Should Foreign Language Be A High School Requirement?

In some countries, like Europe and Asia, students take approximately nine classes in their last year of high school. In these parts of the world, foreign language is a compulsory subjects for all students with some starting language learning in elementary grades! Compared to the rest of the world, the United States is far less strict with a foreign language not being a requirement to graduate high school. Obviously this causes us to fall behind these other countries. Schools in the U.S. should require a foreign language as a core class. For instance, other countries have foreign language as a main class which makes the United States behind. “This contrasts starkly with the United States, where the majority of students who study a foreign language do not start before age 14” compared to other countries who start in elementary school (Puhfal, Rhodes, and Christian). Requiring the class from kindergarten to graduation would help kids with being fluent

Michigan State Representative Potvin, stated that “if you don’t take certain subjects in school, you can always go back to school later in life” (Should Foreign Language Be a High School Requirement?). In other words, if someone wants to learn another language then they can choose to after graduation. The critics do have a valid point because you can do that with any subject. Also, teachers are getting harder to find and making time in the already busy schedule during the school day will be difficult. Nevertheless, students should be required to take a foreign language during their schooling (Encyclopedia of Education 2002). Learning a new/second language can broaden views on the world because while one learns a language one learns some cultural things, so as a result someone will not be so encompassed and ignorant about other cultures (Lynch). In the end, learning a language is good because it can change the way one