Another “Room for Debate” article I read discussed the topic of whether a foreign language class should be mandatory in college. Foreign language classes enhance your opportunities in many things such as marketing, technology, law, medicine, etc. Learning a new language could also improve your memory and listening skills. Although many job positions often want someone who can speak more than one language, it isn’t always required. Betty Berdan, author of “Studying a Language in College Should Depend on Your Interests,” wrote that college-level study of a foreign language should be mandatory for all four years of college but doesn’t believe that every student will have the time and dedication to learn a new language. Four years of college-level study of a new foreign language isn’t enough time to become fully fluent, so although she wants it to be mandatory, she knows that it isn’t realistic. Betty argues that learning a foreign language should have started in kindergarten, rather than it being optional during middle school, high school, and college. While Betty’s viewpoint that college-level study of a foreign language should be mandatory, Cassandra Chanen’s, writer of “Learning to Think Is More Important Than Learning a Language,” standpoint on this issue was that learning new thinking or communication skills would be more beneficial than learning a new language. While foreign language classes offer the opportunity to discuss more important events and global issues, expressing opinions could be difficult when people aren’t as fluent as others. Betty concludes that growing up learning the culture behind the language is much more beneficial than learning it in a classroom because you would have a better understanding of the references and jokes being told. Should taking a foreign language class be mandatory in college? Would it be a waste of time?
Taking a foreign language class should definitely not be mandatory. If it has nothing to do with your major, then I would say that it would be a waste of time and a distraction from more important classes. Sure, becoming fluent in another language is always a useful skill to have, but that should be a student's option to pursue learning a language. Many college students already bite off more than they can chew; they take challenging courses, join clubs or Greek life, and even apply to jobs. All while struggling to find their passion, live independently, and work towards a degree, taking a mandatory language class, would be extremely inconvenient, especially if it’s irrelevant to their career. By all means, if becoming fluent in a foreign language is extremely important, take the extra language classes in college, even study abroad (which I find is more effective than a classroom environment), or don’t pursue it at all, but there should always be a freedom of choice regardless.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with Lily, foreign language classes should not be mandatory to take. It should be up to the student on whether or not they want to take it as a course/minor or major in it. Especially if their intended major has nothing to do with learning a new language, why take a foreign language class? I really see no benefit. Yes its great to know another language but a TON of jobs don't require that. College helps us with our future lives and career. No point in making it mandatory if your future job doesn't need it. But, I must say it is a flex to be a bilingual person and a personal goal. But it has no need to be mandatory to learn a language in college.
DeleteLearning a foreign language can be useful along the way, but I agree with Betty that "growing up learning the culture behind the language is much more beneficial than learning it in a classroom." Most people in the US grow up speaking English because they have the culture behind it, so most people would not become fluent in a foreign language in all four years of college or even if they start in kindergarten. I believe learning a foreign language in college should not be mandatory, but it should be optional for anyone with interest. If someone were to take a foreign language in college, they would learn new things that they can use for the rest of their life, so it would not be a waste of time unless they disregard everything they learned. It is just difficult to become fluent in a foreign language in only four years because there are a lot of references to culture that most people would not get. Learning foreign languages in a classroom setting takes more time and dedication for an individual, and many people tend to forget a lot of things after they take those classes.
ReplyDeleteTaking a foreign class in college should not be mandatory. Many students, especially at that age, find it harder to learn a language because of what they are adapted to. I believe people should only invest their time on it if they are truly going to use it in their career or if it benefits them. Adding on another class, like a foreign language, puts on extra pressure because you are not learning it for fun or interest, rather because it is mandatory. There can actually be many benefits with learning a new language, but if students do not voluntarily sign up to learn it they will most likely forget about it once the four years are over. It will be pointless to some and even a waste of time. This can also cause students to not be as focused, with their other classes, and soon lead them to not do their best because of the stress. Therefore, I believe it can be a waste of time to some, while benefiting others, so it should be optional.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do think students in college should be encouraged to take a foreign language class because of its benefits, it should not be mandatory. Most students have to pay for their education in colleges, which further supports the reason why they should be able to choose the classes they take. Personally, I think it is unfair for students to be forced to take a foreign language class when they are already struggling to pay for the classes they have chosen. They shouldn't have to waste time and money on a class they didn't want to take in the first place. Also, a student's ability to learn a foreign language is most successful over a long period of time. I have taken 4 years of a foreign language class and I am still not the best at it or fluent. That alone shows how taking a foreign language in college won't be as useful in the long run.
