The Importance Of Learning Foreign Language

Most of the time, learning a foreign language is motivated by professional reasons. A foreign language is learned to satisfy the requirements of a job, to receive a promotion, or for better chances in career in general. Learning a foreign language can also be a requirement in school or for a degree. Although not necessary, individuals who want to study abroad may want to learn the language before they depart for their destination.

In “Why Foreign Language Education Matters” Representative Rush Holt expresses the idea that the average American is generally deprived of what is known as cultural enrichment in their day-to-day lives, even though others believe that English should be the primary and only language Americans should speak. Holt conveys the overall concept that being bilingual, trilingual, or multilingual is a benefit not just for oneself but for our society. Rush Holt presents the argument with extreme concern for our upcoming generations and the consequences it may cause our nation’s economy to decrease in federal funding’s for education programs, as well as our global marketplace and national security who is highly dependent of translators, specialist, and

In conclusion, U.S. grade school children should be required to learn a foreign language. Students should be required to learn a foreign language because of educational gain. Students should also be required because learning foreign languages promotes cultural awareness and sensitivity. Finally, students should learn foreign languages early because of cognitive development and greater skill in the

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

The vast majority of the people residing in the valley, especially in the city of Brownsville, Texas are fluent in both Spanish and English, and therefore considered bilingual. Brownsville has been considered a highly illiterate and poorly educated city, where learning a secondary language such as English, drastically changes those discriminating statistics. The argument is that learning a secondary language indeed supports literacy development from an early age, by reading aloud to children, making them participants of a learning incentive, and family literacy practices. A development in literacy significantly increases reading achievement test scores, helps students become better at grammatical judgment and word recognition, and improves their cognitive development.

When learning a foreign language you have hundreds of options, you could learn any language from French, to sign language, to Spanish, the possibilities are endless. There are long term benefits to learning a foreign language. Some may say that this is too difficult for kindergartners, or “Why should the student be required to learn a foreign language if they might not even travel?”. As some of you may know, I had a poll sent out on my topic, It looked a little like this. And I am here do everything in my power to convince the 47.5% of you who disagree with me or are unsure about how important foreign language is, and how it is best to learn it in kindergarten.

In today's job market, utilizing a foreign language in different careers is something not everyone thinks of, but is a major benefit. Jobs all around the country suggest learning new languages, for not only the benefit of the company but yourself as well. English isn’t always the dominant language in every part of America, and people often forget that. When you take the time to learn a new language, along with the culture, many different benefits will open up to you. As www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org stated, there is strong competition for many types of business jobs. Government economists are expecting an average growth for this career through 2020. With this in mind, it will still be important that you have different qualities that set you apart from other candidates. If you know multiple languages you will be placed above someone who is only fluent in English, and be considered an asset to whatever company you’re applying for. Thus, foreign language fluency will give you the opportunity to showcase yourself as a global employee, not just an English/American one.

Is learning a foreign language really necessary? Currently, millions of students from different backgrounds are learning a foreign language in school. From 1960-2009, the worldwide student enrollment into foreign studies has had a steady rise (except for a slight dip in 1995). Communication among different languages is what has made the world strive, and foreign language supplies adults and students with advantages. Students should be required to take foreign language.

Michael Gove, a politician and an author, once proclaimed, “Learning a foreign language, and the culture that goes with it, is one of the most useful things we can do to broaden the empathy and imaginative sympathy and cultural outlook of children” (Brainy Quote). Young children, adolescents, and adults are all being taught foreign languages around the world either by themselves or a teacher, but one certain generation should be learning the language in school. Preschools teaching foreign language increase the brains of children and he/she’s knowledge of life. Considering that, “. . . in five years the average school student gets only about 540 hours (the equivalent of only about 2 months at 8 hours a day) of exposure to the foreign language they are learning” (Nagel). Most high school students forget what they learned or are just are not interested in the language. Students are compelled to take a language in high school while still participating in extracurricular activities, sports, etc. However, children pick up languages and are additionally capable of remembering languages if taught exceedingly young. Furthermore, adolescents/adults who do not take a language would be superior if they learned a foreign language earlier in life. Learning foreign languages overall can help with the growing global economy as well. Although it may not seem important, learning foreign languages as preschoolers rather than adolescents is more advantageous for mastering a foreign language,

In 1979, the President Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies, recommended foreign language for all colleges and universities. Four year later, foreign language was recognized as a basic skill by the College Board. As the education landscape continued to expand, foreign languages became an integral part of the curriculum, with many recommending teaching the necessary skill during early childhood. Numerous research studies and academic scholars have touted the benefits and necessity of learning a foreign language, specifically in the areas of mental and cognitive health, education, and cultural diversity. The following sections will explore the benefits of foreign language fluency.

According to statistics, there has been a stupendous immigration population growth in the United States. In recent years, America has grown into a multilinguistic nation that compromises different cultural communities. The degree of diversity in the country has escalated, and the language barriers have become more dominant in the society. The importance of learning a second language has also intensified. An acquired knowledge of a language, other than English, would be able reduce the evident cultural barriers in the country. The fact that St. Louis College of Pharmacy is not offering electives for second language for its seven year program students is unfavorable to the current diverse population. The Pharmacy students should have an opportunity to be educated in a second language because it would enable them to communicate with people that are outside their cultural circle.

“During the first two or three years of development, a child requires interaction with other language-users in order to bring the general language capacity into contact with a particular language such as English.” (Yule, The Study of Language, 2010)

In the world, there are millions of different languages used by people. A language is a form of communication for people and it’s the reason why our own selves are able to understand each other. However, it is also a barrier if we can’t speak the right language. That’s why I consider learning a second language is truly important. Learning a foreign language can become essential to people as it opens up a new world and offers benefits to those who are willing to learn a different language. My first language is Spanish, but once I came to the United States I knew that learning English became a necessity since I wasn’t able to speak for myself. Now that I know English and Spanish I don’t struggle to talk to people and I also get to help

In the era of internationalization, great value is placed on global understanding. The acquisition of foreign languages and multicultural awareness has become an essential asset for new generations. Furthermore, learning a foreign language has been shown to provide students with various additional benefits: students gain access to the cultural and intellectual heritage of other cultures while obtaining a new perspective on the structure and complexity of their own language and culture. For most students, fulfilling the college foreign language requirement is not an issue. However, for students with disabilities, achieving this requirement might be more difficult or even impossible, since students identified as having one or more disabilities have traditionally been excluded from the foreign language classroom. According to Shifrer, Callahan, and Muller (2013), only 26% of students labeled with a disability completes one foreign language high school credit; in contrast with 79% of not labeled students. Because of this, students with disabilities have been customarily denied the benefits foreign language acquisition provides, including admission to post-secondary education institutions.

In todays world, English and the use of English is rapidly changing. It’s slowly becoming a more universal language due to the diversity of people in many different countries. Having a shared language would ensure all American citizens can communicate with one another and prevent groups from becoming isolated and separated from one another. With the help of two essays “The New Technologies in the World” written by Dennis Baron and “So Here’s What’s Happening to English” written by Jack Rosenthal, you’ll soon then understand how English is changing right beneath your feet. English should be the medium of instruction at universities and everyone should learn English in the United States for the following three reasons: