In many other countries, English is taught as a second language. As a result, many foreigners are bilingual when they finish school. For example, my cousins in the Philippines can communicate with me because English is part of their curriculum. I, on the other hand, have some difficulty speaking in their native tongue, Tagalog. This is the way of the world. The United States is a leader in the global economy and therefore interacts with many countries. Consequently, these countries have tailored their education systems to keep up. Even, linguist George Weber states that English is the most influential language of the world, with 115 countries using it. But where does that leave Americans? According to Gallup.com, only 26% of adult Americans can maintain a conversation in another language. So while the rest of the world is making it a point to learn English, only about a quarter of Americans can say they are bilingual. It seems like they are coming up to the bar, while Americans are too lazy to meet them half way.
This lack of American bilingualism isn’t a complete tragedy. English is an influential language for good reason so it’s more just a benefit than a need to be bilingual. I just think that if other countries can better themselves through language, then the United States – a country of ingenuity, innovation, and one-step-ahead-ness – surely can to. Sure, we have foreign languages in college, high school, and sometimes grade school, but not that many students can boast of a fluency in a second language by the time they’re out of school. A reason for this could be that not many students are serious about learning. Or maybe the methods of teaching foreign language are lacking. For instance, many early level language classes emphasize the memorization of vocabulary, but some people argue that it’s more successful to facilitate constant speaking rather than just memorization.
I think it would be cool if more Americans were eager and dedicated to learn a new language and if we would have stronger teaching methods to support that. If the coming generations could bring the bilingual percentage from 26 percent to over 50, that would be a pretty awesome accomplishment. We would be a better, stronger nation – true leaders or globalization.