Solutions to Foreign Language Deficit. An Essay Example.

Some critical steps could be taken in addressing the problem of foreign language deficit. First, professional associations should advocate for the training of foreign languages. Undeniably, the foreign language gap among our population is to some extent rooted in the education system. For this reason, the USA could borrow a lead from the European education system where the national government sees to it that students become proficient in at least one foreign language (Devlin, 2015).The government should consider implementing a foreign language policy in the education sector where it is compulsory due to its associated benefits in the global economy. In this light, foreign language programs could be introduced at the elementary level to ensure that students understand at least one foreign language before they reach teenage. The lack of opportunity among the elementary pupils to pursue foreign language skills limits many opportunities for them. The American education system needs to recognize the importance of foreign language and make its learning mandatory among elementary schools where the pupils are allowed to choose a foreign language they would like to pursue. The government should be involved by establishing more schools that offer more opportunity to students willing to learn foreign languages and allocating enough money to the schools so that they can acquire more adequate resources that can make foreign language learning effective with more classes, various language options, and qualified teachers. The schools should use competent teachers who have effective teaching methods. The role the teacher serves in foreign language teaching is vital. Education systems should give emphasis on highly skilled teachers who are methodologically well prepared for learning.

Immersion programs are the only possible way to deal with this challenge in schools. The objective of the immersion program would be to teach the students foreign languages so they have the capability to read, write, speak as well as understand it. This program will enable the students to become competitive in the global economy. To solve the problem, foreign language classes need various exercises and activities included that are typically not inclusive of the other classes. Media should be significantly used, for instance, music, movies, articles, videos, podcasts, newspapers and magazine stories all should be used in interesting ways to add to the experience of learning which enhances understanding of the foreign language. Audios will ensure the students know how to speak and pronounce, written media will enable the students to practice reading and writing skills, visual media enables the students to gain a new perspective while understanding the culture of the foreign language. Foreign language knowledge serves as an unparalleled window on other cultures, which is essential in the global workplace. The teaching culture will help most Americans rethink their prejudices and recognize that foreign languages are important too and should not be neglected. Personally, I think this would go a long way in solving the problem since educational institutions could integrate language into their other programs of learning (immersion). As explained by Pufahl et al. (2013), dual language instruction (whereby a variety of subjects is taught using two languages) would eliminate the idea that one language is superior to another, and eliminate the need to employ another language teacher. For instance, the language could be integrated into political science and engineering subjects. In trying to incorporate the European system into our own, we should, however, keep in mind that the differences between the USA and Europe could be a hindering factor.

The foreign language classes early start in elementary school is critical in addressing the issue. This is because elementary school stages are the critical phase of learning as most areas of the brain are still in the formation phase, having plasticity thereby enhancing learning with much ease. During these early stages of learning, the brains temporal lobe controls how well the person understands the language, an area in the front cortex determines how well the language can be spoken while using the right pronunciations as well as understand the deeper grammatical aspects associated with the language. During the early years, these brain parts of an individual are malleable and can learn while retaining various foreign languages easily.

It is also necessary to sensitize the public to the need for learning foreign languages as well as the benefit that this could accrue in the future. To develop the motivation, Stein-Smith (2016, p. 73) advises that excellent examples should be offered to the public such as the British Academy Languages Program and the EUs initiatives to promote multilingualism. To make English speakers invest their effort and time in developing foreign language skills, the desirability could come in handy. Things that appeal to a wide range of learners, such as movies, music, fashion, and celebrities need to be utilized to develop this motivation (Stein-Smith, 2016, p. 74). Opportunities for foreign languages should be increased to show the importance of foreign language. Foreign language advocates and educators should be visible in their communities offering programs and highlighting other cultures and their languages. Americans also need to recognize the need for knowledge in foreign languages. Americans need to be impacted by the various benefits realized from knowing foreign languages and that English is not the main important language to learn. With this in mind, reasons as to why many Americans do not learn the foreign languages must be combatted. This means dealing with the prejudices that make them resistant to learning foreign languages. This is majorly an issue of apathy. Most Americans lack interest in foreign languages which should be changed. Just like how fewer people like math in school yet it is compulsory in the education system, the foreign language problem should be dealt with in a similar manner.

As an approach to this issue, people should also consider the learning of a foreign language as a personal initiative. Citizens can advocate for learning of a foreign language for their parent, themselves and their children within their communities as well as schools. We could join movements to advocate for foreign languages as a need-to-have tool in the 21st-century job market. Parents could expose their children to people of varied cultural and language backgrounds since the lack of day to day exposure to other languages aside English is a major challenge facing foreign languages in the US (Pufahl et al., 2013). If certain individuals speak a foreign language, they should try using it at home with their family members and friends. Policymakers, on the other hand, should secure adequate financial resources to be geared towards improving foreign language programs in the curriculum. If everyone took it as their initiative, then we would stand a better chance in alleviating this problem.

References

Devlin, K. (2015). Learning a foreign language, a must in Europe, not so in America. Pew Research Center.

Pufahl, I., Rhodes, N. C., & Christian, D. (2013). What We Can Learn from Foreign Language Teaching in Other Countries. ERIC Digest.

Stein-Smith, K. (2016). Addressing the US Foreign Language DeficitThe Campaign for Foreign Languages. In The US Foreign Language Deficit (pp. 69-76). Springer International Publishing.