Debatte
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Debatte Should all students be required to learn a Sekunde language? Why/why not?
81 fans picked: |
Yes
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No
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like mrshouse said, it should be optional ♥
Learning English I think should be mandatory: that way you can get around in most country's.
Spanish, French, German etc, I think should be optional.
And how is it fair that everyone in Europe knows at least two languages, usually more, and us Americans don't? (myself included!)
it's just another case of lazy kids who would rather play video games or watch mindless television than learn something valuable. i'm sure we can all remember grumbling about learning math as kids, but as adults we're aware that knowing 2+2=4 actually is worthwhile.
Also as for "mindless tv" i have learnt a lot more from watching tv than i have from learning spanish for 8 years.
Also, I heard about some research saying that learning foreign languages (especially from a young age) leads to higher IQ and generally better all round academic performance.. Something to do with the way the brain works.
(Final point: when in France I managed to buy all my food at a market stall for the half the price of this other English guy just because I bothered to try and speak to the owner in French. Languages pay.)
jess_welsh - i sincerely hope your Welsh is better than your English.
Sorry for nagging, but I'm Dutch and it's sore point, because the Flemish always defeat the Dutch in the 'Great Dutch Dictation Exercise'.)
French is always good to know, since the French and French-speaking Belgians are too goddamn proud to speak English.
And lots of things don't boost your IQ because of WHAT you learn, but because it strenghtens the connections between the different parts of your brains. Learning a new language is one of the things that does this very strongly.
I wish I has started learning French and German earlier, because then it would've been easier (little children learn languages rather quickly) and it's a great advantage.
Even knowing a little sentence like 'hallo' and 'how are you' in a different language can be an advantage: when you meet people who speak that language they will look kindly upon you when you greet them in their native tongue. Imagine what kind of impression you'll make if you can actually talk to them.
I think Americans aren't that concerned about second languages because it's a very big country where (almost) all the people speak English. In Europe there is always a country nearby that has a different language, thus it is more necessary to learn several languages.
NB is the only province who is legally bilingual, so to get my high school diploma I had to pass an exam in English (my native tongue is French), if you don't pass you don't get your diploma, wasn't a problem for me, so why not?
Besides, if we could all communicate and understand each other's cultures a little better, there'd be less war :)
I think you should be allowed to choose whether you study languages or not, and be given a wide choice if you do. And the other kids can just... play with the safety scissors and glitter. :P
It is highly, highly important for a student to learn a second language in my strong opinions.
Students who already speak English often don't see the struggles of an ELL student, who is not on gradelevel in any subject simply because she lacks the language.
We have bilingual programs in the United States, but a strong emphasis is put on English. If an English speaking student fails to be proficient in Spanish, we don't consider it a big loss. But if a Spanish speaking student fails to be proficient in English, that child struggles for at least the rest of her scholastic career, if not longer.
I believe that the United States is a multilingual society, and that English is only dominant because of the status we attach to it. If we become more aware of the struggles of ELL students - perhaps by sitting in a Spanish classroom and not understanding what's going on - I think we would all be a lot more sympathetic, and a lot more eager to learn their language and help them see that their language has value. If we offer more second language programs, these students can see the value of their home language, even assist their fellow English-speaking students, and promote a better community in schools, rather than the language-segregated ones that exist today.
And here's a thought - In the United States, bilingualism is considered an advantage, if your primary language is English. If your primary language is not English, it's not as valued.
Besides. The world isn't made up of one language. There are other people who speak other languages, to travel or move to other countries. If they have to learn your language, it's only fair that you learn theirs.
Hell, if algebra is required, then languages ought to
be. There's no guarantee that you will or won't need the skills of any particular class--it depends on the individual and their future choices and circumstances. I figure that of all the subjects which could be or are required, that languages are among the more important ones in today's interconnected, multicultural, integrated, globalized world/society. It definitely helps if you travel internationally, especially to places with low percentages of English speakers.
Our only choices, by the way, were French and Spanish. Since then Italian has been added, and if I'd had the chance to take a semester of Chinese in college, I'd have enjoyed doing so. I did take a semester of German and liked that as well, though of course, I retained hundreds of times more of the French. :)
And that reason is that this world is not just English. There's so many languages. And if you want to travel the world, or you want to go to, say, Paris, when you get older and want a job outside the U.S, you can't just know English. You have to know French to understand their culture and get use to it. It could help you become culturally diverse, and that's a good thing to help you in your life. And this is simply one good example.
but they can chose one if they want.
