Should foreign language be a required to graduate high school?

[The ClayTaurus]

Six years of both Latin and French, as I
mentioned in post #32 only about a half
hour ago, in a post you quoted yourself.

It wasn't clear if you took both simultaneously for six years, or, say one for 5 years and the other for 1. Hence the question. Need a hug?

 

[GotZoom]

Six years of both Latin and French, as I
mentioned in post #32 only about a half
hour ago, in a post you quoted yourself.

You took them at the same time?

No wonder you were confused.

One at a time..total immersion....

You can't learn conjugation of Verbs in two different languages at the same time.

 

[Abbey Normal]

I enjoyed taking languages, and am in favor of taking a language as an elective. Our state university requires three consecutive years of a language for admission, and they strongly suggest four! I think that is excessive, and can't help but wonder if it is another symptom of the current worship of multi-culturalism.

 

[USViking]

It wasn't clear if you took both simultaneously for six years, or, say one for 5 years and the other for 1. Hence the question. Need a hug?

Here is the exact breakdown:

French: grades 6-8-9-10-11-12

Latin: grades 8-9-10-11-12
(I also took about a month in grade 7, so
strictly speaking, only five years for Latin).

 

[GotZoom]

Here is the exact breakdown:

French: grades 6-8-9-10-11-12

Latin: grades 8-9-10-11-12
(I also took about a month in grade 7, so
strictly speaking, only five years for Latin).

I would have hated doing that too.

No wonder you didn't learn either one.

 

[USViking]

You took them at the same time?

No wonder you were confused.

One at a time..total immersion....

You can't learn conjugation of Verbs in two different languages at the same time.

There were numerous other more gifted
students than me who had no problem
with the same curriculum.

I believe the classical education of Europe
well into the 20th century routinely required
classical and modern languages simultaneously.

 

[USViking]

I voted no....

I have a degree in a foreign language and I have studied a half dozen different languages at one point or another. Personally I love studying languages but I really do not think it should be a "requirement" in our high schools. There are some poeple out there who just cannot learn certain languages. And just because a person cannot learn a certain language, does not mean they are stupid or they cannot learn any foreign languages at all. One person may not be able to be any good at all in Russian, but may excel in Persian Farsi. In order for high schools to really fairly accomodate for everyone would be to provide many different options ranging from Romance languages to slovic, Asian and more....you get the drift. This is just not feasible in our high schools. Most will only teach Spanish, French, and German. If we really want our students to learn foreign languages they need to start teaching them at very young ages. Elementary school kids can learn a new language much easier than teenager or adults. I think foreign language should be highly encouraged, starting in grade school, but I do not think anyone should be denied the right to graduate if they can't or just don't want to learn another language.

I concur. Very well put.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I enjoyed taking languages, and am in favor of taking a language as an elective. Our state university requires three consecutive years of a language for admission, and they strongly suggest four! I think that is excessive, and can't help but wonder if it is another symptom of the current worship of multi-culturalism.

If only American culture was a significant part of multi-cultural worship, I'd be satisfied.

 

[Trigg]

I say yes.

But, and this is a big one, they should start teaching a foreign language in elementary school when kids learn the fastest and other languages come easier.

In Finland, where my sister lives, they start teaching English in 3rd grade. The kids are already reading and writing in their own language when English is intruduced and the classes are continued through high school.

little kids are like sponges when it comes to learning new things.

 

[Chad2000k]

Originally Posted by theHawk
I voted no....

I have a degree in a foreign language and I have studied a half dozen different languages at one point or another. Personally I love studying languages but I really do not think it should be a "requirement" in our high schools. There are some poeple out there who just cannot learn certain languages. And just because a person cannot learn a certain language, does not mean they are stupid or they cannot learn any foreign languages at all. One person may not be able to be any good at all in Russian, but may excel in Persian Farsi. In order for high schools to really fairly accomodate for everyone would be to provide many different options ranging from Romance languages to slovic, Asian and more....you get the drift. This is just not feasible in our high schools. Most will only teach Spanish, French, and German. If we really want our students to learn foreign languages they need to start teaching them at very young ages. Elementary school kids can learn a new language much easier than teenager or adults. I think foreign language should be highly encouraged, starting in grade school, but I do not think anyone should be denied the right to graduate if they can't or just don't want to learn another language.>
Thats really good, you basically say what im tryin to say to hobbit. Theres ppl in the world that wanna grow up and translate for businesses, then there is ppl that simply just wanna communicate in an english enviroment at their workplace. So really it should just be an elective, whats next are they gonna start saying that we have to take FACS (home economics) just because we need to learn how to cook and survive on our own???
PPL that come in to the united states on immigration in my opinon should only speak english since we speak english, otherwise they will have to pay for the translator bill which cost soooo much nowadays and i think katherine might have an idea of that (im assuming)....

 

[Chad2000k]

I say yes.

But, and this is a big one, they should start teaching a foreign language in elementary school when kids learn the fastest and other languages come easier.

In Finland, where my sister lives, they start teaching English in 3rd grade. The kids are already reading and writing in their own language when English is intruduced and the classes are continued through high school.

little kids are like sponges when it comes to learning new things.

