America is diverse; one in five of U.S. residents do not speak English at home. The U.S. has no national official language, either. But why does this country not bother to encourage deeper cultural relationships people around the world? Many students taking foreign language classes in IHS drop out in Junior or Senior years, and is harming their education and potentially the society. While patriotism is important in such a vast, multicultural nation as the U.S., learning a new language is just as crucial a requirement for maintaining societal connections and intellectual progress of the next generation in the country as well as throughout the world.
Because only one credit of learning a world language is required for graduation, students are replacing these experiences for more “important,” “core” classes. Foreign languages are not a top priority for most students. This is a rising problem in students of IHS and other schools alike, where there is a lack of perseverance and devotion of students to their intellectual life. This is shown in how most stop taking the foreign language classes, because they are not required to do so. The ability and intent to speak multiple languages shows the capability of communication and the curiosity of different cultures, which progresses the students throughout today’s society.
Earth was once inhabited by different societies scattered throughout, and communication was highly limited between these societies. For the common civilian in these societies, there was no need to learn another language, because of the lack of interactions between civilizations. Now that we are living in a world with access to communications, however, the knowledge of different languages can create new relations and connections between individuals and countries as a whole. The knowledge of another language can also give a new perspective, about the culture of different countries and can also open up to a completely new way of thinking. As a bilingual myself, I have experienced many situations where I can understand two cultures and compare them through language. For example, I could see the difference in the expression of music and poetry, by observing the usage of literary devices, such as metaphors, similes, and idioms. With the application of language, people can have a wider knowledge of different customs and cultures.
Not only will this change affect an advancement in our society, learning a new language can also affect the individual’s mind and intelligence. From various studies by psychologists and researchers in the International School for Advanced Studies in Italy, it has been proven that speaking multiple languages causes the strengthening of the cognitive status of the brain. These studies showed that between groups of bilinguals and monolinguals, the bilinguals displayed a greater ability to solve problems and perform tasks. The connections a bilingual makes between the differences in grammar and culture are extensive, and this trains the mind to monitor environments and find solutions more effectively.
In a society that is a melting pot of cultures spread and mixed by ethnic groups, immigrants, and people with often conflicting worldviews, members of society must learn to understand the ideas and values of other people. Knowing how to speak a second language is a allows people to look beyond their own conceptions of the world. For the immigrants and for our society, and beginning with this country, we are obligated to start making these changes to connect and socialize as human beings while improving the intellectual aspects of all people.