Last time I discussed the overarching issues in the United State’s K-12 foreign language programs but what’s also equally important to consider are the larger effects caused by the way American schools teach language. It’s not as simple as American schools failing to teach students foreign language. Instead, there’s a variety of issues that arise for all Americans when the United States cannot communicate outside of English.

One of the first major issues that arises out of Americans being monolingual is that the United State’s competitiveness in the business world is dampened. A study by the Coalition for International Education in 2014 found that 30% of businesses reported that they missed out on opportunities abroad because they didn’t have the staff to communicate with other countries. Additionally, 40% of those businesses reported that they “failed to reach their international potential due to language barriers.” Even within the United States, businesses are missing out on opportunities. Companies still need to communicate in other languages in order to collaborate and acquire investments from foreign countries (AMACAD). American businesses are at a disadvantage when they miss out on important opportunities, especially as the world becomes more and more interconnected, and if American businesses cannot branch out to other cultures and countries, the United States is at risk of falling behind and becoming isolated.

The effect of COVID-19 on the business world also needs to be taken into consideration. Many companies have adopted virtual or hybrid workplaces, and they’ve gotten rid of physical office spaces. With online communication becoming the norm for many companies at home, it’s also not hard to believe that companies may want to increase their communication with foreign businesses given the new workplace and online resources (Forbes). Speaking directly to other employees in their native language may be the edge businesses need as the business world becomes even more connected, and by speaking with someone in their native language, Americans would be able to connect on a deeper level.

However, research professor and chief economist at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Nicole Smith, says, “while the ability to communicate in more than one language remains a highly coveted skill, it does not top the list of things most employers are looking for” (Edweek). Even though American businesses miss out on opportunities because they don’t have the necessary resource of multilingual speakers, employers still don’t realize the importance of multilingual employees. If American businesses cannot start prioritizing hiring and seeking out multilingual candidates, then there’s no incentive for Americans to learn a second language.

Americans are far too comfortable with the idea that many people around the world speak English. While many people and organizations speak English globally, Americans risk missing out on important information. The Commission on Language Learning found that the 2004 avian flu epidemic’s severity wasn’t noticed by English speaking scientists as soon as it could’ve because initial research was written in Chinese (AMACAD). Achievements in science and technology will only improve if scientists are able to communicate across language barriers.

This is also a domestic issue for the United States. Within America’s population there are many citizens who cannot speak English. Their ability to access services and exercise rights is diminished. The problem isn’t that they cannot communicate in English. Instead, it’s that the service providers are unable to communicate or find someone else who can communicate. The Commission on Language Learning found that “language barriers (including the scarcity of interpreters and the absence of forms and information in languages other than English) are a particular obstacle to due process in state and federal courts,” and it also puts people at an extreme disadvantage when they aren’t able to access basic services like health care. It’s important to remember that the United States doesn’t have an official language. While English is the most commonly spoken language, there is no law or legislation that makes it the country’s official language (Usagov). The United States itself has over 350 languages, yet only 20.7% of the United States’ population can speak a second language (AMACAD). If Americans want to boast that the United States is a melting pot of different countries and cultures, then we need to start taking other people’s languages into consideration. Even if English is the default for many people, the ability to have translators or multilingual speakers would provide necessary steps to making services and rights accessible to all Americans.

Increasing American citizens’ ability to communicate with each other is even more important as America becomes even more diverse. As of 2018 almost half of young people in America are from ethnic minority groups, and Generation Z is one of the most diverse generations in America’s history (BBC). The United States has always been a multicultural country, and as its diversity increases, the ability to speak multiple languages must also increase. According to the US Census Bureau, from 1980 to 2009, the number of languages besides English spoken in homes increased by 148%. If the United States cannot improve its language learning, the problem will only become more exasperated as the United States continues to diversify and add more non-English language speakers.

With the world becoming more interconnected, the United States is put at a disadvantage when businesses, the government, and scientists struggle to communicate about important issues. The Commission on Language Learning found that “there is an emerging consensus among leaders in education and science, business and government, international relations and the military, and community organizations and nonprofits that English is critical but not sufficient to meet the nation’s future needs” (AMACAD). Looking at these issues that span multiple facets of life, it’s hard to think that teaching kids French or Spanish in middle school will magically solve the country’s language crisis. However, emphasizing the education of students in foreign language is one of the simplest ways that the United States can improve its foreign language crisis. If the United States can put a ”greater public emphasis on language education [it] would yield results far greater than any initial financial investments” (AMACAD).

Works Cited

https://www.amacad.org/publication/americaslanguages/section/4

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/26/opinion/learn-foreignlanguage.html

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/u-s-economy-needs-more-foreign-language-studies-to-stay-competitive-report-says/2019/05

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2020/10/27/learning-a-second-language-business-benefits-and-how-to-start-a-program/?sh=4756b5116690

https://www.usa.gov/life-in-the-ushttps://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20180808-what-is-the-future-of-english-in-the-us

Images

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-world-as-100-people-2015-1

https://www.businessinsider.com/united-states-households-speak-non-english-language-at-home-2018-12