Reasons for using the topic
- In the modern world, technology, improved communication systems, internationalization of trade and development of global community are some of the most significant aspects that contribute to globalization (Block & Camer, 2012).
- To foster international understanding and relationships, communication plays a significant role (Rubin, 2001). Noteworthy, language is the fundamental requirement for an effective communication.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this paper is to examine the need for the US to introduce compulsory lessons in foreign language in the national high school curriculum.
Thesis statement
Only about 18% of the people in the US are able to speak another international language apart from English (Grosse, 2004). America is lagging behind other nations, which can be solved through introducing compulsory lessons in foreign language in the national curriculum for the high schools (Liu, 1999).
Obviously, learning foreign languages is the best answer to this question. Among other advantages, being fluent in foreign languages is likely to proper the national economy, improve the country’s relations with other nations, improve the ability of the US citizens to compete for international business or employment opportunities and improve corporate understanding between America and foreign governments or industries (McKay & Wong, 2006).
Characteristics of the audience
This research paper aims at convincing readers to take a similar position on the need to develop and implement a new curriculum that will make learning foreign languages compulsory in the US high schools. The audience is made up of scholars at the university level, including students and the teaching staff.
Therefore, it is expected that the audience will pose strong challenges to the topic and the research question as well. In particular, the audience is expected to investigate the need for the research, its justification and importance in the field of education (Hendon, 2004).
Scope of the study
This research is limited to the field of education. The investigation will be based on a survey and an interview with students at three selected universities in the US. In particular, the investigation will include participants drawn from the teaching staff, students, employees and organizational managers.
The study will involve five sections- introduction with a strong historical background, review of relevant literature, methodology, discussion, conclusion and recommendations.
Questions to be answered
Specifically, the paper will attempt to answer the following questions:
- How does being a bilingual/multilingual graduate increase the chances of securing jobs?
- How does the acquisition of a second language increase a graduate’s ability to compete in the international job market?
- Does the introduction of foreign language in the US school curriculum improve the students’ ability to compete in the national and international job markets?
Research plan and methods
The study will use a quantitative approach. A random sampling technique will be used to select the participants of the study. The study will be done in two settings- a selected university and 3 corporations. In the university setting, the researcher will include 180 students and 30 teaching staff members. In the corporate setting, a simple random sampling technique will be used to sample 18 employees and 6 managers.
Four different sets of interviews will be conducted. First, the student participants will be provided with open-ended interviews requesting them to give their opinions about the introduction of a second language in the national high schools. Secondly, open-ended interview questions will be sent to the university staff members asking them to describe their experiences and the expected benefits for acquiring a second language.
Thirdly, six face-face interviews will be conducted to investigate the lived experiences of the corporate leaders. Finally, close-ended questions will be emailed to the employees asking them to describe the advantages and disadvantages of having knowledge in one language against two more languages.
References
Block, D., & Camer, D. (2012). Globalization and Language Teaching. New York: Psychology Press.
Grosse, C. U. (2004). The competitive advantage of foreign languages and cultural knowledge. The Modern Language Journal, 88(3), 351-373.
Hendon, U. S. (2004). Introducing culture in the high school foreign language class. Foreign Language Annals, 13(3), 191-199.
Liu, J. (1999). Nonnative‐English‐speaking professionals in TESOL. Tesol Quarterly, 33(1), 85-102.
McKay, S. L., & Wong, S. L. C. (2006). Multiple discourses, multiple identities: Investment and agency in second-language learning among Chinese adolescent immigrant students. Harvard educational review, 66(3), 577-609.
Rubin, J. (2001). What the “good language learner” can teach us. TESOL quarterly, 2(3), 41-51.