Should Americans be encouraged to learn another language? Why or why not?
2006-12-03 06:10:06 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Why single out Americans? Everyone should learn multiple languages. There are many educational, social and career benefits to learning new languages.
2006-12-03 06:17:11 · answer #1 · answered by solarius 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
All people should be encouraged to learn another language. However, foreign language education needs to start a lot sooner in the US than it currently is. According to linguists, the optimal time to acquire language is before puberty; after that, it is not so easily *acquired* and must be *learned* like any other skill. We should be teaching our elementary school children another language(s), along with math, history and English, and stop treating it like it's an extra and an add on.
2006-12-04 04:11:05 · answer #2 · answered by desiroka 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Americans should be strongly encouraged to learn another langauge. America does not have an official language, because of so many different ethnic groups in America. Sure, almost everyone already speaks English, the de facto langauge, but I just hate it when people say, "This is America, speak English."
Spanish is a large minority in America, and at the very least, Americans should learn to speak Spanish as a second language. I myself speak Korean, Spanish, Sign Language, Japanese, and a little French on top of my English.
2006-12-03 14:13:52 · answer #3 · answered by Sungchul 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think Americans are to some extent, but what we need is better curricula. High school foreign language is often a joke, kids take 2-3 years of it and can say barely anything in the language they've been studying.
2006-12-03 16:16:00 · answer #4 · answered by Luke J 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We are. I'm learning Spanish, and after that I'm gonna learn french. My mom says we have to have like 2 or 3 years of learning another language.
Have a nice day, and God bless ;D
2006-12-03 14:20:26 · answer #5 · answered by girlperson 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes for education purposes, it really helps you in the long run, especially salary wise over your average co-worker who only knows English as his first and only language. America is a very diverse nation with different cultures, ethnicity, and languages. ... although I have to say I hated taking foreign language in high school.
2006-12-03 14:19:28 · answer #6 · answered by awesome 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
absolutely because most of americans dont know anything about other cultures... learning a language means also learning the culture of this country i think
2006-12-03 15:08:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes. When you learn another language, you open another window for yourself. You can then do many other things, like travel to other countries.
2006-12-03 14:18:03 · answer #8 · answered by Richard 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most educated Americans have studied another language. When I was growing up nearly everyone knew French. I have studied four languages, unfortunately they were all European.
2006-12-03 14:20:17 · answer #9 · answered by Susan M 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
hell no. if a person want to learn a second language they shouldn't be forced into it its up to the individual whether or not to learn a second language. why waist all that time learning when you'll never use it
2006-12-05 14:09:39 · answer #10 · answered by shorty 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