Pro Con Mandatory foreign language classes Pro: Communication is key Con: Tongue tied

NICK MARTINEZ Reporter @NickEsai

Language is the basis to connecting to others, so why wouldn't you want to expand your horizon by learning a foreign language? Learning a foreign language should be a mandatory requirement in college as it is something that can aid us, and make us more successful in the future.

Most have already taken a foreign language in high school and it might seem redundant to take it again. At a college level, that same foreign language from highschool is a more refined course, that can refresh and help improve your knowledge of that language. Those who want to broaden their knowledge even further by taking a different foreign language than that in high school should know that there are many benefits to learning another language.

One of the most important benefits of learning a second language is how it can make you can be successful in the job market. A study by Albert Saiz of the nmartinez.roundupnews@gmail.com

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found an increase in earnings of “2.3 percent for speaking French and 1.5 for speaking Spanish,” Saiz said. “The results indicate that those who speak languages known by a smaller number of people obtain higher rewards in the labor market.” Both Spanish and French course are available for all students to learn. One of the best collective benefits of taking these courses is that the human brain works harder when it learns a different language. Those who are bilingual will be good at problem solving and it could even give you a boost in succeeding within other courses. Learning a new language can be very useful when traveling to Europe. For example if you take french class before going on vacation you can communicate with other people who speak french. It may be difficult to learn another language but in the end it is rewarding in improving ones academic success.

BLAKE WILLIAMS Reporter @BlakeMWilliams_

While learning a new language is great and helpful in life, colleges should not make foreign language classes a mandatory general education requirement. Doing so brings about a possibility of stress for students.

The main reason is there just isn’t enough time over one or two semesters to justify making students take the class. Learning a new language takes a lot of time and practice. How much will the average student know after one or two semesters of class? It may not be much, and it’s definitely not enough to make the class worth taking.

There also needs to be the motivation to learn a new language once you are an adult. Studies show that people must start to learn a new language by the age of 10 to become fully fluent in that language, according to Newsweek. That same study also showed that people past the age of 17 or 18 struggle to learn a new language at all.

If a student has no motivation to take the class other than to complete their general education requirement, they are just going to bring their grades down or learn enough to pass and probably never think about it again. Another reason foreign language classes should not be mandatory is because they are completed during high school.

If a student enjoyed learning a new language in high school, there is a good chance they stuck with it and learned the language well or plan to continue it anyway. If a student did not do well in their foreign language class, they would just start at the beginning in college and take the same class a second time.

One should also consider that going to college is not a cheap investment. Making students take a class that is difficult to succeed in and undesirable is not a benefit for any student; it just adds financial strain and stress on students that are already possibly struggling financially or with stress.

While learning a new language is great, forcing students to attempt to learn one is not.

Should students work full-time?

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