Say Bonjour to Strong Foreign Language Education by Sophia

Say Bonjour to Strong Foreign Language Education by Sophia - November 2021 Scholarship Essay

The United States is one of the few developed countries where multilingualism isn't the norm. About 80% of the world speaks two or more languages, but in the U.S., only 20% of the population describes themselves as bilingual. I believe foreign language classes deserve more emphasis in school because, while English is a widespread lingua franca, it is important to gain perspective and understanding of at least one of the other thousands of languages out there.

In my elementary and middle school, foreign language was a required subject. My elementary school offered French only, while my middle school offered both French and Spanish. While I think it’s good for kids to start learning a second language as early as possible, the option to choose between two languages should have been there much earlier on. Additionally, it is difficult for young children to learn an entirely new language in a regular classroom setting. Once I started middle school, I realized we had learned practically nothing about the French language in elementary school. We just reviewed the same basic vocabulary words over and over. I didn’t even learn how to conjugate verbs until sixth grade. For this reason, I think that early foreign language lessons should be organized differently from regular classes. Perhaps schools should hire more teachers to achieve smaller classroom sizes, or tutors could be brought in to give children more one-on-one time to learn. Requiring foreign language in elementary school is a good idea, since young kids aren’t capable of making their own choices on subjects like this. However, more emphasis and resources dedicated towards the foreign language department would help it to flourish at many schools.

Foreign language can be an essential communication tool. In the United States, there are many people who have English as a second language, or can barely speak it at all. This most commonly happens with Spanish speakers because Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the country. If you learned Spanish in high school, even if you’re not fluent, being able to communicate with a wider variety of people is always a bonus in any career. For example, when I worked at McDonald’s, there were several people who came into the restaurant who were struggling to order because they didn’t know enough English. If someone who was on the clock then had been able to speak Spanish, the issue could have easily been resolved. In the end, she just walked off. French is not very common in the United States, but it is common in Canada and many North African countries. The point is that, whatever language you learn, you can use it to expand your horizons wherever you might end up living or traveling. Additionally, whatever foreign language is taught at school, speaking skills should be emphasized, since that is what is practically going to be used most often. Of course, reading, writing, and listening are still important in order to consider oneself truly bilingual.

Knowing a second language has direct benefits on the brain. Many studies have shown that, when a child begins learning a second language early on, they perform better than their peers academically. Switching between two languages requires a high level of concentration, so bilingual kids are more likely to be focused and dedicated in all subjects than kids who only know one language. There are long-term benefits as well. Bilingual people are less likely than monolinguals to develop dementia, Alzheimers, and other brain-deteriorating conditions. Learning a foreign language can help children better understand English, especially if it’s their native language. I have been learning French for many years, and it’s very interesting to find parallels between English and French grammar and vocabulary. Also, learning a language can help kids learn even more languages in the future. I grew up speaking Russian at home, which gave me an advantage in learning French grammatical structures. If I tried to learn Spanish or Italian, it would probably be a lot easier for me than for someone who only spoke English.

Overall, foreign language should be more academically valued than it currently is in many schools. High achievement in a second language should be the norm, not the exception, and foreign language classes should encourage students to continue their education. Hopefully, more and more Americans will become fluent in languages other than English, and carry those languages with them for the rest of their lives.