Exploration Essay

America’s Voice
Jack Stout
ENGL 1010 Spring 2018

The United States of America is arguably one of the most powerful countries in the world. Our

massive Military contains some of the most highly trained individuals imaginable. Our research and

amazing minds have put men on the moon, broken records, and obtained new science and technology

decades before the rest of the world. The United States is even considered one of the most diverse

places in the world. A melting pot of different ethnic backgrounds, religions, and people. The most

amazing country in the world could still be viewed as being “behind” in one way, however; the amount

of people who speak a second language is very low. Is it time that the U.S. hops on the band-wagon and

begins offering a standard second language in the school curriculum?

Travel to nearly any other country and you will find two languages being taught in the class

room. The second language is most-often English, and learning this fact has made me curious as to why

so many other countries have a standard second language, when the Unites States features only elective

second languages in school. I am also curious about what the standard second language would be if the

U.S. decided to adopt one.

The first reason this would be beneficial that comes to mind is the ability to do business much

more efficiently. The Unites States is involved in so many other countries, especially Asian countries. Our

ability to communicate them would be much easier if we were able to learn their native language.

Learning the language of another country is considered a kind gesture by most other Countries, and if

we were able to return this favor it may help us gain the respect of the leaders, businessmen, and all

people.

The second function of learning a second language would be the ability to better infuse

ourselves with other cultures. It is unfortunate that many are forced to learn English if they wish to
communicate with people in the United States. We have much we could learn from other people and

their leaders, and the best way for us to learn from them is to first learn the language that they speak.

Third, and possibly the most interesting: There are proven health benefits from learning a

second language. It has even been reported that “bilingual people show the signs of dementia four to

five years later than those who are not bilingual” (Doyle, 2014). Another study, performed by the

Collective Schools of Waldorf Education states that “learning a second language helps to grow other

sections of the brain visibly and those who keep up proficiency score higher on standardized math,

reading, and vocabulary tests, are more perceptive of others’ points of view, and have better listening

skills.” This study shows that brain scans have shown larger portions of the brain in people who have

learned a second language. This also means that they have a higher learning ability in other areas, and

can be more perceptive of other peoples emotions. In essence, they understand a second language, and

other people more clearly.

After doing a brief survey I was surprised to learn that many people felt that the United States

does not offer a second language is so that we can get ahead in other subjects, rather than spending

more time with language study. It is factual that the United States contains some of the most

Entrepreneurial and Artistic minds. Could this be a result of the amount of time we are able to spend

studying a variety of subjects? Perhaps the United States school system is seeking a “Jack of all Trades,

but master of none” type of education. What some countries would deem unfocused, and disorganized

may prove to be one of our biggest strong-suits. American students may not have the highest test

scores, but it is proven that the American public excels in business.

According to Secretary Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education from 2009 to 2015, it is time for

the United States to adopt second language study as a standard in American Schools. He writes

passionately about the subject saying: “the United States has relied on other countries for too long to

speak English” in the Foreign Language Summit. Quoting Nelson Mandela, he shared “If you speak to a
man in a language he understands, it will go to his head. If you speak to a man in his language, it will go

to his heart” (Duncan, 2010).

With very little time being spent studying a second language, what are U.S. Schools doing with

the extra time? Surely, we are excelling in other subjects such as Math, Science, or English, right?

Wrong. In a recent study by the Huffington Post, a popular World News website, United States Students

are ranked 24th in Mathematics, and do not break the top ten in any of the major subjects. So then,

where is all of the time and energy going? What are American’s good at?

Since the beginning of our country, United States citizens have shown the world that we are

tough, innovative, and business savvy. In a recent study by Inc. Magazine, “nearly 27 Million Americans

have chosen to start their own businesses and follow their dreams” (Buchanon, 2018). Although

American’s are not the most book-smart on paper, we have the grit, determination, and work ethic to

succeed. We are proud of who we are, and what we stand for. Proud to be part of a country that gives

us the liberty of choice, and stand steadfast in the belief that the American Dream is possible. Although

many lessons can be taught in a school classroom, perhaps the lessons learned outside of the classroom

have begun to outshine them. Maybe then, the language barrier is more than just the unavailability of

standard second language in U.S. Schools. “75% of Americans do not speak a second language”

(Noonan, 1982). It appears that American People settled in with English because it is the language of

Business, and we speak Business fluently.

With others, the decision to offer a standard second language is not a problem, however

deciding which language to offer is. With more than 1,197 Million Chinese Speakers, and 339 Million

Spanish Speakers, it is clear who the stand-out contestants would be. What would the benefits of each

language be?

Chinese: Second only to English as the language of Business, Chinese would be a great candidate

simply because of numbers. The United States trades with Chinese-Speaking countries most often, and
the usability of this language would be high, especially when outside of the U.S. As the United States

expands and we continue to integrate more with Asian technology and Asian influenced infrastructure,

this may prove to be the most usable language to learn in the Unites States in the coming years.

Spanish: Spanish is the second most spoken language here on United States Soil. With many

Immigrants from Mexico, and other South American countries pouring into the United States seeking

opportunity, it may benefit us greatly to be able to speak with them fluently. These immigrants are hard-

working, and bring a great cultural influence into the United States. If one thing is certain, they are here

to stay, and their numbers are growing each year. Most of them are able to learn at least some English,

however learning Spanish would help us to bridge the gap, and tap into the resources that they bring to

our country.

What will the future of language in American Schools be? As Business relationships, and influx of

immigrants continues to rise, will it become a necessity to learn a second language to survive in the

coming years? As American Schools seek to improve, where do we put the most effort? Is it an attempt

to help students become masters of English, and improve our test scores in the other core subjects?

Perhaps the missing component to our lacking scores in other subject is the introduction of a bilingual

school system. All of this will need to be taken into consideration as we ponder this important topic.
 Works Cited

Doyle, K. (2014, June 09). A second language may help sustain the brain. Retrieved February 12, 2018,
from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-second-language-may-help-sustain-
the-brain/2014/06/09/d476f536-ec4d-11e3-93d2-edd4be1f5d9e_story.html?utm_term=.f61cda14de54

Buchanan, L. (n.d.). The U.S. Now Has 27 Million Entrepreneurs. Retrieved February 12, 2018, from
https://www.inc.com/leigh-buchanan/us-entrepreneurship-reaches-record-highs.html

Zhao, E. (2012, July 23). U.S. Students Still Lag Behind Foreign Peers, Schools Make Little Progress In
Improving Achievement. Retrieved February 12, 2018, from
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/23/us-students-still-lag-beh_n_1695516.html

Noonan, C. (1982, December 10). 75% of Americans know no foreign language... Retrieved February 12,
2018, from http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archives/article_93af3e1b-43d4-5c12-9773-
5d4911385903.html

Education and the Language Gap: Secretary Arne Duncan's Remarks at the Foreign Language Summit.
(2010, December 08). Retrieved February 12, 2018, from
https://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/education-and-language-gap-secretary-arne-duncans-remarks-
foreign-language-summit

Amico, B. (2017, August 09). The Importance of Learning a Second Language. Retrieved April 07, 2018,
from http://blog.waldorfeducation.org/2017/08/importance-learning-second-language/