Why Aren’t Most Americans Bilingual?
If you’ve ever heard someone use the phrase, “Go back to your country!” they’re probably American (and definitely racist). This attitude some Americans have developed may have come from a disconnect from other countries, and through that, a disconnect from other cultures and languages. The aforementioned phrase is usually used in reference to someone who doesn’t speak English, but has the speaker ever questioned why they can’t understand anything other than their own language?
Most Americans, when they leave high school, don’t continue with their language studies which has led to only 22% of Americans speaking a different language in their homes, and with 8.6% not fluent in English, that leaves around 13% of Americans as bilingual (LanguageLine Solutions). In comparison with European countries, this number is staggering since a low in Europe is Ireland, which is at least 20% higher. In general, almost 65% of Europeans can hold a conversation in another language, with some being able to speak multiple languages (Responsive Translation). If half of the human race is at least bilingual then why can only one-tenth of Americans speak a second language (Journal of Neurolinguistics, 539–557)?
Now, you might be asking yourself, why should I care? Being bilingual has cognitive, economic, and social benefits. Research states that those who learn a second language are better at evaluating, creative problem solving, cognitive flexibility or adaptability, and potentially more benefits. Anything from an offset of age-related cognitive loss to higher intelligence has shown up in these studies (ACTFL). The economic benefits include more job opportunities and career advancements. The former is self-explanatory; a second language, such as Spanish, could open up entire continents let alone singular countries, which would expand one’s job opportunities exponentially. Next, someone who’s bilingual would be highly sought after, giving their resume an edge. Since companies are always trying to expand in the global market, being able to connect and do business with more people would make you a more desirable employee. Trips abroad and dealing with foreign customers yield valuable skills that could lead to promotions as well (Penn State). Lastly, in these trips abroad you’d also be exposed to more people and create meaningful friendships. Even if you stay in the U.S., the second language would give you a commonality that could foster new relationships and new understandings, expanding your social life.
The root of the problem starts in timing and quality. Many Americans start learning at 12 or during middle school which has been shown to be too late if fluency is the goal. Studies have said that learning a second language should start before the age of 10, and immersion in a different country with that language would yield significantly better results. In fact, immersion is said to be even more important than starting early (Smith). This point connects to quality as the student would spend their entire day learning, having to practice in an environment that wouldn’t allow them to revert to their first language. The amount of time spent practicing in this situation far exceeds the time given in public school. If studying abroad isn’t an option, starting early is a good way to make up for the lost time and practice. In contrast, at least in my experience in public school, you wouldn’t be required to speak the language for the entire class length, and only until you reach a certain level in high school would it be expected.
Perhaps even more important than starting early is the encouragement from the teachers, as well as the children’s families. Creating a culture and school environment where kids want to learn Spanish or French or Chinese because they see it as something cool and normal would significantly change the mindset American children, and eventually adults, have towards being bilingual (or multilingual). Personally, and through talking with my peers, I’ve noticed that in my trip abroad to Spain, a majority of the students attending, (around 8 in total), were uncomfortable speaking Spanish to the point that one person was designated to order when eating out. This was the result even though we’ve had a private school education for 3 years so far - a supposedly better education. For my experience specifically, I only felt comfortable speaking Spanish when it was required, being too nervous to speak a lot around my host family. I was scared to fail since I’d never had the opportunity to gain confidence in that environment.
Some argue that it’s a waste of time since we’re not as geographically close to other countries like Europe is and some think that learning foreign languages should be taken out of the school system to make way for other core topics. This type of thinking, coming from a very closed-minded attitude, ignores the fact that immersion in two languages doesn’t take away from the development of the child’s first language. Actually, the evidence suggests faster cognitive development and better academic performance in young children with its inclusion (ACTFL).
All of this seems to boil down to culture, and with ours seemingly unwilling to change for the better, how do we evolve? Why do we not show empathy towards those who don’t speak a second language, then turn around and say that schools shouldn’t require students to learn a foreign language? In the modern American era, there has been an increased emphasis on diverse representation, but the diversity of language has been ignored and we could all stand to benefit from the diverse effects of fluency in a second language. Teaching language in elementary school is essential for keeping a language, but until we cultivate a mindset of desire around Americans learning a second language, there won’t be any change.
Works Cited
ACTFL, editor. “Cognitive Benefits to Students.” ACTFL Language Connects, www.actfl.org/center-assessment-research-and-development/what-the-research-shows/cognitive-benefits-students.
— -, editor. “What the Research Shows.” ACTFL Language Connects, www.actfl.org/center-assessment-research-and-development/what-the-research-shows.
Journal of Neurolinguistics. www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-neurolinguistics. LanguageLine Solutions. “Over 20 Percent of U.S. Residents Speak a Language Other Than English.” LanguageLine Solutions, 20 Sept. 2017, blog.languageline.com/limited-english-proficient-census.
Penn State. “A Case for Emphasizing Secondary Language Education in the United States.” Benefits of Learning a Second Language, WordPress, sites.psu.edu/secondlanguagebenefits/.
Smith, Dana G. “At What Age Does Our Ability to Learn a New Language Like a Native Speaker Disappear?” Scientific American, 4 May 2018, www.scientificamerican.com
Translation Guy. “This Is Not a Joke: How Many Languages Does a European Speak?” Responsive Translation, 30 Sept. 2014, www.scientificamerican.com
