ARMENIAN TO JOIN GLENDALE HIGH'S LANGUAGE CLASSES.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Responding to a wave of requests from students who want to plug into their family's native culture, Glendale High School will roll out Armenian-language classes for the first time this fall.

In the past, Glendale High students interested in studying Armenian have been referred to the community colleges or private schools. But Glendale Unified School District officials said the demand at the campus is great enough now to offer Armenian along with Spanish, French and Latin.

``There's a need that's been expressed by the community to offer this language,'' said Mary McKee, assistant superintendent of educational services. ``The kids are receptive to it. And it's accepted by the state universities as fulfilling the foreign-language requirement.''

Leaders of the Armenian community in Glendale hailed the announcement as an important new opportunity for students.

``It's an excellent idea, given the size of the Armenian student population at the school and generally in the district, to teach many of the kids who've never had any type of formal education in Armenian,'' said Alex Sardar, executive director of the Glendale chapter of the Armenian National Committee.

``But also it's a good idea for many non-Armenians who want to learn the language. I don't think there's a person in Glendale who doesn't know an Armenian,'' Sardar said.

The Southland boasts the largest Armenian population living outside Armenia, with the highest concentration in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.

Armenian classes have been taught at Glendale's Herbert Hoover High School for three years. Hoover Principal Hasmik Danielian said the classes are popular.

``We have four full sections. I don't even have room,'' said Danielian.

Teacher Akob Onnik Hayrapetian said the classes have been open to everyone but that so far most students are native speakers looking to improve their writing skills.

``Some of them are native speakers who can speak but can't read and write,'' he said. ``And they mostly speak but not formal Armenian. So I instruct them to speak the formal, as well as spelling and grammar.'' Hayrapetian said he also hopes to expose advanced students to Armenian literature as well as works by Armenian-Americans such as writer and playwright William Saroyan.

Armenian has about 60 dialects that reflect regional vernaculars around the world but only two formal versions - Eastern and Western. There are also two versions of Armenian spelling - Classical and Soviet. Hayrapetian said he teaches the Eastern version and Classical spelling.