Is Being Bilingual a Must in Today's America?
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Presidential Candidate Barack Obama created quite a stir during a July 9, 2008 question and answer period when he said:
We live in a global economy. And, you know, I don't understand when people are going around worrying about, "We need to have English-only." They want to pass a law, "We want English-only."
Now, I agree that immigrants should learn English. I agree with that. But understand this. Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English--they'll learn English -- you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish. You should be thinking about, how can your child become bilingual? We should have every child speaking more than one language.
You know, it's embarrassing -- it's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe, and all we can say, "Merci beaucoup." Right?
You know, no, I'm serious about this. We should understand that our young people, if you have a foreign language, that is a powerful tool to get a job. You are so much more employable. You can be part of international business. So we should be emphasizing foreign languages in our schools from an early age, because children will actually learn a foreign language easier when they're 5, or 6, or 7 than when they're 46, like me.
Regardless of whatever the political fallout has been from that comment, it is a very valid question: Should Americans--specifically American children--become bilingual, and if so, then what language(s) additional to English should they learn? Does it add value to their lives in any practical way?
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Links From Other Hubbers
- Fixing...The Education System
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- The Importance of Bilingual Education in America
- Be Bilingual Learn Spanish Review
- Is being bilingual a must in today's society? If I were to teach my daughter another language which
- Is being bilingual a must in today's society? If I were to teach my daughter another language which
- Is being bilingual a must in today's society? If I were to teach my daughter another language which
In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that being from a family with a long lineage in the desert southwest, I've grown up hearing Spanish all my life. My fluency has varied as I don't really have much reason to use what I've learned. I took two years of German in high school and two semesters in college. To build and maintain a web page dedicated to the Brazilian star, Xuxa, I had to be passably fluent in Portuguese, but I've forgotten a lot of that as the years have passed. I used to be conversationally fluent in ASL (American Sign Language), but a couple of decades of disuse has caused a lot of atrophy in that as well. I've learned bits and pieces of several other tongues, including: Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Hawaiian, French, Italian, tlhIngan Hol (Klingon), Latin, Greek, and Lojban. Additionally, I've also had to acquire fluency of dozens of computer languages.
I have to say the value for an American learning a foreign language is very situational. If you are an American dealing with Americans, it pretty much never comes up. English is the country's de facto language, and is the world's lingua franca. A huge reason why Americans don't have an overwhelming need to learn another language is the simple fact that everyone else seems to learn ours. I'm sure it was the same for the Greeks and then the Romans before us.
But, for the sake of argument, let's say that it's a really capital idea that Americans be bilingual. The question is then: in which other language? See, this is where it gets really tricky. Many would say Spanish, as so much of the population knows some sort of Spanish variant...although calling some of the Spanish dialects in the United States "Spanish" might be a little generous. Others would say Chinese, for if China becomes the next country to be dominant on the global stage, then obviously that should be the language to acquire (the same was said about Japan in the 80s). If Iran consolidates its power in the Middle East, then it might be wise to push for Farsi (or failing that, Arabic). But then, what if....
Well, you see the problem. Personally, I think that if bilingualism was the rule, then the single most useful language for Americans to learn would be ASL. Why? It's immediately useful and practical. Aside from being a great gesture to the deaf and hearing-impaired community, it solves the problem of how to communicate when the environment works against the spoken word: in a factory, a tarmac, under water, during military operations, over distance, etc. And let's be clear-since the signs have to be learned anyway, I'm saying that the grammar and syntax of ASL be taught, not signed English.
As for a global language.... Right now, I'd say the top two contenders are Spanish and Chinese. Spanish for more domestic (and hemispheric) use, Chinese if you think China will succeed the U.S. as the global power.
Is there any advantage to learning another language (other than ASL) if you are in an English-speaking world? I'd say most definitely. I never learned more about English than when I was learning a foreign language. I also learned a love of my mother tongue that I never would have had I not had to deal with gendered nouns, odd syntax, or simply not enough words to express my idea adequately. Conversely, I came to really appreciate those things in other languages that do things better than English can. Take the German word "gern". It's a concept word that doesn't really translate fully into English...sometimes maddeningly so, as I have a word that will express a concept, but I can't use it because none of my American acquaintances knows what it means. Every language has those.
