• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Should foreign language/s be required learning in American schools?

Should foreign language/s be required in Am. school?


  • Total voters
    38

Peter Grimm

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Dec 13, 2011
Messages
10,348
Reaction score
2,426
Location
The anals of history
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Progressive
Self-descriptive title.

Also... what level of proficiency should be required? How many years of study?

Should we require Spanish? Chinese? Swahili? Leave it up to the student to decide? Which languages should be offered?

Etc.
 
if your native language is english ,no
:lol:
 
I think learning foreign languages is a very salutary effort, as it opens the door to other cultures and views on the world. So yes, I think it should be part of any good education.

Probably the schools/children should decide which language(s). Much can be said for Spanish or Chinese in case of America, I guess.
 
No. Leaving foreign languges as an optional (elective?) subject is fine. Perhaps offering C++, Objective-C, SQL, XML, HTML, Java or JavaScript would likely be more useful as additional language skills. ;)
 
if your native language is english ,no
:lol:

I think what you do is very good... you come on to this board and practice speaking English with smart (generally speaking) people. That's a fantastic way to learn a language.

That's called investing time instead of wasting time.... very commendable. It will serve you well later in life.
 
No. Leaving foreign languges as an optional (elective?) subject is fine. Perhaps offering C++, Objective-C, SQL, XML, HTML, Java or JavaScript would likely be more useful as additional language skills. ;)

Indeed, languages that probably offer a better future than some of the one's currently offered. ;)
 
I think learning foreign languages is a very salutary effort, as it opens the door to other cultures and views on the world. So yes, I think it should be part of any good education.

Probably the schools/children should decide which language(s). Much can be said for Spanish or Chinese in case of America, I guess.

I have to say for Chinese... if someone can learn it in school, they are very intelligent. I tried to learn it for about a month while I was dating a Chinese girl, and it would have taken about five times as long as learning another European language.
 
No, they shouldn't, but its good to take a few foreign language classes in your life.
 
I have to say for Chinese... if someone can learn it in school, they are very intelligent. I tried to learn it for about a month while I was dating a Chinese girl, and it would have taken about five times as long as learning another European language.

Yes, Chinese is probably not a starter thing ... a while back, I bought a Chinese learning set, but found it very ... alien, on first glance.

Compared to that, English and French seem rather easy. Sure, it's very difficult to really master English so well you can pass as a native speaker, but it was very easy for me to reach a level that allows me to be understood well. French was slightly more difficult, but still you notice the similarities to both English and German.
 
No. Leaving foreign languges as an optional (elective?) subject is fine. Perhaps offering C++, Objective-C, SQL, XML, HTML, Java or JavaScript would likely be more useful as additional language skills. ;)

You and I live in Texas.

Texas doesn't have very much in common with European countries, but we do have this: we have a foreign country right on our border, and we have a large contingent of foreign language speakers living within our borders.

In Europe, they all learn foreign languages from an early age.

For that reason, I think that in Texas, it would be beneficial to learn Spanish. I know I've used my knowledge of Spanish for many things, like hitting on cute young Mexican girls (they always get taken aback when a tall white guy can speak their language), getting deals, etc.

There's a whole other world/culture living within our state that, if you don't speak their language, you'll never get to know.
 
Indeed, languages that probably offer a better future than some of the one's currently offered. ;)

Computer languages are easy. You can learn one in a weekend of hard study. Foreign languages involve years of work to master.
 
You and I live in Texas.

Texas doesn't have very much in common with European countries, but we do have this: we have a foreign country right on our border, and we have a large contingent of foreign language speakers living within our borders.

In Europe, they all learn foreign languages from an early age.

For that reason, I think that in Texas, it would be beneficial to learn Spanish. I know I've used my knowledge of Spanish for many things, like hitting on cute young Mexican girls (they always get taken aback when a tall white guy can speak their language), getting deals, etc.

There's a whole other world/culture living within our state that, if you don't speak their language, you'll never get to know.

Si, como no. (Yes, of course). ;)

I started learning just enough to play pool, work construction and gradually picked up more. I am not fluent in Spanish, by any means, but not totally lost most of the time.
 
Spanish at the very least should be required. This should begin in the early years of elementary school to ensure fluency by graduation from HS. Additional languages, Arabic, Mandarin, German, and French should be common place in all institutions.
 
I'm going to buck the trend here and say yes, I believe that foreign language studies should be required in public schools. When I was in school, two semesters of a foreign language was required for graduation, which offered just a basic introduction and rudimentary skills. I believe more should have been required, enough to provide working proficiency.

The reason is obvious. Learning another language offers a doorway into cultures beyond our own, which is always desirable. Also, looking at how the USA has grown over the decades into cadres of non-English speaking communities to the point that speaking a second language is almost required for many public and private jobs nowadays, anyone who is proficient in more than one language has a distinct advantage in any job market.