And possibly Mandarin, and Korean, and any other language that piques my interest, Swahili I'll focus on later and I believe it's Zulu.
So yeah, love language, just don't wanna force it on anyone, but for the life of me, cannot figure out why more people aren't into it.
Forgot to say interested in Javanese. Also Basque.
So I change my answer to yes kinda maybe, as long as it's the world language used everwhere if it's not your own, and if you want any other language of your choice, now it might not be feasable, but the future, hopefully.
@blisslikethis. Kids are getting lazier and lazier these days because of technology, not because they don't want to spend time learning a language they may never use. Besides, you 'American' kids should be learning to understand your own language better, instead of butchering it and then trying to learn more... Master your own language, before attempting others, because America is terrible for people who can't spell, utilise the concept of grammar correctly and not speak without some 'txt' language amongst it.
I took six years of Spanish and i'm still horrible at it, but I do not regret one moment of it. It actually helped me understand English better (by "understand" I mean understanding why English is English. The finer mechanics of English. I don't mean knowing words)
Really, I don't think learning anything is ever a bad thing.
It's a part of life that they can't avoid. Sometimes, you have to learn. Even if you don't like it, that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing, it just means you don't like it.
As for the not liking something means you won't learn anything... I don't really believe it happens like that very often, but if it does, they're only hurting themselves. You can't expect schools to only teach what students like.
And interaction is where we are failing. We are becoming a heavily globalized world, and learning a foreign language is becoming as important as any of these skills. English is hardly the most central language of the world, and even if it was, we do ourselves a disservice by ignoring all of the others for children. I personally think I would have been better served if a foreign language had been taught in my elementary or middle schools, but I did not have access. Individuals and the world at large would be better served by this.
I had to learn weightlifting techniques in school. I didn't like it, there was no point in my learning it because i did not participate in the weightlifting for health reasons, and I never will lift weights in my life. It did not enrich my life or experience in the slightest. I was still required to attend the lessons for school policy reasons. I only retained about half of it because I found it to be pointless information for me personally.
What did I do about it? I got over it. I just sat there and listened. There was nothing else I could to. Becoming angsty and complaining was not going to accomplish anything at all. Rallying to change school policy because I just didn't feel like learning about it seemed even more pointless.
As I already said, it doesn't matter if you like learning or not, that doesn't automatically mean learning is bad.
"but i do feel if people are coming to the U.S., that they need to know english. but if you live here, the only language you really need to know, is english"
Comments like these really do just perpetrate the arrogant, pretentious outlook that many people associate with Americans. Why should they only speak your language? Why can't it go both ways? At least make an effort to show that you're not egocentric- attempt to be bilingual. The stereotypical American tourist ordering their French meal in obnoxiously loud English comes forcefully to mind.
@Bri-marie. No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I never said that 'learning' shouldn't be a requirement. I'm saying that we shouldn't say that a certain aspect of learning should be a requirement. Or rather, that learning a second language shouldn't be a requirement. I would never advocate people not learning at all, because knowledge is important, but an obsure factor of learning, like learning a language, should not be mandatory. To a lot of people, a second language is not a requirement to have, therefore they would view it as pointless. If people want to learn a second language, then they will... If people don't want to learn a language, then they simply will not, no matter what is said. If they are forced to, then they'll be unenthusiastic and waste the teacher/tutor's time and never make any effort to learn it.
Again, this argument is just as problematic as the first. No child is going to utilize all the knowledge it gained as an adult, because each child is going to go down a completely different career path. So, either there is not going to be any general educational requirements, or there are going to have to be concessions about what children learn. Some of them are going to have to take classes that they don't want to, or don't need to in order for everyone to be educated the same.
I don't think rules should be taken away just because some people don't follow them. It's just not important, who cares if some people don't like learning languages? Who cares is some people smoke marijuana illegally? Who cares if people drink underage? Just because some people break rules, that doesn't mean the rules shouldn't exist, because there are plenty of people who do follow them. There are plenty of people who would and have advantaged from learning, or at least studying, a second language.
Some people don't want to, but who cares?
Honestly, I think you have brought up many good points, and I agree with most of them, but I think that forcing people to do things they want to do is a waste of time. It's much, much easier just to let the focused and motivated people concentrate on things that others find pointless, while the others just concentrate on things they find important, otherwise we are spending money on trying to force people to utilise knowledge they probably won't ever use. If I had my way, I would force people to spend money on trying to stabilise the environment, spend money better and live a life where sustainability is actually a possibility and educate themselves as much as they possibly could. However, it won't happen. I wish it would, but is simply an ideal of mine, just like learning a second language as a requirement is someone else's ideal. Idealism is great, but it needs to be focused on the right things.
