Trevor+G’s+2016+OpEd+Article

Linguistics and culture, exploring other countries and parts of the world, exposure to the beautiful yet different lifestyle of the human race. The dream is to travel the world and meet people from all over the globe and make friends everywhere, so why does the education system continue to fail? The system is failing by waiting until high school to start teaching another language to the eager students, then only requiring two years of a language. The system needs a change. The system needs to start teaching languages to its students earlier in their lives so that they can acquire these real, useful skills early enough so that these skills can be applied in the students lives throughout their childhood. Starting a skill that takes many years to master in high school is foolish and a waste of time for most students who do not properly pursue this wonderful opportunity bestowed, and it is difficult for those interested in linguistics when only one language is offered to take. The system is failing because of the lack of diverse options offered, also by limiting the amount of language classes allowed to be taken. Schools focus on less important subjects like calculus, a skill that very few students will pursue for a career, when students who learn languages use these skills for the rest of their lives, if taught properly. Language skills are much more useful in the sense that they are skills that can be applied in the real world around the globe as opposed to in depth math classes that a very low percent of students continue to use advanced math in their lives. Not only is the system failing for not starting early enough, but also for the lack of substance provided in the classes, meaning the classes don’t teach enough in the time period students are in class. With the late start Americans are receiving, they are already at a disadvantage, and then when the school system continue to shaft its students by not making the language classes hard enough. Students in Europe start linguistics training when they are in grade school, many are nearly fluent in three languages by the time Americans are first entering into their first year of another language. Most of Europe’s overall testing scores are higher than the United States, this could be connected to the age at which these European countries start their linguistics programs. Schools have an exchange program for foreign students who come to American schools during high schools, and all of these students have glorified how great of an experience it was for them. Although college students can often live abroad, if the system started teaching languages earlier, then the United States could also participate more in the exchange program and this wonderful experience.