The research paper will be concerned with the topic of linguistic diversity in the US. The proposed remedy to the problem of insufficient response to the population’s multilingualism is teaching foreign languages in US schools. The research question to be answered will be as follows: What are the possible benefits of introducing a foreign language to the US school curriculum? The paper will argue that, in order to respond to the needs of the multilingual US society better, US schools should introduce a foreign language to their curricula.
Further, the proposed topic will be described in more detail. Due to increased immigration and globalization, the US has evolved into a linguistically diverse country. It is estimated that one in five US residents and 20% of K-12 students speak a foreign language (Heineke and Davin 620). Yet, despite this diversity, American schools remain English-dominated. Being a substitute teacher in Texas, the author of this paper often observes a situation when Hispanic students are afraid to speak Spanish. This is because they have to switch to English throughout their school studies and have to opportunity to practice and improve their knowledge of their native languages. Then, in high school, they are faced with the necessity to study a foreign language because it is a graduation requirement. Introducing a foreign language to the school curriculum could help these students improve their proficiency in their native language and acknowledge their contribution to the community. Learning a foreign language would also enhance students’ cognitive abilities and improve their ability to communicate with diverse people.
There are other views on this problem, which may not support the introduction of foreign languages in schools. For example, some people think that foreign languages are redundant because the whole world studies English. Others believe that foreign languages may be useless for some professions, so they should not be learned by everyone. Finally, some individuals assume that, since the US uses English as its main language, US residents should know only English. The research paper will attempt to respond to these counterarguments by exploring the benefits of learning a foreign language.
Work Cited
Heineke, Amy J., and Kristin J. Davin. “Prioritizing Multilingualism in US Schools: States’ Policy Journeys to Enact the Seal of Biliteracy.” Educational Policy, vol. 34, no. 4, 2020, pp. 619-643.