Foreign Language Education Advantages

Although national reports detail the need for Americans to be competent in other languages and cultures, only a handful of states have actually required foreign language be taught in elementary schools. Local districts are the cause for most long-standing elementary programs, like the Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools (FLES) program. In this program, courses are offered sequentially, beginning in primary grades and continuing through high school. Districts still face challenges in implementing programs like this, due to lack of support from state or federal levels; such as finding teachers adequately prepared in foreign languages.

The absence of a national curriculum and policy on foreign language studies has caused some districts to implement better policies, while others have chosen to eliminate programs altogether. While this is still largely due to budget restraints, the main problem lies in the fact that the benefits of early foreign language study isn't socially recognized or understood. Since it is commonly understood that the longer you study a foreign language, the more proficient you become, it stands to reason that the benefits become more important the longer you study another language.

The advantages to starting children learning foreign language at a young are significant. During their elementary school years, children are open to a better global understanding, so the learning of a different language and culture further that development greatly. This study of these programs also increases basic skills performance in elementary school. Connections have been found to creativity, memory, and listening skills as well.

Research studies also indicate that studying another language may give students the "edge" needed to succeed in later education levels. A study of over 17,000 students applying for college admission revealed that students who had completed a foreign language course in high school tended to have higher scores on the ACT exams in English and math regardless of their ability level. It has also been found that high school foreign language students perform significantly better on the SAT verbal exam than monolingual students. SAT verbal skills also increase successively with each half year of foreign language study.

Once we get to the colleges and universities of our country, one of the problems we face is that, like the individual school districts and communities, they tend to do their own thing. The fact still remains that a very substantial portion of basic foreign language instruction is carried out in the collegiate level. Approximately one in every five students enrolled in language studies is studying at the college level. The result is that there is a major structural challenge in the layers of language learning systems. Ideally, the transition in these foreign language courses should be smooth and well articulated. Too often, the various levels of language-learning systems march to different drummers.

The result is considerable slippage in language study between high school and collegiate levels. Most students arrive in college already having had a substantial amount of language study, which is attributed to students' desires for college admission. However, most institutions of higher education do not require foreign language study for entry. This shows remarkably little attention paid at this level to building on the foundation acquired during high school. In a comprehensive survey of college students conducted by the Department of Education, the proportion of students taking no language courses was 58.4 percent. So basically, while almost two-thirds of students arrive at college with some language instruction, more than half of take no language classes at all.

Yet another problem with our current educational system's attitudes towards foreign language education is that it is overwhelmingly focused on the lower skill levels. In both high schools and colleges, the dropout rate is about fifty percent from one year to the next in foreign language studies. A part of this is due to the fact that the system is set up to only require one to two years of study at both levels. These elementary skill levels do little, if anything, to enable students to use what they learn as a vehicle for communication.

Perhaps this problem is caused, in part, by the fact that American adults do not see a need to learn a foreign language. The commitments required to become proficient in another language, in their mind, outweighs any use they may get out of that knowledge. In some cases it is becoming more beneficial for working adults to learn a second language, usually Spanish, but until those that do the hiring actually push for more proficient language skills, the motivation will still remain low for adults.