Issue Brief Introduction

Speaking Beyond America:

The Reason Behind the Need for a National World Language Policy in the United States and Elimination of English-Only Policies

Unlike many countries, the United States does not have a national foreign language education policy in place. The lack of a policy is largely due to the fact that not everyone holds the belief that learning a second language language is necessary, especially with the rise of political conflict with immigration and the idea of patriotism.1 However, it has been proven that learning a second language is beneficial in many different aspects. Cognitively, being bilingual creates positive changes in neurological processes and structures. Being able to speak more than one language activates different parts of the brain and increases functionality of those areas. Knowing a second language also improves one’s ability to learn as they are able to process information at a quicker and easier rate. Lastly, knowing a second language can protect someone from age related disease, keeping their brain functioning at a high level longer than someone who is monolingual.2 In addition to the cognitive benefits, there are also the obvious social benefits of being able to communicate with more people, experience more cultures, and have more job and travel opportunities.3

The traditional discourse on the United States language policy has been framed in a way to give a either-or-choice to schools between English and world languages. With this way of framing the education, students and schools with a high minority population suffered. This way of teaching language in the United States goes back to the Native American boarding schools where English was the forced language of education. Throughout World War 1 and the early 1920s, English-Only policies were implemented for German students. During the 60s and 70s, there was support for world languages in schools; but since the 90s English-only policies reversed the progress made and now 28 states have an English-only policy. Only teaching English not only ignores linguistic resources in minority communities, but also negatively effects the education students receive and their sense of identity. 4

Learning a second language has many benefits and opens up many potential future opportunities for students. The decline in language education and lack of a national policy in the United States will only harm students and the education they will receive.  The United States needs to create a national world language policy for K-12, promoting the idea of being bilingual because world languages are just as important as other key curricula that already have national policies implemented.

1“U.S. Educational Language Policy.” CAL, www.cal.org/areas-of-impact/language-planning-policy/u.s.-educational-language-policy#:~:text=Unlike%20many%20other%20countries%2C%20the,an%20official%20national%20language%20policy.&text=Foreign%20language%20teaching%20has%20generally,heritage%20language%20resources%20in%20communities.

2Administrator, Internal. “The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual.” Dana Foundation, Dana Foundation, 11 Sept. 2019, dana.org/article/the-cognitive-benefits-of-being-bilingual/.

3“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/.

4 “U.S. Educational Language Policy.”

 

QUESTIONS:

  1. Is my thesis strong? Does it set up the argument well?
  2. Do you think I need to focus in on a topic more? Is my Intro all over the place?
  3. What do you think is the most interesting thing I discussed in my intro?
  4. Is my writing clear or does it just drag on and never get to a point?
  5. Does my title make sense? Thoughts on the title?

Why Should Students Learn a Second Language?

In my past two blogs I talked about how the United States does not have a language education policy and the harms of that lack, but why should students learn a second language in the first place? If other countries have english in their language education policies, why should we teach our students another language? If they run into a person who is from another country with one of these policies, they can just communicate with English, right? Although this can sometimes be true, many times it simply is not. Learning a second language has so many more benefits beyond verbal communication and that is why the United States needs to create a policy to support language education. There are ten main benefits to learning a second language, so let us explore those benefits.

The first and obvious benefit is connection. Knowing a second language will be able to connect you to more people. If you travel to a country that speaks that language, you will be able to form stronger connections with locals than you could if you did not know the language. You can even connect to people within your community, if you work a costumer service job or even are just a classmate, you can connect to people who cannot speak English well if you can speak their language.

The second benefit is that it can advance your career. Being bilingual is a hot commodity in the working industry now a days. If you are bilingual the chance of you getting a job are much higher than someone who is not; between 2010 and 2015, the number of United State’s job postings specifically geared toward bilingual candidates more than doubled. Many companies will pay you more if you are fluent in another language and sometimes give you more benefits. If you work for an international company, you may have the opportunity to travel with them more to translate. Many times people think that if you are fluent in another language, the only jobs you could get are as translators or teachers but that is simply not true. Almost every job has a lookout for people who are bilingual.

