The United States is behind the majority of the world when it comes to world language learning. With no national policy on requirements for learning a language in grade school, the result is detrimental. One example of the harms that having no policy has created, and the main focus in this post, is the national shortage of World Language teachers. This shortage is an issue that not nearly has been talked about enough. Not only is there a shortage in World Language teachers but also English Language Learners (ELL) teachers, whom are equally as important. In order to better understand this issue and how it relates to the United States’ lack of a language learning policy, we will first look at what the government is doing to address this issue, then evaluate the possible outcomes if this problem is not fixed, and finally look at how a language learning policy will benefit the shortage of teachers.

To begin, the United States Department of Education has come out and stated that this issue is in the power and control of the state. The Department of Education decided that if the state recognizes that their is a shortage of a certain group of teaching professionals, like World Language and ELL teachers, then those teachers will get 100 percent of their federal loans cancelled and financial assistance in the form of grants and scholarships to complete a teaching degree or any other schooling necessary in becoming that specific type of teacher. This incentive looks very good on paper, however, the fact that it is up to the state to implement leaves many states who do not have a strong educational foundation, many republican leaning states, who are not taking advantage of the federal incentive. However, for the states that have implemented this incentive, there has been some success in decreasing the shortage. Other incentives that states have implemented in search of more World Language and ELL teachers are more department funds, higher salaries and benefits, more options and financial assistance for study abroad class opportunities. All though these incentives have not completely solved the issue it has reeled in some future World Language and ELL teachers.

This shortage needs to be addressed and quick because if it is not there is a high risk of loosing World Language classes in schools and the first exposure to a language course being in college. This would be detrimental to the United States as it is already at the bottom for language learning and this would only widen the gap between the United States and other countries. If not fixed this would also move the world language subjects to a privatized industry and become a rarity in public schools. Schools are seeing this issue and taking it into their own hands since help from the government is scarce. According to an article on Learning English, a method called “grow your own” or GYO is when training and teaching assistance is provided within a community. “Grow your own” programs not only will shorten the shortage of teachers but also will increase the racial and linguistic diversity within the teaching community. These programs work specifically with ELL teachers but communities are starting to adopt it within the World Language education as well since the shortage continues to grow.

If there were to be a language learning policy implemented the the United States, the shortage would be resolved very quickly. With a policy, there would be a large demand for World Language teachers and more and more incentives would be created to fill that demand. Incentives like the current loan cancellation plus salary increases and other advantages. This is because it would become a federal issue rather than a state issue. With a language learning policy, the role as a World Language teacher will no longer be one of an elective but rather a requirement, just like math and science, and therefore will have more interest from people considering a career in education. Not only that but looking into the future, if there was a policy and students started learning a language in grade school and continued to graduation, there would be more bilingual students and more people who qualify and have background experience for becoming a World Language teacher. The creation of a language learning policy is perhaps the best way to eliminate this shortage and better educate students in United States’ public schools on the world and its different languages.

The United States’ shortage of World Language and English Language Learners teachers is a giant issue being faced in current education that needs to be addressed and collect more awareness. If there was a language learning policy in the United States, this shortage would see quick relief as the demand for teachers and the incentives would increase. The United States is already falling behind other nations when it comes to language learning and this shortage if not addressed soon could set the country back even more. The issue is so big but so ignored that certain teaching communities are taking action through “grow your own” programs. If a language learning policy was to be created, within 50 years the bilingual rate in the United States would sky rocket, creating more qualified people to become World Language or English Language Learners teachers. The national shortage of World Language and English Language Learners teachers is just another reason why the United States needs to implement a language learning policy and fast before access to language learning becomes a privatized entity and becomes a rarity in public education.

References

English, VOA Learning. “Bilingual Teachers in Short Supply Across America.” VOA, Bilingual Teachers in Short Supply Across America, 7 May 2019, learningenglish.voanews.com/a/bilingual-teachers-in-short-supply-across-america/4907669.html.

Mitchell, Corey. “The National Shortage of ELL Teachers Has Caught the Eye of Congress.” Education Week, Education Week, 19 Nov. 2020, www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/the-national-shortage-of-ell-teachers-has-caught-the-eye-of-congress/2018/01.

“Teacher Shortage Areas.” Home, US Department of Education (ED), 9 Dec. 2020, www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.html.

