Like the way they do it in Luxembourg and other countries in Europe. At home and wherever they speak English, but they learn different languages in school to the point of fluency. The first years of primary school are in English, before changing to Spanish, while secondary school, the language of instruction changes to either Chinese or French or German. I say Chinese or French because both are tied at as the third most spoken language in America; German is the fourth, but it'll be easier to learn since both English and German are in the same language family. But I think Chinese would be more helpful. Why don't we do this? It's ignorance that no one knows how to speak a different languages while in Europe it's a requirement to speak at least one more language. Spanish is being a must in the working world, why don't we solve the problem by ensuring that all children can speak the language?
Languages - 11 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
because americans don't need to learn other languages, they don't even know geography or anything outside of the states, they are too narrow minded.
2 :
it's not a requirement. but the resources are available. i just learned spanish. now im learning french. but in highschool u hafta take atleast one foreign language class for 4 yrs.. well in my school that's how it was.
3 :
Because in Europe, there are so many little countries that speak different languages and they are so close together. Your little chinese or french theory is ridiculous, because Chinese is one of the most complicated languages to learn. Why don't YOU provide the money for all of the new teachers that your supposed good idea will need?
4 :
The problem is that MOST students in the U.S. start taking the languages in 9th grade. They should implement a foreign language starting in elementary schools. Don't blame the government, because people have the resources to learn, but MOST don't take learning foreign languages seriously. Why? They live in a place where English is the de facto language, and have no need of learning any other languages. I wouldn't say Spanish is a "must" in the working world, but it is a plus in business...that is why I have been studying it since the 7th grade and plan on learning it to fluency. Most people will not learn because they believe that they will never use it and believe that everyone should learn English. I believe languages are important and fun, and that is why I am learning Hindi, Marathi, and Spanish. I agree with you, that we should have a more developed foreign language program in the United States, considering our other programs are well developed.
5 :
I don't know ask the president why not? Sorry can't help you there.
6 :
It's truly rediculous. Schools don't even treat it as a language, it's an "elective", implying that it isn't important. Our language program is weak, and it's reflecting badly on the country as a whole. To compensate, I go to Saturday school to learn a language to fluency. Really, though, Americans should.
7 :
Because that would make sense. Also because so many Americans are afraid of other cultures. I speak Spanish because I lived in Mexico. I took 4 years of German in high school and I don't remember very much. It is amazing how much offense monolingual people take when they here people speaking another language.
8 :
It's an interesting idea - and I couldn't agree more that children in the US should learn additional languages. You're right...it's ignorance - plain, arrogant ignorance - that our kids aren't multilingual. It's ridiculous that we typically start language education at about 12 years old, just the time when the critical period for language acquisition ends...it's as if people don't want our kids to become fluent in any other languages.
9 :
Because of too many people who think, "Why don't YOU provide the money for all of the new teachers that your supposed good idea will need?" America is an egocentric, nationalist country comprised of narrow-minded people who think one language (English) is "good enough". It is unfortunate, because it is a shortcoming that the rest of the multilingual world laughs at. It would be great if all American children could at least speak Spanish, which is the language spoken second most frequently in the U.S. You are on the right track, and I applaud your insight.
10 :
Why should we have to learn Spanish? It's not important here in the US! Chinese is not the third most spoken language in America! "The first years of primary school are in English, before changing to Spanish, while secondary school, the language of instruction changes to either Chinese or French or German. I say Chinese or French because both are tied at as the third most spoken language in America; German is the fourth, but it'll be easier to learn since both English and German are in the same language family. But I think Chinese would be more helpful." Isn't that what the American government made it to be in schools? Why don't we change that: Learn English, then Chinese, then give them a choice of learning any other language they want after the second year? Instead of making them "requirements" in high school, but yet you could choose whatever is available in the semester, which makes up a sizable class the college or university that you attend? Some high schools even have Latin, a language which no one speaks anymore, as a common language. Unless you plan on working for the church, courts or comparative linguistics otherwise you do not need Latin, with the exception of some scientific nomenclatures which some guy used Latin to make, which in my opinion is more useful when expressed in Greek. Because most of those terms were from Greek first. Why don't they teach Modern Greek in American schools: most medical terms are in Greek. "Spanish is being a must in the working world": Are you serious? Spanish isn't even spoken in the working world! English is. Why don't you go tell these Spanish speakers to LEARN ENGLISH?! The American welfare system is corrupted no thanks to them! I wonder what languages you do speak that was learned in school which you learned fluently because you learned it all in school?! If Spanish is the second most spoken language in the US, then how come there's plenty more learners of Chinese than Spanish. Many parents are hiring tutors and teachers to teach themselves and their tots to learn Chinese, not Spanish! Most of the Spanish books in bookstores don't even sell. Most other language books sell more than Spanish here in the USA!!!
11 :
Until the 1970's, taking a foreign language in secondary school was a requirement in the United States for anyone who was planning on going to college (i.e. college bound). During that time, German and Latin were the languages taken by students who planned to major in the technical fields. French and Spanish were usually taken by students who were just trying to satisfy a minimum requirement for college admission. I think learning a foreign language should be made a requirement again for students who plan on attending college. However, I don't think that it should be a requirement for high school graduation. Nowadays, German and Latin might better be served by Russian, Chinese or Brazilian Portuguese instead. Learning Spanish to communicate with Hispanic employees in the business world is an entirely different argument. Here, I believe it should be strictly optional for an English-speaking American as to whether or not they want to learn Spanish. Trying to make it mandatory will only be met with resentment and an eventual backlash from Anglophonic Americans. Besides, most foreigners, including Mexicans, do remarkably well at learning English and can communicate with their American co-workers in English if they have to. Personally, I worked many years in a large company with three Mexican-born people for whom English was a second language. Not being able to speak fluent Spanish with them was never a problem. In fact, since I learned the Castilian or "White man's Spanish" as they called it, and which they don't like, it was actually better that I didn't try to converse with them in Spanish.
