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== '''Why is foreign language education important in American schools?''' ==

Introduction
Foreign languages education is becoming so important today, because society is getting smaller. Whether we like it or not, we are facing a mutual dependence in the cultural, economic, social, technological, and political worlds. The main facet of globalization for the American schools is the growing linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity of the students. In order to answer the question “Why is foreign language education important in the American schools?” it is necessary to look at the advantages it gives people, to the nation as a whole, and how it makes better citizens and better persons.

In 2005, Janice Stewart, an education research analyst, established that the study of a foreign language is associated with three supplementary profits of "increased cognitive skills, higher achievement in other academic areas, and higher standardized test scores."

Benefits of learning a foreign language for students
The first reason to learn another language is its benefits for the persons. Different studies (Bruck, Lambert, and Tucker, 1974; Hakuta, 1986; Weatherford, 1986; Bamford and Mizokawa, 1991, Hamayan, 1986) show students in foreign language programs exhibiting greater cognitive development, creativity, and divergent thinking. Wilburn Robinson (1992) believed that bilingual children have "a mental flexibility, a superiority in concept formation, and a more diversified set of mental abilities.” When children develop literacy in more than one language, they gain a better comprehension and usage of language. If started early, the benefits are even bigger it has an effect on intellectual and rational development and improves skills in one’s native language. Development of a better ear for listening has been recorded, and students get a lead in language requirements for college (http://www.cal.org/earlylang/benefits/benefits_of_being_bilingual.html)

The bilingual brain develops more densely. Researchers (Armstrong and Rogers (1997))  show that being bilingual structurally changes the brain. Their study shows the effect was strongest in people who had learned a second language before age 5. (Hitti, 2004).Further benefits include an increase in concentration abilities in bilingual adults and researchers found that "bilingualism appears to offset age-related losses" in certain mental processes. Studies (for the College Entrance Examination Board "College Bound Seniors: The 1992 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers") found that students who took a foreign language in high school scored higher on the verbal scale of the SAT, no matter what their socioeconomic backgrounds were and the same observation was made with students with 4 or more years of foreign language learning compared to those with 4 or more years in any other subject area. Learning a foreign language allows people to achieve in others areas too. Students exposed to foreign language education "showed statistically significant gains … in math and language after only one semester of study." These studies illustrate that studying a a foreign language enhances the rational skills of students it boosts abilities in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Besides being valuable for people, foreign language learning allows positive contribution to society, by staying competitive in the global economy, national security or simply be equal to other nations.

” I have traveled around the world and witnessed firsthand our competition and it is very clear that we need to maintain high standards. We let our students down if we fail to prepare them to succeed in this global economy." Governor Christine Gregoire.

Benefits of learning a foreign language for the nation
To stay competitive in an international economy, adjustment and better training of future citizens is needed. Knowing another language allows contact with more people and resources, thanks to wider communicating capacities, and understanding of cultures. It gives people an advantage in the workforce by opening up extra job opportunities (reporters, international business professionals, diplomats, pilots etc). Besides technology, the most important quality to companies’ executives is exposure to others cultures and travels. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said "We live in a changing world, with changing technology, changing culture, and changing economies." U.S. citizens need "to better understand language, culture, and foster relationships; and of course a big part of that is having an educational system that is aware of those trends."

In a conference sponsored by the Defense Department, David S.C. Chu, a defense undersecretary said that more Americans must be able to speak foreign languages to protect the nation’s interests and because the concept of war has changed. These days the U.S. military must deal “with nuance, illusions and culturally coded speech”, not only with combat issues. Unfortunately, less than one percent of high school students are studying Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean-languages the American government classifies as critical to national security. (http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/jun2004/a062204b.html)

Foreign languages studies are required in numerous countries, and have been part of the curriculum for years. At various levels of our society, people appear to perceive more and more the necessity for foreign language education. Parents are concerned with their children’s future; military leaders, business professionals and even politicians also have a stake in the future. In January 2007, Senator Voinovich said “I am deeply concerned that Americans are lagging behind much of the world in critical foreign languages, cultural awareness, and geographic knowledge. This lag can negatively impact our nation in very real ways, such as losing valuable business opportunities overseas, faulty intelligence from failing to promptly translate critical documents, or of misunderstandings in diplomatic communications.”

"While only 44 percent of our high school students are studying any foreign language, learning a second or even a third foreign language is compulsory for students in the European Union, China, Thailand, and many other countries." Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, January 2006.

The main reason behind learning another language is globalization: we have to recognize others and accept them, whether they are in our society or anywhere else. Foreign language also prepares students with greater knowledge of the different cultures of the world.

Globalization
Language education is a way to promote communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities (which are the five goals of the national standards for foreign language learning). If a child has contact with other cultures before he/she begins to see the external world as a threat, it will help comprehension and understanding. Respect of others is critical and can be achieved through education of a new language. The holistic learning experience of a foreign language provides children a natural process in which they have interpersonal experiences with members of the target culture/language and acquire an acceptance of diversity in communities, both within and beyond the school setting. (www.cal.org/ericcll/systempubs.html) According to the CIA World Fact Book, only 5.6 % of the world's total population speaks English as a primary language… and more than 80 % does not speak English. (http://www.vistawide.com/languages/why_languages.htm)

In our interdependent world, being able to communicate, understand and value other cultures is essential on the economic, politic and educational points of view. Being able to see through the perspective of someone else is incredibly powerful and crucial. Last but not least, how could the multiculturalism of today’s society be forgotten? We must see the cultural, linguistic and intellectual capital of our schools through the culturally and linguistically varied students attending them as fantastic intellectual resources, not as threats to the community. Students exposed to different cultures can get a greater understanding of others by encouraging a positive reception for the customs and achievements of persons others than the ones in their own communities.

Conclusion:
Foreign languages education is necessary whether it is to help the American students to become good citizens, keep the United States of America in the political, commercial or military plan or be part of the internationalization of the world.

Essay question
What is, in your opinion, the most important reason for learning a foreign language?

Multiple choice Questions
1) What do studies show students in foreign language programs exhibit?

A. Greater cognitive development B. Creativity C. Divergent thinking D. All of the above.

2) Researchers show that being bilingual structurally changes the brain and …

A. the monolingual brain develops less densely. B. People learned a second language better after age 5. C. All students in high school scored higher on the verbal scale of the SAT D. foreign language education allowed students to master math subjects quickly.

3) According to the American government this language does not classify as critical to national security:

A. Arabic B. Chinese C. Japanese D. Portuguese

4) According to Margaret Spellings only __________of American high school students are studying a foreign language.

A. 42% B. 44% C. 54 % D. 12 %

5) The five goals of the national standards for foreign language learning are communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and _______________

A. corruption B. cultivation C. communities D. consumption

Answers

1. D 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. C