The Importance Of Learning A Foreign Language

The United States is becoming more and more bilingual every day. It is important for students of the United States of America to keep up with the advancing world. The easiest way to learn a second language is when a person is young. This is why it would be beneficial for schools to start teaching a foreign language in kindergarten and continuing it through twelfth grade. Students are more likely to learn and remember a foreign language if they are introduced to it at a young age. A majority of other countries teach foreign languages to their students throughout their school lives. Most students coming out of high school in other countries are totally

Everyone in America has had to learn a second language in order to obtain a high school diploma, however this ‘learning’ of a language is merely a short class that does little to tie one down to a second language. There are few students who continue to seek more and more knowledge about their intended language. Some lose interest, while others make excuses by saying that it is too hard. However, learning more than one language has so many benefits that it is mind boggling to me that more people like to remain monolingual. Obviously time and resources are a concern, but there are so many ways to learn a language that can be catered to one’s individual needs. Think about all of the people in our nation whose first language is not English.

There are about 7,000 languages in the world today. In America, there are 350 languages alone. However, only about 25% of Americans can speak a language other than english. Despite the majority of Americans being monolingual, 43% of the nation believes it is important to learn a second language. Being bilingual has many benefits for the future. Knowledge of foreign languages can expand career potentials, help improve one's native language, and can aid opportunities to travel and experience new culture. Learning a foreign language is one of the most beneficial experiences for people in the future.

Obviously, knowledge of a foreign language opens up doors to opportunities unimaginable with just one language. For example, a student who’s fluent in both English and Spanish can broaden her job search to South America, Spain, and countless other geographical region where Spanish is spoken. Even if she chooses to stay within America, she will have access to the rich culture and warmth of the people of Latin American descent, which may not have happened had she chose not to keep an open eye to the hispanic community by focusing on English only. The same story applies to a student who acquires proficiency in Chinese language. Because language is a key to getting immersed in another culture, bilingual education will naturally lead students to explore and learn from a foreign culture, enhancing their understanding of the world and diverse

Extensive research has been done on learning and speaking languages, and its known that people who speak multiple languages have better cognitive abilities than those who speak one language. Adults that speak many languages have higher intelligence, more perspective of

There is substantial information about the benefits of students learning better in their primary language the book “Growing up Hispanic” by Landale, McHale and Booth has important data on the reason why the Latino students are not making adequate progress in academia like their counterpart whites, Asian and Afro-American. One of the reasons is that United States schools contrary to Canada and Sweden don’t have a consistent and systematic bilingual and second language acquisition policy in place to support students that speak other language than English (Landale, 2010). There are third world countries such Philippine that are making adjustments to their education policy because they want their people to be proficient in their mother tongue language, but also be able to compete in this global economy. According to President Aquino “Philippines should learn English to connect ourselves with the world, Filipino to connect ourselves to our country, and our mother tongue to connect ourselves to our heritage” (Inquirer, 2010). While there are international initiatives to revitalize native language and promote multilingualism United States is stock in the obtuse idea of one standard language. Although according with Melvyn Bragg the 80% of modern English vocabulary does not have English roots, which demonstrates that the power of a language is its flexibility to

Students with foreign language skills can find jobs more easily than students without. Many employers look for applicants with basic foreign language skills. Language skills are also important for positions with international companies. Job security and higher pay for employees who know a foreign language are other possible benefits. Since only twenty percent of students in the United States take a foreign language, the ones who do have an advantage. Also,

In “language study as a National Imperative, “Colleen Flaherty writes about the language education of the in the U.S. She explains the report, which was written by the American Academy of Arts and sciences (AAAS). The Article was published in Inside Higher Education on February. The Reports explain that foreign language must be required in the school system starting in kindergarten. The Academy of Arts and Sciences or the AAAS believes that Second languages should be required it opens up more opportunities for getting a better job in the future. And also understand the other better like none English Speakers. AAAS also believes it could help economic growth and competitiveness. Flaherty also says the language learner will build a good Skill and improvement with other people around them. According to AAAS Report strongly emphasizes work with schools to promote language classes. Also In the report it says that the government should help teacher’s education and increase the more opportunities.

