Why Foreign Language should not be a High School and College Requirement
This is a problem that I have had for several years. When I entered high school, I had taken several years of foreign language, but only for two days a week. If anything, it was more of a thing that gave me enough information about the language, Spanish, to realize that I couldn’t stand it. It always seemed while I was trying to focus on my core academics, Spanish class would show up all throughout middle school. And now, where has it got me? No where. People always tell me that, since I live in Southern California, speaking a language that nearly half of Los Angeles county knows would be very beneficial. I could see where they got confused. But why am I so against it. I guess I should get more specific; I don’t think Spanish should be recommended foreign language. When you sign up for language classes, your counselors, teachers, everyone tell you that in SoCal, you should take Spanish, because that is the most useful. I think that is horrible.
Why? Because it is preparing us for an even worse situation then we are already in. We already are having issues with the border, and illegal aliens are crossing the border everyday. I don’t know about you, but that angers me. And now, with the population learning more of the language from where they come from, we are making this country, the U.S.A., that much more inviting of a place for them to come over.
I don’t want anyone to write comments saying that I am racists, or am WRONG (cause I’m not!), because if they come over legally, thats great. Welcome them with open hands, give them gifts, they deserve it if they come over legally, and went through the tough and difficult process. But then, they should be required, in my eyes, to speak English in all public places. Not necessarily to themselves, or so other people can here into their conversations or anything, but when people go to a retail store, or something like that, and they don’t know how to speak English fluently, they are putting more unwanted and unneeded pressure on the staff.
Anyway, back to my reasons for why this should not be allowed in schools. When I am a business major, with secondary focus in computer programming, I don’t want to have to devote and entire class period to a skill that you only need if you are working in McDonald’s for the above reason. It’s a waste. And, I am not saying that the problem is completely within the High School systems. The colleges, some of the biggest in the United States, want to see 3 years, thats six spots filled, with foreign language. And they would rather see that then six extra classes in what they are actually going to college for. I mean, where is the logic in that?
Scenario. I want to go to MIT (not really). They say, since they are a private college, that they want to see 3 years of a language. That means that they would rather accept, and probably will accept, someone who has less training and classes in Technology with three years, then someone who has twice as much training, but only one or two years. Thats nuts. I could see that being logical if they were going to college to study foreign language, but, no I am not.
What do you think?
[digg]