Yess that makes sense too, although i woulda prolly done it then. What im trying to say is that highschool is basically a way to better prepare u for college. Taking spanish when u wont need it in college is sorta a waste unless ur a person who has nothing else to do. Right now i would rather take another class that would better prepare me for college in a degree that i want.

 

[Annie]

Not to mention vast improvement in English as well.

Should have been Greek! My mistake, rushing at school.

 

[Gunny]

I think there will be a need in the coming century since hispanics are now the largest and fasted growing "minority" in North America. I would go so far as to say they should teach kids Spanish starting in elementary school.

Nah. They should teach non-English-speaking kids English. Why is WE always have to be the ones to roll over?

 

[Chad2000k]

Nah. They should teach non-English-speaking kids English. Why is WE always have to be the ones to roll over?

Exactly, thats all we are, nothing but a bunch of pushovers. A kid looks up to us for candy or something, we tell them after dinner, and they whine till we give up. Is the REd Cross organization a united States based? and arnt we the only one funding it??? Well we are a pushover cuz they went over to the tsunami thing and we got nothing out of it except national thanks. Where is that national thanks gonna get us in life??? The hurricane katrina makes more sense but we are a pushover there too cuz we are allowing all these poor citizens into our homes to help them get back on their feet when its their decision to live down there on the coast in the first place...Thats what bothers me the most, we give them money and such and help them out and whatnot, but its them who made the decision to live down there and risk their lives against a hurricane. They should learn not to live down there and maybe half of them wont after living through that ordeal. Its like giving candy to a baby that can possibly kill the baby, but we congratulate it if it decides not to eat it because it knows, or it eats the candy and kills themself or we in the end take it away cuz we know itll kill the baby. That last example is prolly a bad one but Gunny thats basically the point, we are rolling over and learning because the governement was dumb enough not to come up with anything to stop all those legals and illegal immigrants into this country. Like any other country, if you wanna visit them or study them, then you gots to learn their language, not make them learn your language bec then it puts the nation at risk for a maybe hispanic war of americans vs. hispanics. ITs like the Mexico revolution allover again except in a modern version. We americans need to step up and try to stop the immigrants from coming in to the country and taking our money home to their country. I saw in a Times magazine of how much mexicans are taking back to mexico a year. I'll have to look for that in the morning.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Should have been Greek! My mistake, rushing at school.

Hah. Wasn't trying to be smarmy. I really believe it improves English, non-sequitor typos aside.

 

[007]

I think there will be a need in the coming century since hispanics are now the largest and fasted growing "minority" in North America. I would go so far as to say they should teach kids Spanish starting in elementary school.

I guess what I don't understand is why you, or anyone else, would see the solution as, "teach Americans spanish", instead of, "teach mexicans english". This is America. Shouldn't you speak "our" language? Why is it always America's duty to bend to the need of the foriegner's?

Sí tomé español en la preparatoria también, y lo recuerda bien. Y vivir en Arizona, lo vino cercano. Pero pienso todavía que una segunda lengua debe ser una elección.

 

[Hobbit]

I don't know what that means.

Eh, sorry for such a late reply, but it means "in college."

 

[Chad2000k]

I guess what I don't understand is why you, or anyone else, would see the solution as, "teach Americans spanish", instead of, "teach mexicans english". This is America. Shouldn't you speak "our" language? Why is it always America's duty to bend to the need of the foriegner's?

Sí tomé español en la preparatoria también, y lo recuerda bien. Y vivir en Arizona, lo vino cercano. Pero pienso todavía que una segunda lengua debe ser una elección.

Thanx Pale Rider, thats basically what my point was before this. We need to make some changes.

 

[Trigg]

I guess what I don't understand is why you, or anyone else, would see the solution as, "teach Americans spanish", instead of, "teach mexicans english". This is America. Shouldn't you speak "our" language? Why is it always America's duty to bend to the need of the foriegner's?

.

If foreign countries had this outlook it would be very difficult for anyone to travel outside their own country. Most foreigners speak their own language and English. So all of them are "bending to the need of foreigners" and I'm glad since I like to travel and enjoy being understood.

So what's wrong with us learning a different language when Spanish is the most widely spoken foreign language in America and South America?

I do agree that anyone moving to this country should learn the language.

 

[Chad2000k]

If foreign countries had this outlook it would be very difficult for anyone to travel outside their own country. Most foreigners speak their own language and English. So all of them are "bending to the need of foreigners" and I'm glad since I like to travel and enjoy being understood.

So what's wrong with us learning a different language when Spanish is the most widely spoken foreign language in America and South America?

I do agree that anyone moving to this country should learn the language.

Theres nothing wrong with us learning a different language, all im saying is we shouldnt have to learn a different language. YEs, it should be there for us when we need it, but we dont need it at the moment so why should we take it, if ur a person that goes around traveling on business or pleasure into foreign countries then of course you ought to learn some of it or the basics of it before you go. I agree to anyone who comes in this country should be given a pretty tough english exam stating the meaning of english words or whatnot. This will help reduce a big amount of immigrants because they failed the test. We need stronger border protection to our north and south since anyone can just "walk" right across the line.