There is also another concept that rarely gets mentioned when talking about knowing "only" English. Regardless of the large vocabulary, the fact is that since English isn't an "official" language with some sort of government board making sure the language is kept "pure", it's a living and breathing beast that is constantly changing and evolving. We native speakers learn and absorb a pretty standard English, but we also have to learn so many variants that, cumulatively, it arguably makes us multilingual. I can understand (more or less) and sometimes speak things such as Middle English, Valley, Surfer, Black, Spanglish, Strine (Australian English), Cockney, Jamaican, South African, and a few others. Some, such as Old English, Rapper/Gangstah, various pidgins, and some Celtic/Gaelic variants I can have a great deal of trouble with. Honestly, it's tough to keep up.
While it's a complicated question without a definitive answer, I think it safe to say that as nothing is lost in a bilingual education, and there is some value to be gained, then it probably makes more sense to be bilingual than not. I strongly suggest ASL as it's very practical, but in any given circumstance other languages will work.
From personal experience, I have to say that while learning other languages has made me more fluent in English, the actual value has been dubious. Generally, at best it allows you to eavesdrop on people who think that speaking a language other than English in the United States is the verbal equivalent of data encryption. Still, if you happen into an environment where being bi/multilingual is an advantage, then you never regret having learned it. Should it be required? Probably not. Strongly encouraged? Sure, why not?
Of course, if how foreign language is taught in schools doesn't change, I don't see this being a useful policy at all. I don't think I know anyone who learned well a foreign language in public school. I think a Rosetta Stone-based system, or something equally immersive, might be better than what we have now--at least until the students get a good enough handle on the language that the minutae gets taught. After all, I was already a fluent speaker and fair-to-middlin' reader of English before they started in with all that noun-verb-object subject-predicate stuff.
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CommentsLoading...
Congratulations on the approaching nuptuals. That is certainly a very valid and very considerate reason for learning a language. Out of curiosity, are you learning Dutch on your own (with help from your H2B, of course), or are you taking classes?
CJ
Thank you :)
Funnily enough I am using the products advertsied on this hub - Roseta stone. i HIGHLY recommend it. They teach you the way you learn a language when you are a baby. it really sticks, and this is from somebody who HATED language classes in school. I am really enjoying learning, and once i have the basics I may enrol in a proper taught class.
I am visiting my Dutch family next week, where I will meet my baby nephew for the first time and my 2 year old niece again, who has just begun talking. Maybe she can help me out!
Congrat J_Eds and thank you for all the information above cjcs! Personally we were thinking along the same lines, if I am gonig to "teach" her one Chinese should prob be it since we live int FL and the Spainsh I think she will be foreced to pick up through living... This would conveibly give her 3 languages she can draw from... Thanks again for the great post!
One can claim that learning another language is not neccesary. And it isn't, not for a lot of americans. However, learning a second or even a third language will always be a plus. It will not only help you understand other cultures and concepts, but it will also help you realize things about your own language and culture that you didn't know about.
A language is a tool. You decide if that tool is useful to you.
J_Eds: I've only done something like a lesson and a half in Rosetta Stone, but I agree that it seems to be the most effective way to get on with learning a language. I especially like the breadth of languages available...something there for almost everyone. I hope you have a good trip (or: Heeft u een leuk reise. [I think...Dutch is far from being my stong suit] :-)
blogging2: Because of its difficulty, I strong encourage those who have an interest in Chinese to learn it when they are very young. If you have a Chinatown nearby, you can also try using that as a resource as well.
FedeFiesta: As they say: if the only tool you know how to use is a hammer, then all the problems of the world look like a nail. I think you've definitely hit the nail on the head with your coping saw--you can never have too many tools in your personal toolbox.
Thanks, everyone, for the great comments!
CJ
strongly encouraged? yes I believe so too. it is an advantage and it really strikes an argument their. but I guess I just have to leave it to the leaders. thanks for a mind stirring hub.
Of course, if how foreign language is taught in schools doesn't change, I don't see this being a useful policy at all. I don't think I know anyone who learned well a foreign language in public school. I think a Rosetta Stone-based system might be better than what we have now, at least until the students get a good enough handle on the language that the minutae gets taught. After all, I was already a fluent speaker and fair-to-middlin' reader of English before they started in with all that noun-verb-object subject-predicate stuff. [Added to main article]
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, Beth
I'm 63 yrs old and when I was in high school, we studied latin, one of the mother laguages. In college, i studied French and German. later in life I studied Hibi and spanish. However, there is a big difference between reading and being fluent. I live in south florida and don't speak spanish, so it's very difficult for me
vrajavala: I know what you mean. As I outlined, my lack of immersion with the various languages I learned led to a lot of forgetting of the languages I learned. It's sort of a use-it-or-loose-it situation. And, as you noted, reading is a LOT different than conversation--though I don't know where one would go to speak conversational Latin :-) Thanks for writing.
