Time To Get Serious About Language Learning?

[Unkotare]

Foreign language instruction in the US starts late and is not emphasized as much as many other subjects. Should we as a nation (more accurately, as many local school districts) change this emphasis? Every year, more and more jobs in the US are advertised as requiring at least bilingualism, and more of the higher paying jobs involve working and communicating with people in and from all over the world. Employment aside, there are many well-established social and cognitive benefits from learning other languages than one's first. Should we require a much higher standard of proficiency and/or acquisition of two or more languages as part of graduation requirements from high school?

 

[Maxdeath]

I know that the Danish school system teaches English as part of their curriculum. If you try to move to Denmark they require you to learn and be proficient in Danish because it is their national language.
The only reason they teach English is because it is needed to communicate outside of the country and with those coming into the country.

 

[rightwinger]

For the most part, learning a foreign language in this country is a waste of time.
We already speak the right language

I learned Spanish 50 years ago and have had little chance to use it. Most has been forgotten.
When I have gone to Mexico, I spoke English….most do

Same goes when I visited Europe. I had little difficulty in finding those who speak English

 

[RodISHI]

Should we require a much higher standard of proficiency and/or acquisition of two or more languages as part of graduation requirements from high school?

No.

Make it available even in elementary if a child or their parents want that for them, yes.

 

[Mr Natural]

I went to elementary and half of junior high in NYC schools when they the best in the country and I remember foreign language classes starting in 5th grade.

 

[rightwinger]

I went to elementary and half of junior high in NYC schools when they the best in the country and I remember foreign language classes starting in 5th grade.

How much did you retain?

 

[Mr Natural]

How much did you retain?

¡No mas!

 

[rightwinger]

¡No mas!

Muy bien

 

[Mr Natural]

Muy bien

Da nada

 

[Unkotare]

No.

Make it available even in elementary if a child or their parents want that for them, yes.

Why not a mandatory skill for graduation?

 

[Unkotare]

For the most part, learning a foreign language in this country is a waste of time.
We already speak the right language

I learned Spanish 50 years ago and have had little chance to use it. Most has been forgotten.
When I have gone to Mexico, I spoke English….most do

Same goes when I visited Europe. I had little difficulty in finding those who speak English

When I was in high school I didn't learn computer skills - because they didn't exist yet. I learned to type on an old manual typewriter. Should we not teach kids computer skills today? Will more advanced computer skills be more and more of a necessity to compete in the future?

 

[RodISHI]

Why not a mandatory skill for graduation?

Why not just make sure that students all have the basics first when they graduate as they do not all have that now. A foreign language is not an absolute necessity, comprehension, reading, writing and math skills are. Half the time I go to a store and the clerks (which obviously have a diploma or equivalent) can't even make out proper change in their own head. Their math skills are so bad figuring out how to give back 13 cents is a bitch for them.

 

[RodISHI]

When I was in high school I didn't learn computer skills - because they didn't exist yet. I learned to type on an old manual typewriter. Should we not teach kids computer skills today? Will more advanced computer skills be more and more of a necessity to compete in the future?

Computer skills yes. That would go along with good reading and comprehension skills and with that they can use translators if needed.

 

[Unkotare]

Computer skills yes. That would go along with good reading and comprehension skills and with that they can use translators if needed.

They can use calculators, so why bother teaching math?

 

[rightwinger]

When I was in high school I didn't learn computer skills - because they didn't exist yet. I learned to type on an old manual typewriter. Should we not teach kids computer skills today? Will more advanced computer skills be more and more of a necessity to compete in the future?

Computer programming is lost on most kids

Unless they use it and update their skills, it is wasted

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Foreign language instruction in the US starts late and is not emphasized as much as many other subjects. Should we as a nation (more accurately, as many local school districts) change this emphasis? Every year, more and more jobs in the US are advertised as requiring at least bilingualism, and more of the higher paying jobs involve working and communicating with people in and from all over the world. Employment aside, there are many well-established social and cognitive benefits from learning other languages than one's first. Should we require a much higher standard of proficiency and/or acquisition of two or more languages as part of graduation requirements from high school?

Absolutely not! Most of your ESL programs just guarantee that kids are illiterate in two or more languages.

Teaching another language for our native born kids is a requirement that is fairly common. When my wife and I attended high school, there were no requirements. I took two years of Latin, while my wife continued studies in Spanish. In college, it was required for many degree programs. I took German and my wife actually majored in Spanish for her 1st two years of college.

My kids all took foreign language in high school. The oldest spent 4 years in ASL, while the youngest two took Spanish. My oldest is the only member of the family that actually used her ASL at work for the TSA, and now she is an EMT studying to become a paramedic.

There simply is not much use for farmers and ranchers to learn foreign languages if there is no one in the community to talk to!

 

[RodISHI]

They can use calculators, so why bother teaching math?

Math is needed many times when a calculator isn't available. Per language though the majority only need to know another every once in a great while.

My son didn't finish high school but he does speak Spanish and he learned that later in life because he wanted to. He was going to south America to vacation frequently in the winter months and thought for awhile he wanted to buy a scuba diving biz there. He decided though he like some of the Asian people and islands better so that is where he goes to vacation now when jobs are slow in the winter so he'll probably learn the language there eventually.

If someone makes another language mandatory to get through high school I could picture a heck of a lot more drop outs.

 

[Unkotare]

Most of your ESL programs just guarantee that kids are illiterate in two or more languages.
....

That is patently false.

 

[Unkotare]

Math is needed many times when a calculator isn't available. ...

Communication is needed many times when a translator isn't available.

 

[Unkotare]

.....

There simply is not much use for farmers and ranchers to learn foreign languages if there is no one in the community to talk to!

Is there much use for them to learn computer skills?