Should Spanish be a required course in American schools?

[Fer-Snazzle]

Although I agree, one could argue that America doesn't even have an official language...

Which is why I said "the majority of americans speak english" instead of "Our national language is english"...

 

[Ruby]

I still hold that any language spoken natively by more than 10% of the population deserves to be compulsory, although I'm not sure what level of Spanish should be taught.

In the end, the importance of other languages might br shrinking, though. Seems more like everyone else wants to learn English than Americans want to learn languages other than English...

Languages are becoming increasingly important. People whose first language isn't English usually know English and their first language. Those people have an advantage over native English speakers who know English and nothing else. Multilingualism is the default now; anyone who speaks only one language is at a disadvantage.

 

[Empoleon]

Only where the hell is Mandarin used outside China and Taipei? It's only the most "popular" language because one fifth of the entire world lives in China. For business purposes, yeah. For elementary school? Probably not. High school? Sure thing.

Swahili is kinda the same way to a lesser degree because more than two countries use it, but is probably less useful than Mandarin in the US.

Spanish, followed by French and German, are simply the most useful secondary languages in the US, it's plain and simple.

In Elementary school, if there was language education, I'd definitely put Spanish or French on top of the list. Come (junior) high school, any language available would do. After all, not everybody's going into busniess or diplomacy.

So if everyone else is judging what languages they're teaching (English) based on the world for business and such, then why shouldn't we?

 

[Adriane]

What?

 

[Hawkfish]

Why learn a language besides for business? I'm sorry I would want a language to benefit my future. I don't wish to learn Spanish, because it won't benefit me. I'm lucky to live in an area wher basicly everyone knows English. At least enough to cummunicate. I'm planning on moving away however one day.

Spanish woudn't be useful for someone who is going to move to a different country where it isn't as widely spoken.

And some people don't want to be forced into learning something. I'm not saying it shoudn't be a option. But... then again where I lived the school system sucks. I have seen people unable to do their OWN first language correctly yet their suppose to learn a second language?

I'm sorry, I think you should have lengthy English classes to drill into kids heads how to speak it. And if you have good enough grades then you can have a second language. Since I'm tired of hearing broken English or English which is almost impossible to understand.

 

[Ruby]

Why learn a language besides for business?

Because the purpose of school should be education, not training.

 

[Alexi]

Is learning a language to be able to talk with disabled people (for example, Sign Language for the Deaf/Mute [or should I say 'verbally disabled'?]) worth the while?

Yes.

My school said the same thing how sign language was not a foreign language, and I can see how it's not (since it is still English), but I think it should be readily avaliable in schools. Especially my school, in which ~15% of the campus population is deaf, so I don't see why it doesn't offer a sign language class for other kids to learn and perhaps try and talk to those deaf kids.

 

[Dannichu]

I think that a language should be compulsory, at least for the first few years before you specialize (as in, pre-GCSE in the UK), and recommended thereafter.

But Spanish is the logical language to learn, and since schools often can't afford to hire people to teach Japanese, Russian and whatever else (the only language I could've learnt in school was French because the MFL department was drastically underfunded), just be grateful you get the oppurtunity to learn anything at all.

 

[Storm Earth and Fire]

Yes.

My school said the same thing how sign language was not a foreign language, and I can see how it's not (since it is still English), but I think it should be readily avaliable in schools. Especially my school, in which ~15% of the campus population is deaf, so I don't see why it doesn't offer a sign language class for other kids to learn and perhaps try and talk to those deaf kids.

I think it's just down to funding... At my school the percentage of deaf students is around 4~%, but we have ASL classes.

 

[T-man]

I think a language should be required, but you shouldn't be forced to take Spanish. I'm taking Mandarin Chinese at my school.

And yes T-Man, you do sound like a jerkass right now. Because you assume anyone speaking Spanish has immigrated to the United States, when that is obviously not the case. And how could learning a language to help you communicate with a wide group of people be a bad thing? I understand that it is required to learn English to immigrate to the US, but it is not against the law to be more comfortable speaking in a different language. And it is not a law that you must speak English all the time. You sound like my uncle from Arizona when we went to an Arctic Circle in Idaho: "God, I thought we got away from this Spanish crap..."

Note the Arizona Uncle, which is where I live, smart one.

And no, I am not assuming that they ALL immergrated (Legally or not)

(Where the bloody hell did you get that from?)

But, anyway, the reason is that here, you can't go 30 feet without spanish. Spanish, Spanish, oh? Guess what? Someone spoke engilish to me! WOW! Many times, when I walk up to someone without speaking? The ask me something in Spanish. Yes. In America. But, being forced to learn a language? No. I live in America, and I'll take English plz thx.

 

[Adriane]

Note the Arizona Uncle, which is where I live, smart one.

