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.