The third benefit is cognitive benefits. People who can speak another language have improved problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, improved memory and multitasking skills, enhanced concentration, and better listening skills. Bilinguals can switch between competing tasks and monitor changes in their environment more easily than monolinguals. People who are fluent in a second language also show signs of greater creativity and flexibility. In addition, as a person ages, if they know more than one language it will help to stave off mental aging and cognitive decline.

Benefits four, five, and six all go together in a way; deepen your understanding of other cultures, see the world, and go to the source. Knowing a second language also will teach you a little bit about the culture. Being fluent in another language exposes us and creates an appreciation for the arts, history, religions, and traditions of the people who speak that language. A greater understanding of the culture, promotes greater empathy, tolerance, and acceptance of others. There have even been studies that show that children who have studied another language are more open and positive toward the culture associated with the language they studied. If you travel to a country that speaks the language you studied, you are more likely to have a better trip than someone who does not speak the local language. While people who are monolingual are capable of visiting the same places, travelers who know more than one language can be more independent and experience more things. If you know the local language you can read signs, navigate your way through the city, ask locals questions, go to shows, and plus create more connections. Learning  a second language can also give people the opportunity to study or work abroad, getting to travel for free. If you are bilingual you can “go to the source” meaning that you can access information that others may not be able to. In a world of more than 6,000 spoken languages, we sometimes require translation. Someone who is proficient in another language can navigate the internet in two different languages giving them access to different types of media, news outlets, entertainment sites, ect.

If you know two languages, learning another will be easier, and that is are seventh benefit. Learning a second language will not only improve grammar and vocabulary of your first language (English) but will also make it easier to learn a third or fourth language. Research shows that being bilingual makes it easier to pick up additional languages faster, especially in younger children. This is because when you learn a new language, you create new brain networks that are already ready when learning a third language.

The last three benefits all sort of go together; boost confidence, strengthen decision making, gain perspective. When learning another language, you will make mistakes often in front of other people, it is a necessary part of the process. Learning a language means taking risks and putting yourself out there, becoming vulnerable, and moving out of your comfort zone. This will increase your confidence levels. To continue, studies show that decisions made in your second language are more reason-driven than those made in your native language. When we deliberate in our non-primary language, we are more likely to separate emotions and biases, thus strengthening our decision making skills. Lastly, as we explore a new language and culture, we will naturally draw comparisons to what is most familiar. By learning another culture, light will be shed on aspects of your own culture, both positive and negative. You could find greater appreciation for the life and culture you have or you may consider changing some things.

To conclude, learning a second language is extremely important and the United States should create an education policy to encourage the importance. There are ten main benefits the United States can use to back up the policy.

 

Resource

“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/.

Exigence and Rhetorical Situation

I will incorporate exigence into my blog by talking about how language education in the United States is already at a steep decline and if nothing is done then language education in K-12 schools could be lost or very limited in the future. I also think that as time has gone on, generations have become more and more connected globally. With that said, languages are not dying they are actually becoming more necessary, there is a reason one will be payed more if they are bilingual. I even think about my job currently working at my family’s taco restaurant and how much I use my Spanish, knowing another language could arguably be more important than knowing calculus or even books you read in an English class.

The rhetorical situation for my issue brief is directed towards an audience of educators, future teachers or students who are undecided on a career/major, and of course policymakers and legislatures. The purpose of my idea is to have a more structured policy in the United States on learning another language earlier on in grade school. The context is currently there is no education policy in the United States about learning a language when there is a policy in the majority of other countries. Because of this the interest in becoming a language teacher has declined and the United States is now in a language teacher deficit, limiting programs in underfunded school districts. It is just as important to learn a language than it is to learn math or science and I can use logos to back that up.

A Day at Mall of America

The blog you all have been waiting for: Mall of America. I actually have a little more knowledge about the Mall than a normal Minnesotan because I had the opportunity to have an Internship with the Head Corporate Lawyer and the PR team about two years ago. It was hard to fit everything about the Mall in one blog, so if you want another blog or more information let me know. With that said here we go!

