Allison Mao Week 5: Is Being Bilingual Important?
Apparently, twenty-three states in the US do not require two years of a foreign language in high school. That means that twenty-seven of them do require them. But why is this the case? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have all of the states either respect or disregard this requirement for the sake of uniformity?
Art Carden, in this case, should prefer that schools not enforce the requirement to learn another language. He acknowledges on Forbes that it would be very beneficial to learn a new language but counters that simply we do not learn enough of it to actually be able to put these skills to good use.
I’m able to relate to these concerns as well. I’ve been taking Chinese classes since I was five years old; my Chinese still is only proficient at best. My understanding of verbal conversations is my strong suit, probably because I am able to listen to my parents talk in Chinese at home. However, if I were to learn a new language without native speakers to reference in day-to-day life, things would be much more difficult. Not only this, two years is nothing compared to over a decade of learning my parent’s mother tongue. If I’m unable to master Chinese even after all this time, I feel like there would be no way I could master a separate language so quickly. This is the problem of foreign languages in the United States—there is simply not enough emphasis on learning them.
Still, there are many benefits to learning a new language. It allows you to be able to understand more and is able to communicate with a larger demographic of people. It opens a door to new media, cultures, and so much more. Perhaps that is why the US does not focus on promoting the understanding of another language as much as other countries: English is a language that is very beneficial to learn already. There is simply not as much of an incentive to learn another language when we are already learning a language that often dominates both national and international affairs.
Although these points are able to explain the lack of emphasis on foreign languages compared to other countries, it might not be a good thing to simply rely on English. Countries with English as the national language may not always be the most influential countries in the world. It might be good to learn other languages in case power and opportunities shift elsewhere; we would then be able to guarantee a higher chance of success.
There is no right or wrong answer to this problem, and both sides have their merits. At this rate, we might as well wait and see where the future takes us.
Source:
Carden, Art. "Should Schools Require Foreign Languages? Doubtful.." Forbes, 22 May 2018,
www.forbes.com/sites/artcarden/2018/05/22/should-schools-require-foreign-languages
-doubtful/?sh=4110e6592303. Accessed 18 Oct. 2023.
Hey Allison! You made some interesting points in this blog which really got me thinking. I finished my three required years of Spanish last year, but I simply do not remember a lot of what I learned due to lack of stimulation. So, in that sense, I agree that learning a language in school can be pretty useless. However, you made a good argument about how useful it is to know multiple languages, creating a conflicting thought process. My confusion and elaboration proves the effectiveness of your multiple counter arguments, which I admired as you were stating the pros and cons of both perspectives. What furthered my contemplation was your open ending. By not picking a side, you open the stage to some fruitful discussion, which I really appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHi Allison! I feel like learning a new language outside of school similar to how you started at 5 is super beneficial. However, I think that 3 years is simply not enough and that that would be a constraint of the American education system. I feel that if children could start at for example in sixth grade it would be beneficial for critical thinking skills alongside the benefit of learning a new language. I think by tackling on both sides of the argument it provides a sense of complexity and sprouts discussion. This topic has always been very open, and I think you provided information for background that provides information for a person to take a side.
ReplyDeleteHi Allison! I think your take on language in the public school system is very accurate, and you conveyed your ideas really well. The point you made about 2 years not being enough to be proficient in a language is extremely true. Before high school, I had been learning Arabic for around 10 years, and I'm mid at it at best. Perhaps that's just because I was younger when I was learning it initially, but regardless, 2 years will still not be enough. I also find it very interesting that not all states follow the two years of foreign language requirement. I wonder if the state colleges have different entry requirements then too. My only critique of the blog is that I have no idea who Art Carden is. It might be helpful next time if you introduce your sources and give a little bit of context before saying what they think. Overall, great blog!
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