And no, I am not assuming that they ALL immergrated (Legally or not)

(Where the bloody hell did you get that from?)

But, anyway, the reason is that here, you can't go 30 feet without spanish. Spanish, Spanish, oh? Guess what? Someone spoke engilish to me! WOW! Many times, when I walk up to someone without speaking? The ask me something in Spanish. Yes. In America. But, being forced to learn a language? No. I live in America, and I'll take English plz thx.

Which end of your body exactly are you speaking out of?

 

[T-man]

Last I checked, the head.

And you, m'dear?

 

[The Quicker Picker-Upper]

Because the purpose of school should be education, not training

Schools should at least offer training.

engilish

Epic fail.


Well, I believe that English should be the only language-based class required for graduation. It's pointless to force people to learn Spanish in some states (Alaska), therefore it should not be forced in all states. However, it should be required that all schools offer Spanish, especially states that border Mexico. Also, all schools should require Foriegn Language for graduation (which I think they do already).

I have to take a Foriegn Language class in my school, and I chose French. Even though I am a fifth generation Texan, I have a really hard time pronouncing most Spanish words and I'd look like something between an idiot and a jerk if I even attempted to have a conversation with someone that speaks only Spanish. French words, on the other hand, are easy for me to pronounce.

 

[Arylett Charnoa]

Note the Arizona Uncle, which is where I live, smart one.

And no, I am not assuming that they ALL immergrated (Legally or not)

(Where the bloody hell did you get that from?)

But, anyway, the reason is that here, you can't go 30 feet without spanish. Spanish, Spanish, oh? Guess what? Someone spoke engilish to me! WOW! Many times, when I walk up to someone without speaking? The ask me something in Spanish. Yes. In America. But, being forced to learn a language? No. I live in America, and I'll take English plz thx.

That sounds really ignorant.

There are many people who speak different languages here and you need to respect and put up with their language as they respect and put up with yours. I'm sorry I had to be so mean, but I just had to say this.

 

[Alexi]

Also, all schools should require Foriegn Language for graduation (which I think they do already).

The stupid thing about California is, the schools do not require a foreign language for graduation...but if you want to go to any college in Cali, you have to have taken two years of a language.

So...Why isn't it required anyway? >.<

French words, on the other hand, are easy for me to pronounce.

The Alexi agrees!

Edit:

I'm sorry I had to be so mean, but I just had to say this.

Don't worry too much, he needs it. ;)

 

[Wilcox]

I think that a foreign language should be required, but I don't think Spanish should be mandatory.

I, myself, took Latin as my foreign language. In my opinion, it has helped me out a lot more than Spanish (which I also took for a short time, but not as long as Latin) in my SAT preparations. I also know that I won't be working in an industry that requires or prefers some knowledge of the Spanish language at all, so whats the point?

Chances are if you learn a language you'll hardly use it in the future. I don't know any close adults that can remember Spanish from when they learned it since most kids only take it because everybody else takes it, which means it'd be easier to find help on work or whatever. Sad, but true. Not many kids take Spanish because they want to learn Spanish.

So what I'm getting at is that the one taking the foreign language course should pick the language that most interests them.

 

[Ambipom]

A lot of people speak Hindi in my neighhborhood. Taking Spanish wouldn't help much.

But then again, I don't really ever talk to those people aside from saying "Hi," when I go by them on the sidewalk.

So yeah, English is fine, thanks.

 

[Crazy Linoone]

I think that a language should be compulsory, at least for the first few years before you specialize (as in, pre-GCSE in the UK), and recommended thereafter.

Exactly. People shouldn't be forced to learn things.

But Spanish is the logical language to learn, and since schools often can't afford to hire people to teach Japanese, Russian and whatever else (the only language I could've learnt in school was French because the MFL department was drastically underfunded), just be grateful you get the oppurtunity to learn anything at all.

They can always teach people Chinese. After all, China is rapidly growing in size and power, and it would be more useful to learn some sort of Chinese than Spanish, where not that many country use it anyway.

It really depends on where you live though. In where I live, there's lots of Chinese/Taiwanese people, so Chinese would be more logical to learn. However, if you're in, say, Texas, where lots of people speak Spanish, it'll be better to learn Spanish.

 

[Ruby]

Schools should at least offer training.

Training should not begin until compulsory education has finished. Without proper education one cannot choose wisely the sort of training one wants.

A school should create informed and educated adults who are ready to do in the world whatever they wish. No school should digress from its purpose of education.

 

[Grinning Calamity]

I think that it should be required, because of where we are today. But I also don't think it should be required, because this is America, not Mexico or Spain. If they want to come to this country, they should learn our language. This also leads to the issue of birth control, and I'm not gonna go there... 0.0;