The United States of America is being closed to foreign advancements due to the lack of its representatives’ communication skills; well, not yet. But it is certainly plausible in the near future. Foreign-language interest is at an all time low in America and state representatives are attempting to provide options to circumvent foreign-language study in high schools across the country. The proposed alternative in the attempts is the unsuspecting field of technology. Technology is progressively becoming integrated into society, but it threatens national growth on an international scale. Fluency in foreign-language is critical for effective communication in international business. Communication skills strengthened by foreign affair knowledge, …show more content…
Computer Science and Engineering enrollment statistics provided on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website show significantly greater growth than other engineering fields, 22% faster to be exact (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 1). As a result of this momentous increase in the technology job outlook, many students are either redirecting their major or partaking in computer science courses for an advantage. American colleges are reporting that computer science is undergoing historic growth on campus; some institutions, such as Stanford University, are having difficulties meeting student demand. Alumni organizations are seeing significant increases in donations towards expanding SEAS (Schools of Engineering and Sciences). This increase of SEAS donations is directly related to the increase in computer science demand, the opportunity for technology implementations, and the size of the investment bubble that computer science companies have created. For an explanation for the seemingly instant burst of computer science interest, one may observe their immediate surroundings. Computer science is already heavily implemented into fields such as entertainment and medical systems, but is aggressively more prevalent in social networking, transportation, and commerce than it was only a few years …show more content…
However, opposers are not specifically disagreeing with the implementation itself, but the entailments of the proposals. Bills are requesting programming language courses successfully count towards foreign-language requirements. For those unfamiliar with current foreign-language requirements: most universities and colleges require at least two years of study in one or more foreign-languages. Patrick Cox, an editor on PRI’s The World, responded to Representative Reykdal’s statement with: “I’ve nothing against students learning more about programming, but I think it’s a disingenuous way of getting around foreign language requirements” (Farivar 1). This bill, if passed, would amend current state law regarding foreign-language as “any natural language” that is “formally studied” and would allow students to transfer their programming courses as a foreign language to public universities. Nevertheless, private institutions would not be legally obligated to accept the credit, but would be very pressured to do so. Providing an opportunity to circumvent an actual foreign-language with a computer course will effectuate a lengthy formal acceptance procedure from all institutions. High school foreign-language courses provide additional emphasis on culture, economics, affairs, and social etiquette. These courses act as a medium to future studies