CJ
Touchy subject. Let me say that while I very much support learning multiple languages, I don't like it being forced down my throat - visually or otherwise. That's probably enough said. Thanks for the though provoking hub.
Hello CJCS: I have always felt enriched by the fact that I'm fluent in both English and Spanish, as well as slightly conversant in French and able to read a smattering of Hebrew. in fact, I've made most of my living from being bilingual, working in U.S. Hispanic advertising. I have acquaintances who go ballistic over that fact, not understanding why we should have Spanish language media in the U.S. I have never understood why so many Americans (I was born in the U.S. and raised in New York, Puerto Rico and Mexico) refuse to learn another language as a matter of principle, stating that the early immigrants who came to this country had to learn English and so should everyone who is here. I grant them that everyone who resides in the U.S. should try their hardest to learn English, out of respect for the society that has welcomed them as well as to be able to succeed in this country. But I also feel that all truly cultured people understand the value of knowing more than one language and will go out of their way to be multilingual... Great hub!
CJ;
I encourage my 16 year old to learn Spanish. I live in Texas, and it would be a big advantage. We are fortunate that my wife is bilingual, and her sister is a court translator for English/Spanish. I only know a little of it.
I might add that another language also seems critical to our youths' future, and that is programming. It seemed like the tech crash of the 80's took away the emphasis of this, but today it is more important than ever, I think.
My wife is also the programmer (at least at the novice level). I hope she rubs off on our son, not me...
Oh, fine post, by the way. Keep up the good work.
market solution: I know what you mean. No one liked the language requirements in college for most of the majors. It wasn't so much opportunity than lack of freedom of choice. I do think that if we changed our way of teaching languages it would go a long way toward making them less onerous.
Guru-C: A failing in our society is a lack of History. It's oft forgotten that most of this country was not English speaking at first. We had German, French, Spanish, and the large variety of indiginous languages. These languages, and so many others, are part of the fabric of the quilt that is America. It's part of us. It's more than tortillas, gumbo, and bratwurst. The words matter. (And thanks for an idea for a future hub :-)
viralprospector: You hit on a topic that's been on my list: programming. Like many of the young in our culture, computers have loomed large in my life since I was a child. True, the computers lack the power of that calculator on my desk, humans hadn't yet landed on the Moon, assembly language was a primary way to instruct computers, and programs were input with punched paper tape (I didn't get to use Hollerith/IBM punched cards until college)--but computers they were. Programming languages have much to say, the question is: is anyone listening?
Thanks all for the great comments.
Haha thanks for replying!
I think it gives one a sence of fullfillment to learn another language.
I also believe you should never move to another country if you do not speak the language. I think that is very rude.
J_Eds: I agree, though I can see circumstances requiring you to learn after you arrive because there wasn't time before. If so, it should be one of the highest priorities.
CJ
I liked the way you mentioned that learning another language makes you more fluent in your original language. That's one of the chief benefits, and most people aren't aware of it.
As long as you are stuck inside the system of a single language, you have nothing to compare it to, and so you have no idea how it works the way it does, or in what way it might work differently.
It's like trying to answer the question "what do you like best about living on earth?" without ever having been on a different planet.
While learning a language is very good to know. Forcing Americans who have lived here all of our lives to become Bilingual is ridiculous!!!!It takes takes time to become fluent!!!!and it takes money as well like college or buying the Rosetta Stone... Its scary to see so many Bilingual requirements and I live in America I just dont think its fair!!!!!!!!! Everyone should not have to learn Spanish particularely I think other languages should be looked at as well...We have to learn SPANISH but people who speak Vietnamese,Arabic,Japanese, or whatever have to fend for themeselves!!!!! Its not fair these people get all the luxury AND PEOPLE WHO ARE CITIZENS GET TREATED LIKE IMMIGRANTS!!!!!!!!!
SJ, I'm sorry to disagree, but you are just way off. You obviously did not understand this piece at all. In no way does he say that only Spanish should be learned, in fact he suggests many other options. You are the typre of ignorant person that has created such an uproar of a neccessary issue. Americans are being selfish and lazy by sitting back and making everything else change for their own comfort. In no way are these people coming into America getting all of the luxury. Many of them are struggling and America is the place they can have possibilities. They are doing what they can to fit into our society and it is wrong for us to say that we are being treated like immigrants because it is completely false. Maybe go to another country and you will be trated like an immigrant. Also keep reading well written articles such as this and maybe one day you will understand and think like an adult.