This is a bad picture of the outside of the Mall. It is hard to get a decent picture of everything and truly how big it is but here is the Macy’s side.

I came in on the Crayola Experience entrance so that is why there is a lot of crayons but this is what it looks like entering and then exiting the Mall.

This is the Rotunda. If there is a meet and greet, concert, show, book signing, event, ect. it is most likely held here. It is the best place during the holidays because there is a giant tree and lots of lights, tinsel, and ornaments scattered throughout the area; plus they have local Christmas performances there everyday like carolers, dancers, signers, it is so much fun! I tried to get angle where you can see all the different floors, you can kind of tell but this picture does not do justice to how big it actually is.

This is Nickelodeon Universe from one angle. Currently because of Covid you can only enter the park if you plan to ride rides so I could not get a better picture. However, if you are a ride junkie this place has some of my most favorite rides. It is great in the winter or even on a rainy day. Fun fact: the park is filled with real plants and once a year hundreds of lady bugs are released into the park so if you go keep an eye out for a lady bug or two!

There is also a Lego Land where you can get any lego set imaginable and even build a creation in the Lego center (not open right now). This is the top of the store and yes that stature is completely made out of legos. It has been there for as long as I can remember, every once an a while it will have a new friend but this guy has stayed. The amount of time and effort someone put into making that… I could never.

The last location I am bring you today is Moose Mountain; one of the best mini golf courses I have ever played. It is so fun and it overlooks Nickelodeon Universe on some holes. It is definitely worth the money if you are ever in the area and need something to do.

To conclude this adventure, I tried to get all the stuff I thought was cool in, but please feel free to let me know if you would like me to take another trip and blog about more Mall related things!

Issue Brief Idea

The topic I am pursuing for my issue brief is World Language education in K-12 schools in America. Currently, like I have wrote in past blogs, there is no national policy on the amount of a credits a child should take of a language or if a child should have to take a language class at all. This is problematic because the later a child learns a language the harder it will be. If kids start learning a second language in grad school, like most countries do with English, by the time they get to high school (the first time most students have access to language courses currently) they are already at a fluency level. This is an intervention in policy discussion because there is no policy for this topic, so it would bring up a very important issue that a policy should be created to address and provide better education for students.

I believe that lack of World Language education is due to intentional causes. It is intentional because the United States government and education programs know that learning a second language has many great benefits and that other countries have created policies for learning English and yet the United States still does not have a policy. The problem is recognized but nothing is being done about it as it is not seen as a priority compared to other issues within the education system.

When creating this policy I think the most effective instruments would be inducements, mandates and capacity builders. Inducements would give schools incentives to implement more language classes and make them mandatory. Incentives would also need to be used to get more people to become world language teachers. Mandates within states or school districts would require that all students within that jurisdiction would have to take a language starting in 3rd grade. Lastly, capacity builders would help teach the community about the benefits of being multilingual and give community members who are out of school a chance to also learn another language.

The National Shortage of World Language Teachers

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.

Eagan, Minnesota

This week I was planning on going to Mall of America or someplace cool but the weather did not cooperate. With consistent -20ºF temperatures, I did not want to risk turning off my car to go into the mall and not being able to start it after. With that said be ready because next week will be the week of Mall of America as requested by Mia!

This week I decided to go to the city of Eagan. This city is 10 minutes from my house, so I have been here many times and I am very familiar with the area but I still managed to find a new place. Let’s get into this weeks adventure!

This is Eagan Outlet mall. Not close in comparison to Mall of America but it is one of the only outdoor malls in Minnesota. It is heated so even in -20ºF temperatures you could get your shop on. This was the place to go as a freshman in high school during the summer, it has all the “cool” stores and since it is an outlet mall lots of good deals! Highly recommend visiting if you visit in the summer.

As I was driving around I came across a park that I had never seen before. It has a lot of trails that over look the river as well as a cool lookout area where I could see planes going in and out of the airport. I tried to get a picture to show you guys but man planes are fast! This was a fun hidden gem in a city I though I knew like the back of my hand. I will have to come back here (if I remember how to get there) this summer when I can actually sit and watch the planes and sunset without freezing.