ReplyDeleteWhile learning a new language should be greatly encouraged, I do not believe it should be mandatory as a college class. College is the point where you begin to discover yourself and figure out what you want to do in the near future. Learning a foreign language may help along this journey and give you more opportunities but that is not the case for many students. Learning a foreign language is much harder as you get older and learning a new language in four years is not enough to become fluent at all. Many students would not have the time to devote themselves entirely to studying the language and others will find it pointless as their career or profession does not require to speak a foreign language. Four years, speaking from experience, is hardly enough. I took about four years of Spanish and I am still not fluent in the language. Learning a foreign language depends solely on what you want to do as an occupation and whether you take the time to sit down and actively learn how to understand and speak the language. College students already have a lot on their plates with all their other mandatory classes so it would be extremely inconvenient for these students to take a foreign language class. However, I would not say learning a language would be "a waste of time" since it has many benefits, such as gaining more job opportunities, being able to speak to others abroad, and improving your listening and memory skills. In the long run, a foreign language can help you and I would encourage students to take it, but the classes should not be required in college and should be the student's choice.
ReplyDeleteThe consensus is that American colleges/universities should not make it mandatory for students to learn a foreign language. That would make sense and the reasonings you all provided are plausible. However, I argue that Americans need a push to learn a second language. Whether it be that students have more access to language courses in grade school or that colleges shift to accepting students who have taken courses or who speak more than one language. The main reason behind this is because, frankly, American culture allows for ignorance to go unchecked. Americans will ridicule immigrants who speak another language perfectly but are unable to properly formulate English sentences. The immigrant will be called "stupid" or "uneducated." In reality, the immigrant is trying to grapple with two languages or more while the American can barely talk about anything other than how great they are. Also, Americans demand that people in foreign countries speak English when they travel but they will mock someone who does not speak perfect English in the United States. If colleges and other institutions were to hold higher standards for applicants, for example, needing previous language classes, then we will see a decrease in American ignorance. The only way to decrease ignorance is by properly educating our youth at a young age.
ReplyDeleteThe benefits of learning a new language is astonishing, however, I personally do not think that it should be mandatory to take a foreign language class in college. Mandatory foreign language classes in college can be a waste of time, especially if your major does not require you to learn or know a foreign language. Instead of being forced to learn a foreign language in college, learning the foreign language by yourself, at your own pace, would be much better than taking the mandatory class that may take up your time.
ReplyDeleteTaking foreign language classes in college should not be obligatory, but it would be very beneficial if a college student will go through the process of learning a new language. Students in most high schools are required to take a foreign language class, providing them with a strong foundation of basic knowledge to get by for an easy, yet short conversation. I strongly believe that for a person to become fluent in a foreign language, they must be interested rather than feeling pressured into learning it. However, the opportunities that learning a foreign language can provide will strive students to pursue on their own time to learn it, resulting in a more enjoyable and efficient experience. The benefits of learning a foreign language include enhancing critical thinking skills and aiding the student in communicating with people from other countries. Whether learning a foreign language will make a student bilingual or a polyglot, it will allow them to learn another language easily. Ultimately, the ending argument is that learning a foreign language should not be mandatory, but it is highly recommended that students should.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that taking a foreign language in college might be a waste of time. To become fluent in a language is hard enough and having to squeeze that into your college schedule might be way too hard to do so depending on what you want to major in. I do think that learning a second language is beneficial since in America there are so many people who don’t speak English or only speak a little bit of it. Knowing a second language (especially if it’s more common) is better for you when you look into different places to work; however, once you reach college, I don’t think you’ll be able to comprehend and want to learn a second language compared to when you’re younger. Taking classes when you’re younger to learn a second language is probably the better option compared to trying to fit another class into your busy schedule.
ReplyDeleteI believe that taking a foreign language class in college should not be mandatory. Knowing a foreign language does have its benefits, but learning one in college should not be forced. Like many of you said, it would be a waste of time, especially if you are already bilingual. Colleges already force us to take classes that I think are useless and prevent us from graduating as soon as possible, so they should not start adding more to that list. By adding more classes to that list, colleges keep us with them longer and chip away at money that someone can use on investments or housing. By being kept in college longer, your future career and income will also be put on hold. The colleges just sit there smiling because they are making money on an extra class they forced you to take. Foreign languages, however, obviously are not useless and can lead to someone being more successful, but in college many the schedules are just so crammed that I think there will be very little effort put into learning the language. Colleges should not be allowed to choose this foreign language requirement for us because by then we should have put on the big kid pants and we need to choose for ourselves.
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