Assets Of Foreign Language Essay, Research Paper

Assets of Enforced Foreign Language Studies

The United States of America is a nation that has a lot of influence in this world. The U.S. is always interacting with foreign nations, which of course speak foreign languages. If the U.S. is going to be interacting with these nations constantly, then there has to be someone that will translate. In order for this to happen learning a foreign language must be emphasized in the U.S. The U.S. as a people want to communicate, compete, and be considered for more job opportunities, the American educational system should put more emphasis on foreign language study.

Foreign language requirements enforce easy communication between nations. If the U.S. enforced foreign language requirements students will have the upper hand because they will know another language when they go into the job world. Even the current President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton, believes that, “We need a national policy supporting foreign language study in elementary and secondary schools,” (Washington Post B1). This is essential, especially in the present day, where more and more neighborhoods are extremely diverse and multilingual. If students were taught foreign languages when they were young, the opportunity for communication between cultures would be possible and easy. The U.S. is a tourist nation; therefore it would be beneficial to the nation if there were more bilingual citizens.

If the U.S. wants to compete with other nations then the U.S. is going to have to be able to understand them. “Each year 500,000 international students come to study in the U.S. but only 71,000 American students study abroad,” (Barbara Freed 58). There are many colleges in the U.S. that do not even require foreign language as a prerequisite for admission, but in Europe a student is required to learn two languages for admission to secondary school (Gerald Unks 25). There should be no reason that the U.S. can not have the same goals for their students. Either way the foreign is needed as one grows up and has to compete with foreign people everyday.

There are always opportunities for people that can speak another language. On every job application there is a section that asks the applicant whether or not they have the ability to speak another language other then English. With all the people migrating to the U.S. it is becoming necessary to hire translators. If foreign language studies were enforced there would be more people that have the ability to translate for a company as well as complete the tasks entitled in the job description. “As our country becomes more involved in foreign trade, tourism and cooperative ventures, the number of jobs open to fluent speakers of a foreign language will triple in the next five years,” (Vera Bluford 39). This is in no way impossible. “Students who combine some business or economics training with fluency in Japanese have unlimited job possibilities,” (Mary Collins). If foreign language is enforced in the school curriculum and there is a higher number of fluent speaking students there will be a higher number of students that get a job upon graduation.

Foreign language studies being enforced are an issue that may only improve this nation as a whole. Of course there may be reason to hire more teachers that focus on foreign language in order to accommodate the amount of students, but the out come will bring the money back into this nation’s economy instead of bringing in foreign people just to translate something. If this nation is able to communicate in foreign languages it will reduce costs for many things. “Foreign language speakers can communicate rapidly and inexpensively with people all over the globe,” (Warschauer 97). Foreign language studies will be a beneficial asset to the United States of America.

Thesis: In order for the U.S. nation as a people to communicate, compete, and be considered for more job opportunities, the American educational system should put more emphasis on foreign language study.

I. Foreign language requirements enforce easy communication between global nations.

A. Students will already know a language.

B. President’s quote

C. Many neighborhoods are multilingual, so if students are required to know another language, they will be able to communicate with others in their environment and understand them.

D. The U.S. is a nation that has very high tourism and it would help if there were more bilingual people.

I. If the U.S. wants to compete with other nations then the U.S. is going to have to be able to understand them.

A. 500,000 international students quote.

B. Many colleges in the U.S. don’t require foreign language as a prerequisite for admission, but in Europe a student is required to learn two languages for admission to secondary school.

II. There are always opportunities for people that can speak another language.

A. With all the people migrating to the U.S. it is becoming more and more necessary to hire translators.

B. Fluent speakers quote

C. Business and fluent Japanese quote

Bluford, Vera. “Working With Foreign Languages.” Occupational Outlook Quarterly May. 1994:34-39.

Clinton, Bill. “Clinton addresses Business Students.” Washington Post 17 June. 1997: B1

Collins, Professor Mary. Personal Interview. 14 April. 1998.

Freed, Barbara. “America, College to the World.” Time 17 July. 1995: 58

Unks, Gerald. “The Perils of Our Single Language Policy.” Education Digest March. 1986: 24-27

Warschauer, Mark. Telecollaboration in Foreign Language Learning. Boston: The Language and Curriculum Center, 1993.