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"Cultural isolation is a luxury the United States can no longer afford."
-Senator Paul Simon
Americans have hidden behind the excuse that everybody important knows English for too long. The United States is the only country in the world where a student can graduate from college without ever having learned a foreign language. Most countries start foreign language instruction at ten years of age or younger. It is time we did something ourselves and stopped letting everyone else do the work. One credit of foreign language instruction should be required in order for graduation from high school in Laramie County School District Number One.
Basic foreign language skills are important in communicating with people. With new technologies, we can communicate with people who do not speak English. In recent years, the number of people in the United States who do not speak English has also risen. Also, only ten percent of the world's population speaks English. Although one year of a foreign language will not allow students to carry on lengthy conversations with people who do not speak English, it will let them greet them and ask and answer basic questions. Studying a foreign language also gives students insight to another culture. As John Christie said, "Learning to speak a foreign language helps you to understand the people who speak the language." Foreign language study helps students to understand why people think other ways and why some of their traditions came to be.
Foreign languages help students compete to be accepted into top schools. Many colleges require a foreign language for admission, but more than that it teaches students important study skills needed to be accepted to and excel in college. The memory is like a muscle, the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes. Learning a foreign language exercises the memory, thus making it easier to remember facts from other classes. Students who study a foreign language also find their English improves. By learning a language, students learn English grammar, sentence construction and parts of speech, helping them excel in English and other classes that require writing.
Students with foreign language skills can find jobs more easily than students without. Many employers look for applicants with basic foreign language skills. Language skills are also important for positions with international companies. Job security and higher pay for employees who know a foreign language are other possible benefits. Since only twenty percent of students in the United States take a foreign language, the ones who do have an advantage. Also, students who enjoy the language and continue studying can choose from many other professions, such as library systems technician, publishing, journalism, customs inspector, radio or television broadcaster, translator, linguist, teacher, bilingual secretary, travel agent or flight attendant. Many jobs with the government are available to people with foreign language skills, such as security and loss prevention, law enforcement and administration, engineering manufactured good for export, banking and financial officers and personnel in multi-national corporations.
Foreign languages are very useful when communicating, getting accepted to college and finding a job. "Even Americans," Jean Seligmann said, "will need to know a foreign language in the twenty-first century." We should give graduates of Laramie County School District Number One the chance to compete with everyone else in the future.
Please, if you use this paper, be sure to give Lecia Beck credit for her hard work.
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