@Bri-marie. What you are saying is a good point, but I don't think we are on the same page. This poll is asking 'should learning a second language be a requirement'?. You are saying that people will have to learn things they don't need, and may not ever use. So, yes, I agree with that point. However, they are possibilities of a career choice. This question is about making any one form of education a must. It would be like saying 'should learning bio-chemistry be a requirement, or should learning ecology be a requirement'? - its the same thing. When people have to take a subject, because they want to do a certain paper, it is not a lawful requirement - it is a requirement of the specific course they are doing... They have a choice - to choose not to do the paper and not do the course, or to do the paper and consequently take the course. 'Should learning second language be a requirement' is different entirely, because you don't get the choice... You HAVE to do it, by law.
Well that's strongly implying that studying a second language is useless activity to do for fun, which leads to a completely different discussion.
Language isn't a career specific course, it's a world wide thing that people WILL use in any job out there. It's not really a hobby.
language--> good college--->good job-->more money
more money= stronger economy/ stronger country!
They could actually earn a higher salary, since they know this language, and jobs are looking for people who speak Spanish and other languages! It also helps in learning their own languages' grammar and such better! There are a lot of benefits to learning a language.
Example: You know Spanish and the area you want work in has a lot of Spanish speakers! You apply for this job, but the person who is also applying and has the skills doesn't know Spanish. You could easily be picked instead of this person just, because you know Spanish.
Anyway.
Schools all have education requirements that all students must follow. Sometimes those requirements mean that some students learn things they don't need to, or want to, and that it wastes time on everyone's parts. However, the alternative is that there is no requirements for people to follow -- that students learn whatever, whenever. Which seems nice in theory, but is horrible in practicality.
I'd also like to point out that I'm a cashier at Burger King in a small town in a nowhere state in the US, and I've had to assist Deaf customers regularly, because there is a language barrier between them and the other cashiers. My manager (who's from Egypt), assists customers who only speak Arabic/ who's English is not yet good enough for them to speak fluently. A co-worker assists certain Spanish speaking customers. And this is just at Burger King.
Foreign languages aren't isolated. When people move to different countries/visit other countries, they are not automatically gifted with the native tongue, nor are they automatically provided an interpreter/translator to follow them around until they can master the language.
I think you seemed to think that I disagree with people educating themselves by mandatory rights, but that is untrue... I love learning new knowledge myself, but I understand that not everyone has that same thirst - some people can do it and some people can't/won't. Plus, for something like a language (second) you can't argue against some people finding it useless... I know it isn't, you know it isn't, but they don't - and they are the problem, the ones that would ruin it for everyone else. Personally, I have been teaching myself Japanese, and, to a much lesser extent, Latin... And, I enjoy it.
There is literally no reason to think that there will be so many disruptive students that foreign languages shouldn't be mandatory. Speaking as a student and an STA, students are disruptive for reasons outside the class, not because they're in a class they don't want to take. Also, you've taken classes with people who didn't want or need to be there, and they were perfectly behaved people. You've taken classes you didn't want or need to have. Were you disruptive in every single one?
Again, you're missing my point. Either you're advocating for there being no set requirements at all, or you think there should be set requirements. If there are set requirements, then there are going to be students who are going to take classes they don't necessarily need. You can't have set requirements for all students, and still expect every student to never take a class they won't need or want. It's not possible.
it broadens the mind. I think students should be open to learning new and interesting things. By learning new languages, it helps their brains to memorize and think things through different than if they knew one.
Missing you're point? Or you missing mine? I never said that this had to happen for every single class - I'm saying it for learning another language - we get enough time-wasters as it is, that's why I don't advocate it being mandatory - that way, we don't have to worry about time-wasters for yet another class. Plus, even if I though that there should set requirements for every single person in every single class - I see that you're right, it wouldn't work - but I never said anything about it, so the point is void.
I so badly wanted to be fluent in French as a kid but the won't give you any real language education till high school. Here, if you were lucky, you could take Spanish at the high school if you were in middle school.
Because, if you make it required, than that will just turn students away from learning it simply because someone told them to. And lets face it, no one ever wants to do what someone tells them. Ever. If you let them know they have a CHOICE, then they may be more open to it.
And speaking of language, I also made a poll regarding this... kinda? link
IDK if you have seen it yet, but I brought up an interesting topic.
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