Language Learning is Important!
The United States was formed as a collection of people from many different countries and heritages. Along with all the different cultures, many people brought different languages with them. Over the past two hundred years, many of our language differences have smoothed out into English as the national language. However, English is not the only language in America, and many, such as Spanish, Russian and Arabic are becoming more prevalent than ever. Many Americans say that those who move to America need to speak English and that students should not be required to learn a second language. This is short-sightedness on their part. Learning a second language has so many benefits that it definitely should be required of all students. Being fluent in a second language allows people to obtain bilingual jobs, speak with coworkers, help those in need, and gain an understanding of cultures and beliefs different from their own.
The financial crisis and lack of jobs is prominent in most Americans' minds. As such, one of the most important things to people today is finding a well paying job. More and more jobs are requiring bilingual skills and people with those skillsets are in demand now more than ever. One of the largest cultures growing in America today is the Hispanic culture. Many Hispanics speak English but there is still a sizeable population that does not. Being able to reach out to these people is very important and is a large untapped market. There are bilingual jobs in reception and switchboard operations, customer service, and emergency services. Additionally, bilingual entrepreneurs have an edge on their competitors as bilingual businesses can reach out to far more customers than English-only businesses. Rather than looking at people who do not speak English as a curse, Americans should see this as an increasingly profitable business opportunity. With jobs so difficult to find lately, parents should jump to give their children an edge in the marketplace by encouraging their children to have a bilingual education.
Not only will being bilingual help Americans get jobs, it will also help basic communication among coworkers and make jobs more enjoyable. People of all different language backgrounds are working in many different jobs today. Many times people who do not speak the same language will find themselves working together and having to communicate via sign language or pidgin English or Spanish. A background in another language will help that communication to flow more easily and allow people to work better together. I currently work with thirty Mexican coworkers who only speak about ten words of English among them. If I was bilingual, communicating with them would be so much easier and I could get to know them as friends better.
A second language comes in handy in emergencies as well as on the job. Having a basic knowledge of the secondary language of a region allows people to help each other in need. It is impossible to know if someone is injured, cannot feed their family, cannot read or does not know where to find basic community services without knowledge of that language. Speaking another language makes it possible for neighbors to help each other and the community to look after people in trouble. Everyone, whether they speak the same language or not, is a human and deserves basic services and help. In an emergency, speaking that language can mean the difference between life or death.
Finally, and less dire, when learning another language, a student comes into contact with another culture. It has been said that it is impossible to learn a language without the context of its culture. Languages develop with people and culture. When learning a language, the student will learn about the other culture. The United States is divided on learning about its neighbors. Some Americans are convinced that the United States can exist by itself without help from anyone. These Americans desire little to no contact with the outside world. Other Americans understand that no matter how much people want to be left alone, they live together as part of a global community with many other cultures. Language is the first step to learning about other cultures. It opens students? eyes to the world around them and plants the roots for tolerance and understanding. These traits are highly desirable as cities across America, big or small are becoming more integrated with people from all different backgrounds. It is not possible to live an isolated life any more and parents need to embrace this fact. By giving their children a bilingual education, they are allowing for their children to mature and gain a fascination with the world around them.
At most schools, language is an optional class. This understates the importance of language in the American culture and the opportunities for students who become bilingual. Bilingual people have access to jobs and business opportunities that monolingual people do not. Additionally, being bilingual makes working with people of different cultures more interesting and allows people to help those who do not speak English when they are in need. Lastly, language is the key to the mind of a culture and as such, a student of a language gains insight to another culture and the world around them in ways that a monolingual person can not imagine. Learning a second language should be a requirement of all American schools because all the positive impacts it can have on the community and the people who learn them.
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