The Great Debate: Should students be required to learn a foreign language?

"The way the world is going, a second language will become more and more beneficial when trying to get employed."

"Learning a new language is not beneficial. This is because it takes away time from more important subjects."

The argument for students being required to learn a foreign language is one that has been a great debate in previous years but has surfaced prominently in recent years. As depicted with the quotes above, individuals may formulate their opinions on the topic based on fact but there are also many that fall into personal experiences that have shaped the way in which they think. No matter which side of the fence an individual is on, there does not seem to be a definitive answer in the near future to determine whether or not students should be required to learn a foreign language.

According to Forbes, studying a foreign language is waste of time for the average American because they could be spending their time doing something else. The main argument to this point is that individuals in the United States do not come across many individuals who speak a foreign language who do not also speak English. In contrast, many individuals in European countries come in contact with other individuals who do not speak the same native language as them. Forbes argues that it is more beneficial for students in foreign countries to spend more time learning foreign languages because they are exposed to scenarios in which they would need them more frequently than an American student would.

One thing to make note of is that Eton Institute’s Language Development in the Workforce survey found that 89% of multilingual employees added significant value to their organization. Having the ability to speak more than one language is a competitive advantage in today’s business world. Are students getting ahead of the game at an early age or are they facing pressures to reach greatness well beyond their years?

Even if students take the time to learn a foreign language, are they really going to use it? With the use of interpreters and translators, do we really need to obtain the knowledge and ability to fluently speak another language? These questions are open for interpretation leaving many to debate whether or not students should be required to learn a foreign language.

There are several cases for each side of this debate. Regardless, it does not appear that there will be a concrete answer to this debate anytime soon. Every individual has the obligation to highly consider the pros and cons of their child or other students becoming bilingual. It is ultimately up to you to decide whether or not you are in favor or are against students studying a foreign language.