One should learn a foreign language to be able to make more money. Being a bilingual worker , that person can make more money than the average person who can only speak one language. According to an article , written by Morgan Rush , this is an anecdotal evidence that some companies pay bilingual workers more. Suppose if someone come to a store , they need help , but they only speak Spanish . What will one do ? Americans should think about these things when choosing whether they should learn a foreign language or not. Do not just think about how you can benefit from learning another language but about how others will benefit from it also.

Learning these languages early will prepare them for a better future, dual language programs show students a broader world view, whatever the foreign language of the student, and lead to greater opportunities for collaborative learning. Some jobs require a second language such as: Business Executives, Stenography Banking, and Finance International Operator Translator, Publishing, Teacher (K-12), Study Abroad, Coordinator, Textbook Author/Editor, Hotel and Restaurant Staff / Management Publisher of Tourist Literature Visitor, and Convention Bureaus. I believe that American students should be required to learn a second language. Learning a second language will enable American students an opportunity to better understand other cultures and languages this will result in our generation being better world citizens and continue our role as a global leader. 96% of the world's population lives outside of the United States. Countries that border our nation speak a language other than English; by learning a second language we will more effectively communicate with our neighbors. Employees of this new era must have the skills and ability to communicate fluently in several

Once you learn a second language well enough, it is said that learning a third or fourth is easier (2). Two languages are better than one. Also, luckily for second language learners, two significant by-products of bilingualism are better cognitive skills and longer attention spans (4). Having those two elements would greatly help with testing, especially standardized exams. Knowing more than one language also increases your job opportunities. Employers are constantly showing interest in bilingual workers. Its beneficial because not everyone who lives in the United States speaks English. It appeals to employers because it makes you seem smarter. Also, as stated above many high schoolers don’t retain the language. Since the 1960s, studies have shown that the best time to begin the study of a foreign language is in elementary school (3). Because children at this age show a better mental flexibility, more creativity, divergent thinking skills, and improved listening and memory skills, kids are able to process language early

Bilingual people are smarter than monolingual people. In fact, it is proven that bilingual people are more cognitively developed and receive higher scores in academics. However, this can be improved among monolingual students by teaching more foreign languages in American public schools. By raising foreign language requirements, monolingual students are forced to exercise new regions of their brains, thus improving brain function and academic performance. It is imperative to the cognitive and academic betterment of American students that multiple foreign languages are taught in public schools.

Language is a key part of any family, community, culture and the human race. Without language the world today would be much different. From cavemen, to the Egyptian use of hieroglyphics, to Old English, to more than 6,500 languages spoken around the world today, the advances that humans have made in language is remarkable and inspiring. The ability to speak, read, write and understand more than one language is also remarkable and expands the liberties in life, especially for young people. High school students should be required to take at least two years of a foreign language class in order to graduate, as many recent studies support the benefits of doing so. Students who have learned a foreign language in high school have proven to have a

If we are able to speak a foreign language, it can remove the barriers between people and cultures, thus uniting people. According to CNN news, about “1,051,031 people are granted lawful permanent residence” in the year 2015 (Immigration Statistics Fast Facts). The immigrants consist of people from Mexico, China, Philippines, India, and Cuba, which means that the different ethnic groups in the United States increases the cultural heterogeneity. As the diversity continues to grow, the United states is gradually enlarging its different cultures and traditions. Therefore, people should learn a foreign language because it can generate less prejudice towards people who are different from us. Prejudice can divide a community and eventually lead to violence, harassment, and racism. When an individual has a limited understanding of other people that are different from them, they can create stereotypes of that person. This can possibly lead to intentional racism, feelings of inferiority, and being hurtful to another culture.

Understanding and being able to speak a new language can only bring positive things. In addition to improving your resume, several studies claim that knowing more than one language makes you smarter, because you use parts of your brain that would otherwise be unused. In addition, if you are one of those who travel a lot, knowledge of other languages is vital for you to be able to get the most out of your travels. Having a second language is one of the most demanded requirements in the workplace, so today studying a language is no longer a whim, it is almost a necessity. Most medium or large companies have an international and not only local or national projection, so they need their employees to be able to communicate with people from