In times of economic pressures, schools must evaluate course offerings to decide which classes are most important. Unfortunately, in the United States, foreign language programs are often deemed less important than others and are subsequently reduced or eliminated. Cutting back on foreign language education, however, means depriving students of a very valuable opportunity. This article considers the research that has shown multilingualism to be associated with many cognitive, academic, and social benefits.
Cognitive Benefits of Multilingual Ability
Individuals in foreign language courses often demonstrate cognitive development, creative thinking, and attention abilities that surpass their monolingual peers. Jarold Weatherford, for instance, notes in the ERIC Digest article “Personal Benefits of Foreign Language Study” that people who can speak more than one language perform better than monolingual individuals on tests of both verbal and nonverbal intelligence.
Further, elementary school foreign language students score higher on tests of divergent thinking, indicating an increased ability to seek alternative problem-solving methods. Children who have learned another language also demonstrate an improved ability to keep attention on something in the presence of distracting stimuli. The website for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages lists a number of studies that show correlations between bilingualism and better memory, metalinguistic skills, and general cognitive health.
Foreign Language Instruction and Academic Success
Research has also demonstrated that these cognitive advantages translate to academic success. Students who take foreign language classes in high school attain significantly higher grade point averages and perform better in college English courses, according to the previously cited article by Jarold Weatherford. Studies published in the 1987 article, "Foreign Language Study and SAT-Verbal Scores" in Modern Language Journal, also suggests that foreign language instruction is associated with better performance on standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Most of these academic improvements lie in the range of verbal accomplishment, but correlations in these studies have been shown to be strong in mathematics as well.
Social Advantages of Foreign Language Education
Beyond these cognitive and academic benefits of learning a second language, an understanding of another language often indicates an understanding of another culture and can offer everyday social advantages. In a world where innovations like the Internet have brought the furthest ends of the earth into close contact and where people find themselves moving across the globe due to myriad motivations, speaking a second language is useful in situations other than just travel.
Because an increasing number of jobs involve foreign trade, bilingual ability allows people in business to interact with more people and adapt to clients and potential partners with varied cultural backgrounds, according to the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages, an organization of state education officials who advocate for language education policy.
The Need for Foreign Language Education in a Connected World
Ludo Beheydt, a professor of Dutch language and civilization, notes that the need for foreign language proficiency is especially strong in the United States. In the October 24th, 2007 Cornell Chronicle Online article "Why won't the Americans teach their children how to speak French, Spanish and German, asks European linguist", he says of the U.S.’s general disinterest in promoting second language learning, “This is strange for a country that has so many foreign economic interests, that should be fostering foreign language knowledge…learning foreign languages implies getting into the mind of another, taking his point of view.”
Beheydt’s comment about language learning allowing for a fresh perspective has implications for all forms of international collaboration. Former policy analyst for the Center for National Security Studies, Ken Gude, also understands the necessity for foreign language proficiency. “If the U.S., in the modern world, is going to maintain its position as a global leader,” he says in the Washington Times on December 26th, 2008, “it’s going to have to become more conversant.”
While economic interactions are important, foreign language proficiency would also allow for greater scientific collaboration and international humanitarian efforts. Clearly, an understanding of foreign languages offers myriad advantages, but those advantages only extend as far as language education programs allow.
References
Weatherford, J. H. "Personal Benefits of Foreign Language Study." ERIC Digest. 1986, October 1.
Andy Luttrell - I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology at the Ohio State University after having completed undergraduate education at Eastern ...
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