English is said to be the universal language, everywhere you go there is always someone who speaks English willing to help. But is English really enough?
In high school in the United States, students are all told that if they want to go to a four year college that they need two years of a foreign language. So your freshmen and sophomore years are spent learning languages like Spanish or Italian to get the credits. But that is all it is, once the 2 years are done the foreign language classes are not taken again and the language is never used in real life. However, other countries require students to take English not just for 2 years, but for many years. All through grade school, students take English so they are not just fluent in their native language but in English as well. In Venezuela, English is taught through the fifteen years of lower education. Before you learn to read, you are already listening to the first words in English, and when you get to college, you already know how to write essay in another language besides Spanish. Also, in college and higher education, English is another class that all students are required to take.
People who are fluent in another language have more opportunities in life than those who only know one language. Not only do the schools want people to learn another language, but business wants it to. Jobs opportunities are offered more to those who can speak more than one language than those who only know one. However, business is not the only privilege that comes from this.
According to studies, it has been shown that learning a second language results in students achieving greater divergent thinking, creativity, and cognitive development compared to monolingual children. A number of studies have also shown that when students learn a second language they have a tendency of outscoring those who are proficient in only a single language on tests of nonverbal and verbal intelligence. [1]
So not only does learning a second language open doors in the work field, but it can also make you smarter. This raises the question is English really enough? Or should the US push for people to learn another language?
I feel that is isn't necessary to learn a second language. The united states has an official language for a reason, and unless your line of work requires contact with other languages from outside countries, another language isn't necessary.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that knowing a second language is unnecessary. English is learned in other countries because it is the universal language spoken throughout the world in the science and other research fields. Knowing another language is only useful if you are a business representative who travels form country to country trying to pitch new ideas.
ReplyDeleteActually, actesa, the United States is one of the few countries that does not have an official language. I only know english myself, and can only understand a small amount of spanish from high school classes. Learning a second language, mainly spanish, is a good way to separate you from other people who may be competing with you for a job, or earn you more money. Learning spanish, or any other language definitely cannot hurt you and I doubt we will be forced to give up the english language due to immigrants any time soon.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it would be a bad idea to learn another language. Diversity is important and learning different languages can help us communicate better. Americans expect other people to learn English because English is the universal language. As time goes on Americans may choose to learn other languages, and for those who choose not to will only fall short of knowing another language. Their loss. There really is nothing to lose from learning another language.
ReplyDeleteIt is not going to hurt anyone if you take on a second language. I realize in Florida it might be sometimes crucial to know at least some Spanish. I think learning a second language shouldn't be enforced but optional for people who find it interesting and think they will benefit from it. I took Spanish 1 and 2 in high school and really do not remember much. I agree that it may pointless if it is not put to use because you may eventually forget the material.
ReplyDeleteLearning a second language shouldn't be mandatory, but I think people should be more interested in learning it. Many people want to travel around the world to different countries. If you do end up going to say, Spain or Paris, and get lost, if you know a different language then you would be able to ask for directions. Learning a new language can only make you a better person and makes you stand out when pursuing your career.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point, but i feel that the reason many other countries learn English along with their native language is because English is a very dominant language in several countries. Many countries require their students to learn English because most corporate and political jobs require you to communicate in English. Learning a second language is beneficial of course, but i feel French speaking person will gain more learning English than an English speaking person learning French. It really all depends on what job field you plan on going into. If you are going to work Internationally learn as many languages as possible. I, personally took 8 years of Spanish classes and went to a Spanish speaking school in Miami and still, to this day, do not know a word of Spanish. I know when i choose a career, i will avoid choosing one where i may need to know another language. It is harder for some to learn a second language than for others.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the first three comments, English indeed is one of the most important languages in the world, but learning another language has many more benefits than just for business careers. Learning another language can make you a smarter person, it can separate you from those who only know another language, and it is a very good quality to have in your resume when applying for a job. As a native Speaker, I cannot agree that one language is enough,. For me learning English came way before I decided to come to school in the US, and it was very useful when traveling around. The same happened when I started learning French. Thanks to it (and I am not fluent in French at all, I just know a couple of things), I didn't have to refer to sign language as much as i would've had to if I didn't know any French. So learning other language has represented a benefit for me in many areas, and I am sure it is for anyone who commits to learning a second or third language.
ReplyDeletePeople should definitely learn more than one language. Especially down here, it would be very beneficial to learn Spanish, and there are so many jobs out there that are looking for bilingual people. I dont know a certain stat, but I do know that being fluent in at least two languages can get your yearly salary up a lot more. If i had to learn two languages for the business world I would choose Spanish and Chinese. I think high schools can do a better job of urging kids to take languages, and a wider variety of languages should be open to kids, like Chinese or any other language beside Spanish and French.
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