Essay On Foreign Language

1108 Words5 Pages

Foreign language classes have decreased from 24% to 15% from 1997 to 2008 on average in elementary schools across the nation (Kraemer, Shanker). This staggering decrease in frequency of foreign language classes shows that foreign languages are not currently being valued in the education system. There should be further foreign language classes offered in school systems to improve academic success of students and prepare them for a globalized future. The current school system is not preparing students to encounter the global nation we live in. With foreign language instruction, cognitive skills are improved to increase academic achievement in a variety of subjects. Those who become proficient in more than one language have a greater chance of …show more content…

Bilingual students outperform monolingual students in nonverbal cognitive tasks (Kharkhurin). Cognitive tasks are vital for problem solving that is used in everyday life. If students gain these vital skills from an early age, the skills will follow them to adulthood. Increased cognitive task performance is only one of many benefits of foreign language education in the classroom. “A positive correlation has been found between foreign language study and higher grades in subjects such as English, math, science, and social studies.” (Stewart) Foreign language classes offer students a deeper understanding in a variety of subjects such as language, cultures, and sciences. By integrating foreign languages into curriculum, students will excel in all areas of study. If greater levels of understanding of academic subjects is achieved, then higher test scores are to follow. There is a direct relationship between foreign language classes and standardized testing scores. (Stewart) In a nation that measures the achievement of students on standardized test scores, teaching students foreign languages is the answer to high test scores. Foreign language classes improve student academic achievement in terms of standardized testing, knowledge of other subjects, and cognitive task

Open Document