Sitting in Intermediate French Grammar class trying to translate English into French, I browse through the French vocabulary stored in my head searching for the right noun, verb, adjective, adverb, and preposition to correctly get my point across. What to say? How to say it?
Time is running out. If I do not put something together to say, humiliation will appear across my face. So, French blurts out of my mouth.
Of course, immediately my professor corrects me because I used the wrong form of the verb. The past tense of the verb was used instead of the necessary subjective form. Wait. What is a subjective verb?
I would guess the majority of people could not classify all the parts of speech and how we use them. Why? Because speaking English is second nature to us. We learned the names of all the different types of speech starting in elementary school. We were like sponges absorbing everything taught to us without hesitation. Now, we use what we learned without thinking about it.
However, if we try to break down a sentence now, it is nearly impossible to get everything right. If it is so easy for children to learn and absorb learning the English language at a young age, why is it that schools are not taking advantage of the vital state of mind of these children by teaching them a second language?
Most schools in the United States start teaching foreign languages to students once they reach the high school level. Whereas, children in other countries are almost fluent in two other languages plus their own as they reach the high school level because schools outside of the U.S. have figured it out. What is it exactly?
Studies have repeatedly shown that learning a foreign language at an early age increases critical thinking skills, creativity, and flexibility of mind in young children as well as increases scores in standardized tests. Not only does learning a foreign language early help students academically, but with the world getting smaller, learning languages is growing increasingly important to be able to relate to people all over the world. Plus, putting that you are bilingual on a résumé can put you one step ahead of the competition.
Imagine if students had the opportunity to absorb other languages earlier where their minds are not yet full to capacity. Until the U.S. is open to educating young minds with foreign languages, the U.S. will continue to lag behind academically, and future generations are the ones who will suffer.