I wish I had learned Spanish to the proficiency level back in the day. Decades of not using it has reduced me to being able to ask where the hotel is, ask someone's name, ask if someone requires food or water, or ask other very rudimentary questions... with no guarantee I will understand the reply. I could spend some big bucks to remedy that, of course, but it seems a bit of a waste for someone who is basically housebound and well out of the job market, lol!

Learning a second language, in my opinion, should be everyone's ultimate goal. :)
 
English should be mandatory for all immigrants...
 
Yes, Chinese is probably not a starter thing ... a while back, I bought a Chinese learning set, but found it very ... alien, on first glance.

Compared to that, English and French seem rather easy. Sure, it's very difficult to really master English so well you can pass as a native speaker, but it was very easy for me to reach a level that allows me to be understood well. French was slightly more difficult, but still you notice the similarities to both English and German.

Which is why it's so impressive to me that so many Chinese people can speak English. Not to mention the Japanese. It must be just as difficult for them to learn English as it is for us to learn Japanese, yet nearly the entire country is at least somewhat proficient.

I've always been interested in learning German. It's somewhat similar to Swedish, so I think it would be easier to learn, however you have more verb tenses and genders to remember. Swedish is more simple, as I think Swedish people are more simple in general.

Then I have always wanted to learn French, because there is a language that is easy in every way a language can possibly be easy. I already speak Spanish, so I know a Latin language, plus English.... so I basically already have the entire French vocabulary in my brain, it's just to learn the syntax.

I think Chinese would be such a huge investment, that unless I plan to move to China for some reason, I don't think I will able to do it.
 
Self-descriptive title.

Also... what level of proficiency should be required? How many years of study?

Should we require Spanish? Chinese? Swahili? Leave it up to the student to decide? Which languages should be offered?

Etc.

We should learn the languages that would make us most able to deal with the world around us. For example, Scandinavians all learn English, because simply put the world's most powerful economy speaks English. To Scandinavians it's not a big deal...it's just good common sense. Likewise I think we should teach our children Spanish and of course Mandarin.
 
Computer languages are easy. You can learn one in a weekend of hard study. Foreign languages involve years of work to master.

So it would be much easier to teach the kids something that might benefit them in their future (programming languages) if it must be force upon them, than some other language that most will never use.

Spanish at the very least should be required.

Hell no.
 
I'm going to buck the trend here and say yes, I believe that foreign language studies should be required in public schools. When I was in school, two semesters of a foreign language was required for graduation, which offered just a basic introduction and rudimentary skills. I believe more should have been required, enough to provide working proficiency.

The reason is obvious. Learning another language offers a doorway into cultures beyond our own, which is always desirable. Also, looking at how the USA has grown over the decades into cadres of non-English speaking communities to the point that speaking a second language is almost required for many public and private jobs nowadays, anyone who is proficient in more than one language has a distinct advantage in any job market.

I wish I had learned Spanish to the proficiency level back in the day. Decades of not using it has reduced me to being able to ask where the hotel is, ask someone's name, ask if someone requires food or water, or ask other very rudimentary questions... with no guarantee I will understand the reply. I could spend some big bucks to remedy that, of course, but it seems a bit of a waste for someone who is basically housebound and well out of the job market, lol!

Learning a second language, in my opinion, should be everyone's ultimate goal. :)

If you really do want to learn, this site is fantastic, and it's only like 10 bucks. I can't speak highly enough about it. It's better than private classes, better than Rosetta Stone, better than any other way I know how to learn a language.

LoMasTv - Spanish Immersion TV - The Authentic Way to Learn Spanish
 
I think what you do is very good... you come on to this board and practice speaking English with smart (generally speaking) people. That's a fantastic way to learn a language.

That's called investing time instead of wasting time.... very commendable. It will serve you well later in life.

l already know your language ,peter ! l am here to discuss politics in your own language ,not to learn it

yea it already serves my purposes and helps me tell about the facts of this region

thank god l am always good at this :cool:

l hope l am speaking english right now:lol:

but l had to vote " barely speak eng "

happy now? :mrgreen:

german and me cant do it.
 
Last edited:
So it would be much easier to teach the kids something that might benefit them in their future (programming languages) if it must be force upon them, than some other language that most will never use.



Hell no.

I don't see it as an either/or decision. Computer languages are useful. I learned BASIC when I was in elementary school, and I went to a public school in Colorado. We had a forward-thinking principal who got it put in the curriculum. Very glad for that.
 
It should be required. Two years of instruction was required at my high school (although most people took the whole four) and I'm better for it. Not only is it just good for the modern world, but it helped me understand English better.
 
I don't see it as an either/or decision. Computer languages are useful. I learned BASIC when I was in elementary school, and I went to a public school in Colorado. We had a forward-thinking principal who got it put in the curriculum. Very glad for that.

I think that if it is to be required, it should be computer stuff. Let languages be electives. As I said before, most of the kids that take them never use them. I know hundreds of kids that took french when I was in high school, not a one of them has ever been nor will ever go there, or anywhere that it is spoken. Wasted time.
 
Back
Top Bottom