It's really neat to learn about different cultures and how everybody does things differently. Different words mean different things in different countries. I just thought that was awesome. Along with eating, dancing and crafting, there's also a healthy sense of competition. Hundreds of students will wipe sweaty palms as they test their skills by reciting poetry and telling stories in different languages.
Students also team up by school to compete in the Academic Bowl, a multilanguage quiz game.
Carmine Zinn, who originated the field day 14 years ago, said that all competition is in the spirit of fun. We try to make to make it so they're not competing with each other. Jan Kucerik, the new supervisor of world languages for Pinellas County Schools, thinks the field day boosts students' confidence because everybody wins. There are no losers. Zinn said she decided to create the festival because she and another teacher wanted to create a fun day for foreign language activities.