This is BS I shouldnt have to learn another language in America. Everyone comming to America should speak english PERIOD POINT BLANK!
Great Hub--I speak spanish fluently and have for about 20 years now. I can't tell you how often it has helped me to be able to communicate with people who can't communicate in English. Great Hub.
I HAVE A SPEECH COMMING UP AND I LIKE TO READ THESE TYPE OF ARTICLES, I LIKE WHEN PEOPLE TYPE THEIR OPINIONS. I HAVE TO SAY THAT SPANISH IS MY FIRST LANGUAGE AND I KNOW THAT NOT ALL THE "AMERICANS" SHOULD LEAN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, BUT WITH NO BOUBT IT'S A HELPFUL TOOL, WE ARE HUMANS, WE ARE ABLE TO LEARN MORE THAN JUST 1 LANGUAGE , BECAUSE WE ARE NOT MONKEYS ANY MORE, BESIDES; I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY PATRIOTS HERE THAT THINK THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD LEAN THE LANGUAGE OF THAT COUNTRY, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW AND I HAVE STUDIED, ENGLISH CAME TO AMERICA LONG TIME AGO, INDIAN IS THE NATURAL MOTHER LANGUAGE OF THIS CONTINENT, DO YOU GUYS SPEACK INDIAN?
Language being the basis of communication of thoughts and ideas, it only seems logical that second/third language learning is encouraged!
Learning another language should be an option to americans. cause i for one want ever leave america until the day i die and when i see someone that doesn't speak english i walk away. I don't care for the world outside of america like most people do. it was required of me to learn a foreign language in high school and i still or anybody in america for that matter can really talk proper english. Proper English should be mandatory instead of learning another language. Have you ever thought that the reason other countries learn our language at a young age because they are planning on coming to america once they get of age
Hi
In line the theme of this hub, may I recommend this one
www.JobsWithLanguage.com - a free site that promotes multilingualism in Europe
I think it's important, and yes it should be mandatory, for children to learn a foreign language. I believe this for a number of reasons however lets address a section of your argument.
What language should be learn? If I learn French I will not be able to speak to the Spanish, if I learn Spanish I will not be able to speak to the Chinese. They all speak English anyway so why should I speak their language, whoever they are?
There will always be a situation where knowing a certain language, or set of languages will not be useful. We have to accept that regardless of how 'useful' we think our chosen language will be. However by having learnt one language it is easier to converse with a speak of another, and not just because two languages broaden the possibility and probability that they speak one of your languages. Bilinguals are given the linguist foundation to cope with dealing in a third language, not only can they draw upon their experiences speaking French/Latin/Spanish in addition to English to untangle the meaning of these new, foreign words but they have also lost the attitude associated with speakers of English as a first language.
Perhaps that is the most important element: Attitude. English speakers belittle foreign languages, an introduction at an early age is fundamental to our children's development. It breaks down barriers and changes attitudes allowing for the free movement of ideas not only between groups of people but also within our own minds.
However, contrary to the above statement after reading some of the comments on this blog perhaps it would be more appropriated to make speaking English compulsory for all those born as native English speakers.
Your parents didn't drag you up in the gutter, they sent you to school to get an education; you are doing them and your teachers a disservice by typing like that. Calm yourself and think before you type.
My granddaughter “17”is trying to find work, only problem is most jobs mandates employees be bilingual. In my day we kids would work in the food industry as dish washers, servers, and fast foods. I worked as a injection mold person. Not today, now one must speech Spanish and willing to work for the same $8 an hour I earned in the 70’s.long story short Mexico wins and soon a Mexican flag will fly over the capital building
This is a very thought provoking article. I too have aquired "passable" spanish over the years, which has at times shocked hispanic folks who thought they were talking "behind my back" right in front of me. ha! ha! But I actually did it out of the NEED to speak spanish. The part of the country I live in has a large spanish speaking population also, and it's just easier to communicate when each person understands what the other is trying to say.
When I was in school, (way back when) we had a choice of languages to take. I took french. If I were to go to France, I sincerely doubt I could make myself understood. Unless the person I was speaking to spoke english or spanish!
hi im in 7th grade and ive been learning spanish for 8 years not and it has helped sooo much!!!
J_Eds 3 years ago
I am just begining to learn Dutch, because my H2B is Dutch. His family can speak english but i feel it is important to cater for them too.