According to the National Research Council, “A pervasive lack of knowledge about foreign cultures and foreign languages threatens the security of the United States as well as its ability to compete in the global marketplace and produce an informed citizenry” (2007). But how exactly does learning a foreign language contribute to global marketability of the American workforce, especially in this economy?
The significant body of research as well as the voices from the practicing educators provides a plethora of facts demonstrating that learning a foreign language is beneficial on cognitive, academic, and economic levels. What are those?
Cognitive and Academic Benefits of Learning Foreign Languages
Research studies show that students who studied foreign languages outperform, often significantly, on standardized tests those who did not take language classes. This trend is consistent in all subject and skill areas without regard to gender, race, and academic level. Strong correlation exists between the time spent on foreign language study and performance in such core subject areas as reading comprehension, language literacy, social studies, and math (Armstrong & Rogers, 1997; Bamford & Mizokawa, 1991; Rosenbusch, 1995).
In addition, numerous studies demonstrate that learning a foreign language enhances one’s native language skills, especially with regard to structure and vocabulary (Nespor, 1971).
Moreover, recent research on aging illuminates the fact that people speaking two or more languages are more cognitively efficient at all ages and show a slower rate of decline for many processes associated with aging, such as dementia (Bialystok, Craik, Klein, & Viswanathan, 2004; Bialystok, Craik, & Freedman, 2007).
Economic Benefits of Learning Foreign Languages
According to the electronic survey of the 1970-2002 alumni of Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management indicated that 89% of respondents taking foreign language courses while in college acknowledged that they received a competitive advantage due to their cultural skills and 82% indicated that they significantly benefited on the workforce market from their foreign language abilities (Grosse, 2004).
According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), in 2006, the Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Management conducted research surveying about 400 employers in different parts of the US. The significant percent of those, namely 63.3%, indicated knowledge of a foreign language in a potential employee as more important to them than any other basic skills.
Hudson Valley Community College Offers Courses in Eleven Languages
HVCC offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish, American Sign Language (ASL), and English as a Second Language (ESL). French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish are also available online. The Professor Walter D. Karpiak International Language Laboratory is equipped with innovative technologies and offers a variety of software to enhance language learning. The Laboratory’s equipment is used both for scheduled language classes and for independent study.
Published: Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:08:27 +0000 by n.anthony