Introduction
Fueled by immigration, the US has become a multilingual country with a great focus on cultural and ethnic diversity. Yet, American culture remains English-dominated, with few Americans willing to learn and achieve proficiency in foreign languages. This reluctance to learn foreign languages has led the country to lack professionals with language skills. For example, in 2006, President Bush announced the National Security Language Initiative to fill the federal roles requiring specialists with language skills, but his call went mostly unheard (Abbott 40). One reason for the lack of foreign language proficient Americans is US school education, which does not pay enough attention to this issue. Although some states include about two years of foreign language learning in high school as a graduation requirement, this measure is insufficient to meet the needs of multilingual American society. Therefore, due to increased multilingualism and demand for foreign language skills in the US, foreign languages should be taught since elementary school grades because learning languages since childhood brings the most benefits in adulthood.
Problem Statement
The US residents speak multiple languages, but the school curriculum does not sufficiently respond to this language diversity. At the K-12 level, only 18.5% of students study a foreign language (Reagan and Osborn 74). Moreover, although 18% of the US population speaks foreign languages, less than 1% of adult Americans are proficient in the language they learned at school (Reagan and Osborn 74). These statistics suggest that foreign language learning does not get appropriate attention in the US school curriculum. While some schools provide bilingual education programs to address this problem, these efforts are still scarce. It is reported that bilingual education is available in only about 2% of US schools (Heineke and Davin 621). Hence, current school curricula seem not to meet the needs of a multilingual American society that comprises people of various cultural heritage.
The reason behind this problem is the English-dominant mindset of Americans. Globalization has made English the international language, with 1.5 billion people studying English as a foreign language in 2014 (Reagan and Osborn 85). Therefore, many Americans may think that it is not reasonable to learn a foreign language when the whole world speaks English. However, even though English is a lingua franca, 75% of the global population does not speak English (Abbott 40). Hence, foreign language skills are still crucial, especially for American businesses aiming at global expansion. Another reason for Americans’ reluctance to learn languages is that it is not mandatory. Although there are certain foreign language requirements, they vary from state to state and usually are minimal (Stein-Smith 406). Thus, the American English-dominated mindset should be changed to encourage Americans to learn foreign languages.
Proposed Solution
To meet the needs of multilingual US society better, schools should introduce foreign languages to their curricula from the elementary educational level. Introducing foreign language programs since early grades can serve two purposes: shifting the national English-dominated mindset to a more diverse one and gaining the most benefits from language learning. Research shows that the benefits of foreign language learning are the greatest if the language study is begun early and is sustained (Fox et al. 485). Some US schools already have a positive experience of introducing foreign languages to the curriculum from the elementary level through the initiative called the Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy offers dual-immersion programs, which help students achieve proficiency in two languages – English and one foreign language – by the end of the school (Heineke and Davin 621). During such programs, students receive half of the curriculum in English and the other half – in a foreign language, which allows them to master two languages and gain various benefits of language learning.
Benefits of Foreign Language Learning
One benefit of introducing foreign languages to the elementary school curriculum is improved overall academic achievement. Students who have participated in language programs demonstrate better academic achievement in all subject areas, including social studies, science, mathematics, and English language arts (Abbott 42). Furthermore, children studying in bilingual educational programs show better linguistic performance, have better memory and recall, and get higher scores on standardized tests than their monolingual peers (Fox et al. 480). In other words, they perform well because of an enhanced ability to communicate their thoughts, as well as the capacity to memorize and recall information. Therefore, introducing well-developed foreign language programs to US schools starting from the elementary level is likely to accelerate students’ academic performance and help fill existing achievement gaps.
Another benefit of foreign language learning is enhanced cognitive abilities. Research shows that foreign language learning improves children’s cognitive development and flexibility (Fox et al. 478). It means that children learning foreign languages have enhanced problem-solving and decision-making abilities and can transition from thinking about one concept to thinking about another one more easily than their monolingual peers. Furthermore, studying foreign languages improves individuals’ linguistic processing and reasoning, as well as metalinguistic awareness (Fox et al. 477). In other words, language learners have better communication, translation, and comprehension skills. Finally, foreign language learning improves individuals’ executive functioning (Fox et al. 476). Executive functioning includes such tasks as attention control, distraction inhibition, shifting between tasks, self-monitoring, and working memory. Language learners perform these tasks better than their monolingual counterparts, meaning that they can avoid distractions more easily and have expanded working memory.
Achieving foreign language proficiency may improve students’ future employability and cultural competence. A study conducted in California found that 66% of surveyed universities and businesses preferred bilingual employees (Heineke and Davin 623). Businesses need foreign language speakers to expand globally, and the US government needs such people to fill positions requiring foreign language skills (Abbott 40). Hence, by studying foreign languages, students widen their employment opportunities and become desirable candidates for various business and government positions. Moreover, foreign language learners have greater confidence in challenging communicative situations and demonstrate intercultural competence and positive attitudes toward different cultures (Fox et al. 482). These skills are essential for employees in various professional fields, including business, healthcare, and education. As US residents, people may also benefit from these skills since they live in a multilingual and multicultural country.
Conclusion
In conclusion, US schools should teach foreign languages to students starting with the elementary educational level. This need stems from the increasing linguistic and cultural diversity of American society, and a greater amount of benefits gained from foreign language learning started at an early age. By introducing foreign language programs, schools will be able to improve overall student achievement, including standardized test scores. Furthermore, foreign language learning may improve students’ cognitive abilities, enhancing their ability to memorize and recall, avoid distractions, communicate, and understand textual information. Finally, language learning throughout the school will help students master at least one foreign language, which may widen their career opportunities and make them more culturally sensitive citizens.
Works Cited
Abbott, Martha G. “Beyond a Bridge to Understanding: The Benefits of Second Language Learning.” American Educator, no. Summer 2018, 2018, pp. 39-43.
Fox, Rebecca, et al. “Benefits of Foreign Language Learning and Bilingualism: An Analysis of Published Empirical Research 2005–2011.” Foreign Language Annals, vol. 52, no. 3, 2019, pp. 470-490.
Heineke, Amy J., and Kristin J. Davin. “Prioritizing Multilingualism in US Schools: States’ Policy Journeys to Enact the Seal of Biliteracy.” Educational Policy, vol. 34, no. 4, 2020, pp. 619-643.
Reagan, Timothy, and Terry A. Osborn. “Time for a Paradigm Shift in US Foreign Language Education? Revisiting Rationales, Evidence, and Outcomes.” Decolonizing Foreign Language Education, edited by Donaldo Macedo, Routledge, 2019, pp. 73-110.
Stein-Smith, Kathleen. “Rethinking the Role of Languages in the US: Toward a More Diverse Cultural Identity.” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, vol. 10, no. 3, 2019, pp. 403-411.