Foreign Language courses in Middle/High Schools

katz4life

katz4life

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Two nights ago, my S.O. blew my mind right on the issue about most of middle and high schools' requirement to have one foreign language class for the credit in their courses from 7th grade until Senior year. German, French, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian.

He had a very good point by asking a question why waste time on learning one of these foreign languages except Spanish in middle and high schools since we are in America and to our knowledge the facts of three majority languages we are speaking/using in North America: 1st - English, 2nd - Spanish, 3rd - ASL (not considered as a foreign language though.)

I mean, if most of these students are still living in U.S. and aren't going to be becoming a worker for U.N., travel business, moving to Europe, and etc. So what is the point in learning and speaking of other foreign language except Spanish?

My S.O. said that all schools should provide ASL courses since ASL is the 3rd majority language in America.

But as for colleges and universities, that is different story.
 
My HS now offers ASL as a foreign language. It was one of the first on Long Island, as far as I know.
Had they offered it when I was in HS I would be fluent by now. At the time I was teaching myself through books. LOL the internet wasn't widely used, 'back in the day' 1987-1991
 
In Australia, foreign language such as Japanese, Italian, Indonesian etc are taught in all school from Prep to Grade 10. It's optional in Grade 11 and 12.
 
In my high school learning English was mandatory. Any other language was purely by choice and mostly they only gave like a year of each language which I considered stupid. I took French and German. Vaguely remember the meaning of the language but I did learn how to pronounce them. I speak some italian with my sister who is in her advance year at college and since she practices with me, I learn ! :)
 
ASL is offered as a foreign language in many high schools now.
 
My high school offered Latin, French and Spanish. One teacher taught Spanish and another teacher taught the others. I took Spanish all 4 years of high school but wish there had been an ASL class available; I know that's more common now.
 
The point of foreign language requirements is so students are better prepared for a global world. It's not as relevant whether or not students ever plan to travel abroad or whatever. Chances are, they will come into contact with someone who speaks a language other than English at some point in their lives.
 
I checked around here, the high schools offer Spanish, French, Creole, Chinese, Japanese and Latin. One offers ASL. All foreign language classes start at grade 5. If your primary language is not English, then you are required to take ESL classes starting at Kindegarten and moving forward.
 
Don't forget French (as Canada have French speaking people) We do have people who speak Chinese and Japanese here as well.

Latin is useful for study to be become a doctor even though it is a dead language. But it's included in foreign language and I don't know why because no one speak it anymore. And they say ASL is not consider foreign language, ha!
 
Glenn said:
The point of foreign language requirements is so students are better prepared for a global world. It's not as relevant whether or not students ever plan to travel abroad or whatever. Chances are, they will come into contact with someone who speaks a language other than English at some point in their lives.
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I agree...

I think they are worthwhile. Not every kid will use the languages but there will be some who will fall in love with a foreign language and make new career goals.

I dont see the harm in offering a myraid of languages as an option for the high school kids.
 
shel90 said:
ASL is offered as a foreign language in many high schools now.
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I wish my nephew who's in 7th grade that he should take ASL course. Unfortuately, his middle school doesn't have one. He's taking German course then.
 
Omg, my alma mater has ASL course for the first time in 2006, I believe but omg this hearing professor was soooooo horrible at teaching ASL to students in class. She signed too many errors. So even more chaos for students learning the wrong way because of her!!

At another University nearby, there has three ASL professors, all of them are Deaf. I love them!!!
 
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