Growing up not just in California, but in the Bay Area, exposed me to an excessive amount of new and different languages throughout my life thus far. I’ve heard languages from all around the globe spoken in my community, yet the only ones offered at Aragon are Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. Other schools in our San Mateo Union High School District offer different courses, for instance American Sign Language, French and Italian, but Spanish and Chinese are constants throughout most schools with the most languages offered at one school being three. Coming from the standpoint of the public school system, there simply isn’t enough money or resources to open up more classes for new languages. Each school has a language department that satisfies graduation and University of California requirements for admission — which is one year of language education.
Beginning in Spanish one, for instance, gives you a year of basic Spanish education in a classroom where the teacher speaks English most, if not all, of the time. In my personal experience, as someone who has only ever spoken English, I had no real Spanish speaking or understanding skills until I reached Spanish honors, the fourth level at my school. Now, in advanced placement Spanish, I’m only beginning to realize just how useful learning a second language is. Many children don’t take classes past levels two or three, simply to satisfy graduation requirements and move on. One really only gains skills they are able to take away and use in real life in the uppermost levels of language, one most students never reach. I find it unfortunate and disappointing many students don’t seem to find interest in speaking new languages but, then again, our school systems don’t prioritize it.
Speaking more than one language is proven to increase social and education skills, allowing those who are bilingual or even multilingual to have increased social awareness and ability. The World Economic Forum states that, in their analyzing many studies of bilingual brains, those who are bilingual or multilingual develop signs of Alzheimer’s five years later than those who speak only one language. It’s important to note that on top of that advantage, those who speak more than one language are also better equipped to manage and fight the disease than their monolingual counterparts. Speaking more than one language has its many health benefits; additionally, tests around the world prove that monolingual individuals are simply less open-minded and successful in finding new and creative ways to examine the world. Those who speak multiple languages have the ability to examine things in our society differently, opening up new opportunities for learning in every manner possible. Another benefit of learning a new language is obvious — it helps in the workplace. Speaking another language next to a mainstream one such as English or Spanish allows for one to stand out on resumes, get higher positions in companies and overall communicate with a more extensive and diverse population.
These advantages are significant and arguably just as important as advantages in “core” school subjects. Prioritizing speaking a second language may not be at the top of the list now, but think of it like this: Colleges are extremely hard to gain acceptances to now, in 2019. What happens in five, 10, 15 years? What will make someone stand out when it’s the standard to have a 4.0 and excel in math and science? Unless drastic changes are made to our education systems and colleges suddenly decide to lower their expectations, pursuing language education throughout all four years of high school and even before could push some students above others. Having the skills to adapt in social situations, converse with a diverse population and take advantage of all the benefits language has to offer gives those who pursue it major advantage over those who are left behind speaking only one language, having only one method of communication with the world.
Old or young or in between, it’s not all about the steps you take or have taken in high school. Revolutionary programs such as Rosetta Stone and apps such as Duolingo allow for almost anyone to enhance their brain and their perceptions of everyday life. There is absolutely no shame in speaking only one language, especially if one wasn’t given the opportunity to learn in earlier years. However, recent stories such as a professor at Duke University asking students to stop speaking Chinese in university buildings scare and disappoint me. Since when did we feel threatened by the unknown? We explore and encourage learning in every aspect of life, and I believe language should be equal when encouraged as something to explore and learn as well.
Brooke Hanshaw is a senior at Aragon High School in San Mateo. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.
Hello Brooke - I like your article. As a multi-lingual person myself I agree that speaking at least one other language broadens one's horizons immensely. However, a language is a skill or a tool and must be practiced consistently to make it useful. Just taking a Spanish class does not hurt but one cannot expect to become reasonably conversant until one spends time in a Spanish-speaking environment. Coming from Europe, it was imperative to be multi-lingual if one wants to achieve anything in a professional career. Europeans have to, as all of their neighboring countries speak a different language. If you have ever been to the Netherlands, my native country, you will be surprised how many languages the typical professional speaks. English is by far the most favorite as English is one of the easiest languages to learn and therefore widely spoken. Probably also because of the prevailing American cultural influence (tv, movies, music, literature, etc). Unless in a private setting, I find it rude for folks to speak in their native tongue in a public place in the company of others. The Harvard professor is right.
I have to agree with you, Dirk, that getting your basic education in Western Europe has certain advantages. Where I came from in Northern Europe, three foreign languages, English, German and French, were mandatory, even in the high school science line. In engineering graduate school, some textbooks are in English or German. I also have to agree that English is by far the most useful language, but also the easiest language to learn, - almost no grammar, few, simple rules, rich vocabulary, straight forward. The grading system I was subjected to, was also quite different from here. Final exams, even in elementary school, are graded in secrecy by someone who doesn’t know you, while your teacher has no say in it. While an A here is rather common and quite easy to obtain, the top grade level from elementary through graduate school was so rare and difficult to obtain that most students couldn’t even dream about nailing a single top grade down. So, if you got one, you really stood out as a top student, - and not because your teacher liked you!
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(2) comments
Hello Brooke - I like your article. As a multi-lingual person myself I agree that speaking at least one other language broadens one's horizons immensely. However, a language is a skill or a tool and must be practiced consistently to make it useful. Just taking a Spanish class does not hurt but one cannot expect to become reasonably conversant until one spends time in a Spanish-speaking environment. Coming from Europe, it was imperative to be multi-lingual if one wants to achieve anything in a professional career. Europeans have to, as all of their neighboring countries speak a different language. If you have ever been to the Netherlands, my native country, you will be surprised how many languages the typical professional speaks. English is by far the most favorite as English is one of the easiest languages to learn and therefore widely spoken. Probably also because of the prevailing American cultural influence (tv, movies, music, literature, etc).
Unless in a private setting, I find it rude for folks to speak in their native tongue in a public place in the company of others. The Harvard professor is right.
I have to agree with you, Dirk, that getting your basic education in Western Europe has certain advantages. Where I came from in Northern Europe, three foreign languages, English, German and French, were mandatory, even in the high school science line. In engineering graduate school, some textbooks are in English or German. I also have to agree that English is by far the most useful language, but also the easiest language to learn, - almost no grammar, few, simple rules, rich vocabulary, straight forward. The grading system I was subjected to, was also quite different from here. Final exams, even in elementary school, are graded in secrecy by someone who doesn’t know you, while your teacher has no say in it. While an A here is rather common and quite easy to obtain, the top grade level from elementary through graduate school was so rare and difficult to obtain that most students couldn’t even dream about nailing a single top grade down. So, if you got one, you really stood out as a top student, - and not because your teacher liked you!
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