should every american student be required to take a foreing language in school?

We should implement at least spanish with our current immigration trends, but it should begin really early.

Not a bad idea… there are few places in the US these days that do not have a minority population. At the very least it provides cultural awareness, and your understanding of English improves when you study any other language, and begin to see some of the language roots. It is true that many people will never use the second language… but think about the doors it opens for the ones who do. To limit yourself and your future opportunities because you don’t “think” it will be useful is really shortsighted. Many people say the same thing about math. Are you one of those?

The bottom line is the more educated you are, the more doors are open to you. The more languages you know, the more countries and cultures are open to you. A person would be really lacking in vision to purposefully short themselves in any area of study. It’s true that you can’t know everything, and eventually have to select a certain path to follow, but high school is too soon, I think, to start narrowing your possibilities. Learn as much as you can, about everything that you can. Nothing that you learn is useless… (ask McGuyver…)

Learning another language is not only a benefit when looking for a job, but also can broaden one’s mind. Very few people think about this fact. Also, if you want to learn about the culture, there is no better way than learning another language. Native speakers will also be impressed with it too. I remember shopping with a family friend at a supermarket speaking our own native language, and this man in front of us in line, started speaking to us in our language. Consider traveling purposes, it makes things easier when you know how to communicate with the others at a specific place.

Languages also help with history lessons as well. Overall, knowing another language is beneficial. It is even better to be bilingual as most people in the United States only speak English.

I really think they should, for a few reasons.

1. Language learning gets much more difficult as you get older, so everyone should have the chance to try to lay down the basics before that window closes completely.

2.Americans are already very narrow-minded when it comes to he rest of the world. Despite advances in history and social studies curricula, there are still very few classes in high schools that expose kids to other cultures and perspectives- especially non-european ones. Language classes are often the only opportunity to change this shortsightedness.

3. As America becomes more diverse, and as international business becomes more and more essential to the economy, more and more job postings are asking for second and third language skills. We need to be equipping kids to make a decent living- whether they go on to college or not.

I would disagree. It seems most students these days take Spanish, and with the Latino population growing at a tremendous rate, it is useful in most parts of the country. I ended up working in restaurants for several years, and my minimal Spanish was invaluable. I’ve also had to use my French and my German on a fairly regular basis, even within the country (and when I travel, I couldn’t survive on English alone at all).

Being bilingual has a lot of benefits. In many countries, if you are able to speak their language, they will greatly appreciate it. French and Spanish, are the some of the most commonly used languages in the world.Click on the link for more info,

Require? Why? For the distant hazard that throughout the destiny a listening to individual would desire to would desire to chat to a deaf individual? i’m 40 and don’t recognize that i’ve got ever even met a deaf individual. No offence, i’m advantageous it rather is troublesome attempting to chat contained in the international, yet frankly, mandating that faculties instruct it to all and sundry may be a waste of time and supplies. i might say a similar in the event that they desperate to mandate Spanish yet a minimum of with Spanish, there is an ever turning out to be hazard that we are going to would desire to apply it.

I think that it’s a good thing for students to have a foreign language. If that students ends up traveling or even going to a nearby city where they live they are more than likely going to find someone who speaks a different language. Besides… It’s more likely to help them than hurt them.

I agree with u in everything you’re saying but however; Its best to know a second language so u can translate and help out the people who comes to the US. Now days Jobs are looking for people who can do that.

Yes… even if you do not learn to speak fluently, you learn to appreciate another culture. You also can appreciate another person’s struggle to learn English.