by: Gelsey Brizo
How the United States is Losing the Race in Foreign Language Learning
Knowing more than one language increases problem solving skills, adaptability, comprehension skills and has many other cognitive advantages. In addition, knowing more than one language has become increasingly valuable in the job market because of globalization. With all these benefits, you would think that anyone would jump at the chance to learn a second language. Well, you would be wrong. When it comes to learning a foreign language in school, the United States is seriously lacking in comparison to the rest of the developed world.
Not only does the United States not have a nation-wide policy that makes learning a second language compulsory for all students, we also miss the best time to teach students a second language. Although the United States does have some requirements for foreign language learning, the requirements usually vary by state and they are not introduced into the curriculum until middle school or high school. We miss a crucial time in a child’s language development stage and deprive children of the opportunities they have to learn another language by ignoring their aptitude for absorbing languages at a very early age. The rest of the developed world, on the other hand, is leaps and bounds ahead of the language-acquisition game.
According to a 2012 European Commission report on the foreign language learning policies of European schools, most schools require that children start learning a second language between the ages of 6 and 9 and continue with that language throughout the rest of their schooling. In addition, twenty of those European countries also make it compulsory for students to learn a third language. Typically, these countries start students on a second language at an earlier age and then introduce a third language around middle school or early high school. For example, in some parts of Belgium children begin learning a second language at age 3 and then are introduced to a third language around age 13. Most Asian countries also have policies that require students to be taught a foreign language in school, usually starting in the second grade. In China, some parents even send their children to study abroad in the United States for a few years in order to fortify their child’s learning and retention of a second language.
The PEW Research Center made the image above based on the 2012 Eurostat that was created shortly after the European Commission released their 2012 report. It shows that Ireland and Scotland, as well as a few other European countries, do not have policy set in place that makes learning a second language compulsory in schools. The British council ran a study to see how these statistics affected each of these countries economies and foreign relations. They found that Scotland primarily exported to English-speaking countries and, because of this; they were missing opportunities to expand their market and create new relations with foreign countries. When the Scottish government realized how this was affecting their global reach and economic success, they immediately implemented policy that made learning a second language compulsory starting in middle school, with future plans to change the start-time to first grade when they are able to gather enough resources to implement the new policy.
Australia also recently realized the importance of creating and sustaining good relations with their Asian neighbors in order to form strong foreign relations and strengthen their economy. The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, announced in 2013 that the Australian Government planned to make learning an Asian language, such as Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian or Japanese, mandatory throughout a student’s entire primary education (grades K-12). Although it would cost upwards of 1billion dollars to implement this policy, Australia’s government is determined to make this language-learning policy possible for the betterment of their country.
With so many countries understanding the importance of helping their citizens become multi-lingual and the benefits that are entailed in globalizing a country’s economy, the reason the United States has not followed the rest of the developed world is a mystery. Androulla Vassiliou, the EU’s Commissioner of Education, even says that linguistic diversity is one of the EU’s greatest assets. Perhaps, one of the reasons the U.S. is so unwilling to expand its language horizons, is that most other developed countries speak English. Whatever the reason, this can severely affect foreign relations with other countries in the long run and hurt the United States’ global economy. The research conducted by the European Commission is a direct result of Europe’s quick response to the world’s globalizing economy. Just like Australia, the EU is enacting policy based on the results of their research to: “promote intercultural dialogue and a more inclusive society…; open up opportunities for young people to study and work abroad and open up new markets for EU businesses competing at the global level,” (European Commission). Without the U.S. also acknowledging the benefits of creating a multilingual society, there is no doubt we are falling behind.
At this rate, the United States will simply not be able to measure up to the level of skill other countries are creating in their citizens by facilitating, as well as encouraging, the acquisition of a second language. If 6,725 ordinary Chinese families can send their children to another country to improve their child’s language-skills and opportunities in the work-world, why can’t the United States try to improve the skills of its citizens right here at home? Whether the government sees the importance of learning another language in school or not, you as a parent can make a difference in your child’s life by exposing them to a second language at an early age and giving them an advantage in the workplace. The rest of the world recognizes the benefits of knowing a second language, and so should we.
Work Cited:
Devlin, Kat. “Learning a Foreign Language a ‘must’ in Europe, Not so in America.” Pew Research Center RSS. Pew Research Center, 13 July 2015. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
“European Commission – PRESS RELEASES – Press Release – Children in Europe Start Learning Foreign Languages at an Increasingly Early Age.” European Commission – PRESS RELEASES – Press Release – Children in Europe Start Learning Foreign Languages at an Increasingly Early Age. European Commision. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
Jackson, Anthony. “Foreign Language Policies Around the World.” Education Week. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.