Of course when in Eagan you have to stop at Punch pizza. This place is like Snap pizza in downtown State College but ten times better! In my opinion, I think it has more authentic Italian flavors than Snap has, but I do love a good Snap pizza too.

This is the inside of the store and if you look in the left top corner you can see the oven. Yes, it is a real wood fire pizza oven and it makes the best pizzas. It is so fun to watch the chefs put the pizzas in and take them out, like I could never without burning my hand.

This was my final pizza product. I got the Margarita pizza and it was so good! I highly recommend this place if you are ever in Minnesota, they also have one in the cities but I like this one better.

Overall this was not a super exciting adventure, but I got some great food and found a cool new place! I think if you were to take one thing out of this week’s blog it would be to explore the backroads of the cities you feel like you know well, you never know what hidden gem you could find!

The United States’ Language Education Policy

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.

“Countries in Which English Language Is a Mandatory or an Optional Subject (Interactive).” Countries in Which English Language Is a Mandatory or an Optional Subject (Interactive) | Global English Education Policy | The University of Winnipeg, www.uwinnipeg.ca/global-english-education/countries-in-which-english-is-mandatory-or-optional-subject.html.

“Education in Germany.” WENR, 1 Feb. 2021, wenr.wes.org/2021/01/education-in-germany-2.

Home Sweet Home

To start of my exploring of Minnesota, I thought it would be best to blog about my home city first since that is what I will be comparing all other places to. I live on the border of Apple Valley and Burnsville, but I identify more with Apple Valley since that is where I went to high school and where most of my life took place. I drove around my home town today and choose some spots that mean something to me to share with you guys.

The first stop was Caribou Coffee, something I missed so much when I was in State College. Hazel (my dog) and I walked over from my house and of course had to indulge in a treat. PA has the Wawa vs. Sheetz debate and Minnesota has the Caribou vs Starbucks one (Caribou is better). If you every have the chance to come to Minnesota stop at Caribou (they are all over the state so I am sure you can find one), and let me know your opinion on the debate.

The next stop was my family’s restaurant, El Camino Taco Deli. Just down the street from Caribou, this place means the world to me and my family. This is location one of two, the original. If you ever come to visit anywhere near the cities you need to stop by because the tacos are the best (this is coming from an unbiased opinion of course).

The third stop, and perhaps one of the most Minnesotan pictures I have ever taken, was Crystal lake. This park with a lake is filled with amazing memories. Almost everyday during the summer, my friends and I would meet here to play Spikeball or go tubing. However, that was not the case today. Yes, I am standing in the middle of the lake and if you zoom in you can see all the ice fishing tents and their trucks. I would also like to point out that hill you see in the background, Buck Hill Ski and Snowboard, is the closest thing you will find to a mountain in Minnesota.

The next stop was of course my high school. Over the last four years, I spent more time here than anywhere else, so much so that Google Maps thought it was my home and my actually house was my work. However, I would not take back anything because my experience here was amazing!

The fifth and final destination was my local Culver’s. This place was me and my friend’s hangout spot. We would go to Culver’s order our $2 custard and sit and talk for what seemed like hours. If you ever come across a Culver’s, a pro tip is to ask for your fries extra crispy.

This was so much fun and I hope you guys enjoyed learning a little bit more about me and Minnesota. Where should I go next? Comment if you would like to see someplace specific. Overall I would rate Apple Valley, Minnesota a 1 Billion out of 10 because it is my home and nothing can top that, although State college is pretty close.

Enjoy this short time lapse I made when driving around!

My Movie 4

Spring 2021 Blog Topics

My cicic issues blog topic will be on language education in America. How insufficient language recommendations for students are and comparing that to other countries requirements for learning English.

For my passion blog, I am going to drive to a different Minnesota city each week, explore it (if I have been to it before explore new parts) rate the city out of 10 and write about why someone should or should not waste their time in going there.