and Linguistics Club, which strives to share the...

A torch representing the Latin language. The regenerative power of flames symbolizes truth, life–the part of Latin that lives on forever. The smoke radiates outwards and dissipates, symbolizing the dead aspect of Latin, one that isnt spoken anymore or included directly in vernacular literature.

A minore ad maius: the importance of Latin in the 21st century

by Lauren Liu, Reporter April 15, 2020

Towards the end of fifth grade, my mother handed me a manila clasp envelope. Inside were two sheets of paper. One for electives. The other, for language. As much as my dad emphasized taking a “useful...

Vijay Vyas and Deven Parikh (10) sing during their performance of “Un Poco Loco” at Spanish Cultural Night.

Language clubs honor international cultures

by Alysa Suleiman, Jessie Wang, and Irene Yuan April 26, 2019

Ni hao. Konnichiwa. Salve. Bonjour. Hola. You’ve heard of them before: Junior Classical League and the four Language National Honor Societies. Each of these organizations are extremely populated...

“When I went to China, people were so happy and surprised that I could speak [Chinese]. They’re like, ‘Wow, it’s amazing that you put in the effort.’... I think it’s really great to surprise people and change their perspective from what they originally thought. They think a white-looking girl probably can’t speak [Chinese], and then I change that,” Karen Krause (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Breaking down language barriers

by Nilisha Baid, Asst. Business Manager and Social Media Editor October 18, 2018

While visiting family in China over the summer, Karen Krause (12) spent each day in the same routine: visiting her grandfather in the hospital, teaching English to children at school as her summer job,...

“I like being able to communicate. I like having it when people understand me better in their native language. I dont know how to explain that, Hazal Gurcan (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Hazal Gurcan learns languages to communicate with others

by Zachary Hoffman, Multimedia Editor December 19, 2016

Onstage, underneath lights and in costume, Hazal Gurcan uses dance and the movement of her body to impart emotion to her audience. Offstage, she utilizes languages to connect with others. “I really...

Japanese [culture] has more levels of formality, there’s more intricacy to it… There’s a difference between your boss and your teacher, or a teacher you know well. Here [in America], you can just have a conversation with anyone you find at the bus stop. No one’s going to think you’re weird for it; you’re having a conversation. It would be significantly weirder in Japan, Annabella Armstrong (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Annabella Armstrong draws cultural awareness from her passion for languages

by Mahika Halepete, Reporter December 11, 2016

There's bilingual, trilingual, quadrilingual—and then there's Annabella Armstrong (12). She started learning Japanese in middle school and since then, she has added French, Latin, Italian and American...

The benefits of being bilingual

The benefits of being bilingual

by Nina Gee, Reporter December 3, 2016

Speaking more than one language has its social benefits, including broader communication and better understanding of a country’s culture. Often times, people who speak a foreign language find it...

The lens of a new language

by Praveen Batra, Reporter May 6, 2015

When I think, I think in English. It was the first language I learned and remains the only one in which I am fluent. Like a trend line through a set of data or a pathway on a map, English helps me form...

Load More Stories