Foreign language is key to success

[Francis Hult]

The Triangle

 

Foreign language is key to success

 

I would like to blame geographic isolation for the fact that most U.S. citizens that are not of immigrant households do not speak any languages other than English. Fine, you can't hone your German or your French, we get it - it's all an ocean away. Regardless, just to the south of us Spanish, and not English is what is spoken. According to a report conducted by the Center for Applied Linguistics, Foreign Language Teaching: "What the United States Can Learn from Other Countries," the U.S. lags in foreign language proficiency because linguistic education is introduced too late, and our teaching force is not properly equipped. These conclusions should not come as a surprise. We can all recollect the nightmare and confusion of foreign language classes, so it's no wonder why few bother to pursue the languages in which they once held interest. So, what do we lose from avoiding learning a foreign language?

 

Full story:

http://media.www.thetriangle.org/media/storage/paper689/news/2009/07/17/EdOp/Foreign.Language.Is.Key.To.Success-3752127.shtml

_______________________________________________
Edling mailing list
Edling at lists.sis.utsa.edu
https://lists.sis.utsa.edu/mailman/listinfo/edling
List Manager: Francis M. Hult