Bryce Ross

Terry Filippo

AP English Language

16 February 2017

Foreign Language Education

With a conservative president currently seated in the oval office, there is no doubt that the

non-English speaking minority in the United States will be under fire by people who believe that

America is the land of English speakers. The nation has long catered to English speakers despite

the fact that English is not our official language. For a nation with no language, many people get

offended by people speaking their native tongue whether it be out and about running errands or

speaking to their children in a fast food line. This nation was built on immigration, but

immigrants feel as though they cannot appreciate their native tongue. In the past few decades,

assimilation has taken many aspects of peoples culture away from them. The United States

government has been so open about what it takes to make it in our society, and English has been

one of those things many do not want to compromise on. This message is not meant to be against

the English language, but for the apprehension of foreign languages from across the globe.

Through learning other languages, we can appreciate others cultures, widen our range of

communication, and expand our own mental capacity. The attitudes of Americans toward foreign

language education has been mainly negative. Many arguments have been made against learning

other languages for various reasons. This exclusion of non-English languages is dismissive and

detrimental to the youth of our nation. American schools should be emphasizing foreign

language learning in the earliest stages of education. Children should be enrolled in some second
language course as young as possible and stick with that same education throughout their

schooling until fluency is achieved.

Cultural differences face us all at one point or another, language being one of the most

glaring differences between one culture and another. Language gives the people of a nation pride

under the shared tongue and state. The people of the world do things differently and share

different customs and practices. One of the biggest parts of learning a language is apprehending

the culture of native speakers through learning. You will be able to connect with people from

Germany by learning German, with Russians by learning Russian, and so on. Language learning

has the potential to unite us human beings. Personally, learning Spanish has helped me connect

with Spanish culture and history. I have been educated by my language learning in issues related

to colonization and imperialism and how it changes cultures and the language itself. The

opportunities for education in foreign language go beyond vocabulary and sentence structure,

connecting with the native speakers of that language and their home and customs.

The effects of bilingualism on the physical brain have been very beneficial, studies show.

Learning another language works your brain in ways that you normally wouldnt get to

experience. Not only does brain tissue density increase in those who speak more than one

language, but they are also less likely to face the onset of Alzheimers disease. These two facts

alone should be all of the reasoning needed to see the importance of learning a foreign language.

Cognitive abilities are much sharper and faster in those who are bilingual, and especially those

who are children. Language studies aid your mental abilities and foster growth that monolinguals

do not experience.
 Children who grow up in homes where only one language is spoken are not at an

advantage. These children are not less intelligent, but they do not experience the same kind of

development that bilingual children do. Studies show that bilingual children advance at the same

rate as monolingual children when both languages are considered, contrary to popular belief.

While the vocabulary in each language a bilingual child speaks may not be as extensive as that of

children who speak one language, bilingual children have two vocabulary sets and different

grammar structures, putting them ahead or at the same pace as their monolingual peers.

Phonetics develop at the same rate in both demographics. Disadvantages come to the bilingual

children from a socioeconomic standpoint. As most bilingual children are immigrants, they often

live in low income areas, go to low income schools, and are pressured to assimilate. Americans

who are native English speaker do have a responsibility to their children in all of this language

business. The American attitude has been one of English superiority. Many believe that English

is a part of the American identity, and as this sad misconception has grown, it has become almost

vital to learn English to be successful in the United States. With this complex, the American

child bears the disadvantage of never learning any language other than English, and with

constant exposure to English throughout their life, they become so strong in it that is blocks their

abilities to learn. The older the person, the harder it will be to acquire a new language. Parents

have a responsibility to teach their children more than one language, and anything less is a

disservice to our society and our children.

The education systems are responsible for this unfortunate turn of events. English has

become prioritized while Spanish is put on the backburner. Any Spanish that children do pick up

from school is too rudimentary for common use. Children will not be able to learn in an efficient
way when all they are taught are colors and numbers. There is a hole in the curriculum that needs

to be patched. Language courses are not prioritized until high school, and even then, it becomes

too late for young minds to easily accept this new language. There is not really a big push on

foreign language in high school either, and from my personal experience, the only ones who

really learn about the language enough to use it are the ones who have a personal reason to learn

the language. Even then, they do not progress as much as they would like to. The curriculum set

in place is too easy and does not challenge even those who are hungry to learn. Early learning

should be enforced and encouraged so that children can fluently speak a second language by the

time they are young adults. Other nations, such as those in Europe, do put this into practice. In

Germany, many young adults can potentially speak 3 languages moderately well by the time they

are about 16-17. My peers that have gone through two Spanish courses at the age of 16 can

seldom form a sound sentence in Spanish. There is a great need for reform in the language

department of public education in the United States.

English speakers are not the only ones disadvantaged by the school systems in language

education. Spanish speakers and other immigrants often do not receive adequate instruction in

English. English as a Second Language courses can often put non-native English speaking

children behind their English speaking peers, either conducting too much of the course in

Spanish or too much of the course in English. There is a way of going about this that usually

splits the class up half and half that has been proven to be more efficient. Children are the ones

being affected here, and Americans often turn a blind eye. If math scores were low, the director

of the school districts head would be on a plate. The lack of effective foreign language
education should not be overlooked as it has been, but it should be priority just as math and

science are.

The United States may cater to English speakers more than any other group, but they

cannot ignore the facts. Another language should be introduced in school, and Spanish would fill

the slot quite nicely given the large minority group that speaks it in the nation. We can only go

up from here and we are not seizing the opportunity to do so. Our system needs change and

quick change at that. The way we go about teaching our children other languages is all wrong,

and we need to educate the masses and shed light on this issue. The United States would fare

well if the school systems taught foreign languages at an earlier age and more in depth. Change

can be made and this goal can definitely be achieved.