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By Evelyn Pazan
Globalization and social media have completely changed the way our world interacts and operates.
Despite its negative impacts on developing countries, globalization offers an increased level of interconnectedness between countries. From the comfort of your home, you can speak to friends across the globe or watch international television that was produced 3,000 miles away.
This results in more exposure to new cultures, languages and thought patterns that seemed all too distant 50 years ago. As we benefit from these effects, it is also important to recognize the increasing responsibility that we as global citizens and Americans have to understand other cultures and languages.
For far too long, Americans have fallen behind on foreign language study in comparison to other countries.
While less than one fifth of Americans can speak more than one language, Europe has largely been multilingual for decades with nearly 65% of the European Union population reporting that they can speak more than one language – English being commonly learned as a second language. Asia rivals these accomplishments with many countries scoring “high proficiency” and “moderate proficiency” in English.
To avoid falling further behind and feeding into the “stupid American” stereotype, American individuals and the public school system need to step up and place more value on learning foreign languages. There is no excuse for expecting every European to know English yet failing to return the same courtesy to foreigners.
College language programs should be regarded with greater value, as they provide students with differentiating skills in their job search. The devaluation of foreign languages starts as early as elementary and high school, with only 11 states requiring foreign language education for graduation.
By restoring and instilling these values in current and future generations, we can create better global citizens, opening new worlds and opportunities for ourselves.
With the slowing United States job market, it is especially important that we capitalize on this opportunity to learn a new language and take our skills abroad. In fact, European countries are lacking skilled workers to fill technological positions.
Being proficient in another language opens thousands of overseas positions and opportunities for local positions that will provide differential pay for speakers of key languages like Spanish, Mandarin or Arabic. The benefits of being multilingual are as simple as having another skill on your resume that expands your capabilities, but it makes a crucial difference in a competitive job market.
Learning another language also creates opportunities for personal and social growth that you otherwise would lack, like finding new sides of yourself and meeting new people. Studies show that multilingual individuals often shift personalities when they shift languages and tend to possess more problem solving and creative thinking skills.
Additionally, maintaining fluency in any language helps to foster professional and personal relationships with people who can provide you with new viewpoints and access to different hobbies and activities.
Even in a casual setting, mentioning your efforts to learn a new language can be a fantastic conversation starter and a way to market yourself as a friend or possible connection. It tells the other person that you are intellectually curious and worth spending time with.
As our need for multilingualism increases, so do the necessary resources. Free apps like Duolingo or Babbel and access to shows in many languages on Netflix and Prime Video provide the perfect passive learning opportunities for Americans who are otherwise busy in work or school. These experiences make you a more well-rounded person even if they are low effort.
Given the many personal and professional benefits to multilingualism, Americans should be jumping on the opportunity to make themselves more competitive applicants and interesting people.
There is no longer an excuse to fail to learn a language because it is expensive or too much work when the long-term benefits of it far outweigh the temporary drawbacks. It is time for Americans to discover a new side of themselves and open up to the wide world waiting for them – they just need to put in the effort.
By Evelyn Pazan
Globalization and social media have completely changed the way our world interacts and operates.
Despite its negative impacts on developing countries, globalization offers an increased level of interconnectedness between countries. From the comfort of your home, you can speak to friends across the globe or watch international television that was produced 3,000 miles away.
This results in more exposure to new cultures, languages and thought patterns that seemed all too distant 50 years ago. As we benefit from these effects, it is also important to recognize the increasing responsibility that we as global citizens and Americans have to understand other cultures and languages.
For far too long, Americans have fallen behind on foreign language study in comparison to other countries.
While less than one fifth of Americans can speak more than one language, Europe has largely been multilingual for decades with nearly 65% of the European Union population reporting that they can speak more than one language – English being commonly learned as a second language. Asia rivals these accomplishments with many countries scoring “high proficiency” and “moderate proficiency” in English.
To avoid falling further behind and feeding into the “stupid American” stereotype, American individuals and the public school system need to step up and place more value on learning foreign languages. There is no excuse for expecting every European to know English yet failing to return the same courtesy to foreigners.
College language programs should be regarded with greater value, as they provide students with differentiating skills in their job search. The devaluation of foreign languages starts as early as elementary and high school, with only 11 states requiring foreign language education for graduation.
By restoring and instilling these values in current and future generations, we can create better global citizens, opening new worlds and opportunities for ourselves.
With the slowing United States job market, it is especially important that we capitalize on this opportunity to learn a new language and take our skills abroad. In fact, European countries are lacking skilled workers to fill technological positions.
Being proficient in another language opens thousands of overseas positions and opportunities for local positions that will provide differential pay for speakers of key languages like Spanish, Mandarin or Arabic. The benefits of being multilingual are as simple as having another skill on your resume that expands your capabilities, but it makes a crucial difference in a competitive job market.
Learning another language also creates opportunities for personal and social growth that you otherwise would lack, like finding new sides of yourself and meeting new people. Studies show that multilingual individuals often shift personalities when they shift languages and tend to possess more problem solving and creative thinking skills.
Additionally, maintaining fluency in any language helps to foster professional and personal relationships with people who can provide you with new viewpoints and access to different hobbies and activities.
Even in a casual setting, mentioning your efforts to learn a new language can be a fantastic conversation starter and a way to market yourself as a friend or possible connection. It tells the other person that you are intellectually curious and worth spending time with.
As our need for multilingualism increases, so do the necessary resources. Free apps like Duolingo or Babbel and access to shows in many languages on Netflix and Prime Video provide the perfect passive learning opportunities for Americans who are otherwise busy in work or school. These experiences make you a more well-rounded person even if they are low effort.
Given the many personal and professional benefits to multilingualism, Americans should be jumping on the opportunity to make themselves more competitive applicants and interesting people.
There is no longer an excuse to fail to learn a language because it is expensive or too much work when the long-term benefits of it far outweigh the temporary drawbacks. It is time for Americans to discover a new side of themselves and open up to the wide world waiting for them – they just need to put in the effort.