Language is a necessity in the modern world, it is how we communicate to each other; whether that be with words, writing, or gestures language is an important concept in society today. When reflecting on my education I noticed that learning a language in high school or middle school was not advocated for as much as it should have been. I have been taking Spanish courses since seventh grade, but for many of my peers they took a language for one year, checked off the language requirement box and moved on with their education. This is where the problem lies in the United States language education system; language learning is not seen as a necessity but rather a to-do box, a requirement that needs to be filled. I propose that the United States needs to implement a language education requirement of at least six years.

To start why just focus on the language learning policy in the the United States? Well many other countries, especially those in Europe, already have extended English learning requirements. From personal experience, I have friends in Germany, Spain, Guatemala and India. All of these friends have been learning English since third grade and some even since kindergarten. Why is it okay for us, as an English speaking country, to not do the same with other languages? According to World Education News, Germany starts teaching English to their students during their early school years and continue to graduation. There is no English test or no assignment students have to do to graduate, they learn English solely based on the idea of being able to communicate, not to check off a requirement. Germany is not the only country that utilizes this educational ideal. In fact according to the University of Winnipeg, 142 countries in the world have English as a mandatory subject in their education policy. An additional 41 countries have English leaning in their education system but it is not mandatory. After looking at other countries and their language education policy, let’s take a closer look at the the language education policy for the United States.

The language education policy for the United States does not exist. In fact, according to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the amount of schools that implement language requirements have only decreased since the 1990s. The two United States policies that allow schools to place language requirements are the “Every Student Succeeds Act” and the “Higher Education Act”. These acts, although not directed toward language education, give schools the option to use money to improve language education and give schools the power to create language education requirements. However, why use that money for language learning when the school could also use it for sports programs or new technology. This is the dilemma that is causing lower language learning opportunities in the United States. Schools use the funding, the only funding the state gives for language education, for new technology. This is why the United States needs to implement a language education policy, a policy that will allocate money specifically for language education.

Now that we have addressed the importance of a United States language education policy to be created, let’s take a look at how the government should go about the creation and implementation of this policy. According to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences “state and federal policy-makers could develop more informed educational and curricular goals for language learning” if they simply collected data. If “data were collected at scheduled intervals, allowing for closer monitoring of total enrollment and the distribution of enrollment among languages and grade levels; and/or collection were standardized across states to provide a greater understanding of the state of language learning across the nation”. Simple data collection could give the government an idea of how many students would be learning what language and how many teachers are qualified to teach those languages. Data would also uncover how much money is needed for the government to provide assistance to language education. If creating a language education policy is as simply as collecting data, why have we not implemented one yet? That is the question that has long been asked and why so many people, students, and educators are frustrated with the United States government.

If a language education policy was created and implemented in all schools across the United States, the benefits would out weigh the cost. Like I said earlier, language is the basis of communication, the more people one can communicate to the better. However, that is just one of many benefits to learning a second language. According to Lead With Languages, by learning a second language it allows you to not only connect with other people around the world, but also could help your career. People who know a second language are more likely to get hired than someone who just speaks English. On top of that, “language skills also lead to hiring bonuses and increased salaries”. Not only is learning a second language beneficial for jobs and connections, but also for you mind. “People who speak more than one language have improved memory, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, enhanced concentration, ability to multitask, and better listening skills” (amacad.org). Learning a second language also strengthens decision making skills and boosts confidence (amacad.org). With all of these benefits to learning a second language it is surprising that the United States has not pushed to create a language education policy yet.

To conclude, the fact the the United States does not have a language education policy is an issue. If the majority of the world has implemented policies to learn English, it just seems right that the United States does the same for other languages. A person who is bilingual experiences many benefits and can communicate to many others. It is as simple as collecting data and passing policies to create a language education requirement across the country, so now is the time that the United States needs to start this process because language is perhaps one of the most important concepts in today’s society.

Resources

“10 Benefits of Learning a Second Language.” Lead with Languages, 16 Jan. 2020, www.leadwithlanguages.org/why-learn-languages/top-ten-reasons-to-learn-languages/.

“Building Educational Capacity.” America’s Languages: Investing in Language Education for the 21st Century | American Academy of Arts and Sciences, www.amacad.org/publication/americas-languages/section/5.