Dear
Parents,
Currently,
the state of Michigan has a two year foreign language requirement for high
school graduation as part of its Merit Curriculum. However, many of you are not
aware of the reasoning behind this requirement. I am writing to inform you of
the benefits of foreign language study. There are many benefits your student
will receive, but this Washington State University article "Why Study a foreign Language" clearly summarizes three reasons why this requirement will benefit your student.
Give Yourself a
Competitive Edge
Did
you know that studying a second language can improve your student’s skills and
grades in Mathematics and English and can improve entrance exam scores -- SATs,
ACTs, GREs, MCATs, and LSATs? Research has shown that math and verbal SAT
scores climb higher with each additional year of foreign language study, which
means that the longer you study a foreign language, the stronger your skills
become to succeed in school.
The Job Advantage in a
Global Economy
More
and more businesses work closely with companies in other countries. They need
many different kinds of workers who can communicate in different languages and
understand other cultures. No matter what career your student chooses, if they
learned a second language, they will have a real advantage. A technician who
knows Russian or German, the head of a company who knows Japanese or Spanish,
or a salesperson who knows French or Chinese can work successfully with more
people in more places than someone who knows only one language.
Learning other Cultures
Studying
a new language, reading other peoples’ stories, and connecting with people in
their own language can be a source of pleasure and surprise. Connecting and learning
about other cultures will help your student expand their personal horizons and
become a responsible citizen. Their ability to talk to others and gain
knowledge beyond the world of English can contribute to their community and
their country.
I
hope that you are now more aware of the benefits of your student’s foreign
language study. I ask that you help as we try to educate and prepare our future
generation for the ever changing global society! If you want to read more from this article, I encourage you to visit http://www.forlang.wsu.edu/top10.asp.
Ms.
Myers
Alicia,
ReplyDeleteEverything you posted about was more than accurate. I touched a little upon all of those subjects in my blog post about how we should allow for more diversity in languages offered. It is true that the more our students are allowed and exposed to foreign languages in school, the more likely they are to succeed in the business world. It's always amazing how we, as a country, expect so much from our children, yet we cannot give them the tools to success, by limiting what languages they should learn, or even if they SHOULD learn other languages.
To me, even having ONLY a Spanish program is far more beneficial to a student than having no language programs at all. However, I believe that there needs to be at least two language options in every school, since students would be more willing to learn, when given choices and options. Especially when we consider making our children all the more global in their future, learning about and gaining appreciation for other cultures only enhances the human experience, and allows our children and students to grow and develop beyond their community's boundaries.
Have you thought about what could potentially be some downsides to learning a foreign language?
Grüß,
Evan
Hey Alicia!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I looked at the article on the University website, and I think it touched some very important points about foreign languages in the classroom, and why parents should be motivated to have their kids in these types of classes. For example, telling parents that the chances are good their kids will score higher on standardized tests is a good first incentive to get them thinking about the benefits foreign language classes can have in schools, and then after we can make the other arguments. I definitely think the job advantage is a good motivator too, because as the economies around the world are working more with each other, and the world is getting more "flat" multi-lingual employees are something that many businesses are going to be looking for. Overall, I think a big part of language learning is the cultural aspect, as you wrote, and I agree that it is important that students learn about this in the schools, because it will help them become more diverse, well rounded citizens, who can look beyond their own cultural barriers, and make informed decisions about problems we will face in the world.