Why Language Learning is Important

Preparing Students to be Globally Competent

It is vitally important for all Kentucky students to be prepared to
engage with the world.
In the words of Anthony Jackson of the Asia Society:
In matters of national security, environmental sustainability, and
economic development, what we do as a nation and in our
everyday lives is inextricably intertwined with what
governments, businesses, and individuals do beyond our
borders.
Twenty-first century lives are not lived in isolation. We go to school
with, work with and live in neighborhoods with people from other
cultures who speak other languages. Our states economy depends
strongly on the international trade of small and large Kentucky
businesses. Foreign companies invest billions of dollars in the
Commonwealth and provide us thousands of jobs. We engage in citizen
diplomacy and military actions with hundreds of countries both at
home and across the globe.
For nearly everyone in todays world, English is an absolute, but in
America, English alone is not enough. Our countrys geographic
isolation and the global importance of English have contributed to our
false sense of security in regard to our need for world language
competence. To compete academically, economically and politically,
and function successfully in a global society, American students need
to be globally competentand that means being able to communicate
and interact effectively in at least one other language and
culture.
Today, in 20 out of 25 industrialized countries, students start their
formal world language learning in grades K-5. Twenty-one countries in
the European Union require nine years of language study. International
business leaders are warning us that American graduates competing
for the same jobs as their peers from other countries, may be
technically competent but are increasingly culturally deprived and
linguistically illiterate compared with graduates from other countries.
BEING ACADEMICALLY PREPARED
College readiness requires that students have the pre-requisite
coursework for admission and that they have the knowledge and skills
to succeed in entry-level classes.
Kentucky universities require world language learning for admission, in

fact, both the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University

require a demonstration of a specific proficiency level.
Success in post-secondary classes is most often described as:
--Strong intellectual growth throughout the primary and
secondary years.
--The ability to think critically and problem solve in the context of
a continuously
changing set of circumstances and realities.
--The advancement of literacy skills.
--The capacity to communicate effectively with individuals from a
variety of
cultural and professional backgrounds.
World language learning, particularly when begun in strong elementary
school programs, spurs cognitive growth, builds literacy, and
enables students to effectively interact with others in diverse
cultural contexts.
Research has found that learning another language, particularly at a
young age, has significant cognitive benefits, such as increased
memory function, critical thinking, and mind-mapping skills, creativity,
and flexibility of mind. With its activities in decoding, shifting between
different symbol systems and divergent thinking, language learning is
an exercise in problem solving, whose benefits transfers to other
content areas. Studies have shown that students who are learning
another language out-score their non-foreign language-learning peers
in the verbal and, surprisingly to some, the math sections of
standardized tests.
By engaging in learning a world language students build 21st century
literacy skills essential for their future. Reading, writing, listening,
speaking and viewing are integral to the world language learning
process. When students learn a second language they build proficiency
in three modes of communication: interpersonal (person-to-person
speaking or writing), interpretive (listening and reading) and
presentational (one-way speaking and writing). They learn to
understand the structure and patterns of language, ask and answer
questions, identify words, describe; retell stories, interpret text, and
apply the conventions of language, similar to what is required to meet
the Kentucky Core Academic Standards for English Language Arts.
Study of a classical language bolsters an understanding of the
mechanics of language, vocabulary and the history and literature of
the ancient world. Acquiring a Romance or Germanic language involves
learning an additional phonetic system, a new vocabulary and extra

language conventions. Learning an Asian language means learning to

read by character recognition and write by following precise stroke
steps to form a single character that may represent a word or phrase.
Additional skills for college readiness are addressed when modern
language learning is set within a cultural context, is content-based,
uses technology, and connects with global community partners.
Content-based programs, such as dual language immersion initiatives,
start early and develop students advanced language proficiency in
specific areas, such as mathematics, general science, physics, and
chemistry. Students who graduate from these programs are not only
ready to enter local universities, but universities in a country whose
language they studied. In fact, many students who graduate from
Kentucky programs, such as the Mandarin Chinese Flagship pipeline
program and International Spanish Academies, have automatic entry
into universities in those countries.
BEING PREPARED FOR THE WORKFORCE
Both business and government urge the addition of linguistic and
cultural competence to the core knowledge and skill set of a worldready graduate.
Since its 2006 report was published, the U.S. Committee for Economic
Development has been calling attention to the importance of language
and cultural skills for U.S. economic security. They warn that
Americas continued global leadership is at risk and will depend on our
students abilities to interact with the world community at home and
abroad.
Kentuckys growing economic stake in international trade and the
diversity of Kentuckys trading partners and investors create a demand
for Kentuckians who can apply their world language skills and cultural
competency to business. Exports to foreign countries contributed
more than $22.1 billion to the states economy in 2012, with products
and services going to 199 countries. Direct foreign investment employs
over 90,000 Kentucky workers. To stay competitive Kentucky needs a
multilingual workforce and an international mindset.
International relationship marketing relies on cultural understanding
and communicationto be really successful, you have to speak the
customers language. The youth, who will one day lead our states
economic expansion in international trade and foreign investment,
whether through small business or multinational corporations, need
advanced language skills and cultural know-how.
The modern languages taught in Kentucky support the states

economic mission. Kentuckys top trading partners include: Canada,

Mexico, Japan, the UK, Brazil, France, Belgium and China. Our states
largest foreign investors are: Japan, the UK, Germany, Switzerland,
France and Canada. Taking our message overseas, the Governor and
Cabinet for Economic Development officials have recently traveled to
Japan, Taiwan, Germany, France, Mexico and Panama to attract new
business.
A report in the Journal of Business & Economic Research on Kentuckys
preparedness for the coming wave of Hispanic immigration to some
parts of the state, warned that a lack of preparedness in cultural
understanding and language skill will cause financial and social
challenges to certain regions. Among the studys recommendations,
were that managers and co-workers learn basic Spanish language,
become aware of their own English jargon and slang, and begin to
recognize their own and others cultural practices and perspectives.
The cost of monolingualism is high. The Kentucky World Trade Center
reports that each year, businesses, state and local education agencies,
government offices and private organizations pay large fees to hire
interpreters and translation services or provide language training to
employees (i.e., business and legal professionals, medical staff, fire
and police workers, court employees, etc.) These costs are passed on
to citizens. By preparing students with the language skills they need
while in they are in school, this cost can be drastically reduced, if not
avoided.
Schools can offer classes that are dedicated to a specific career path,
such as Spanish for health careers or agriculture, French for culinary
arts, German for business, etc. Asian and Arabic languages are much in
demand for government posts. Study of American Sign Language
provides a pathway for work as an interpreter. In programs preparing
students with a minimum of pre-advanced language proficiency, job
shadowing or short-term internships can be arranged locally and/or
internationally. But its important to remember that most jobs require
intermediate and advanced level proficiency, necessitating an early
start and long sequence of study.
BEING PREPARED FOR THE MIILITARY AND CITIZEN DIPLOMACY
The military has long called for improving foreign language skills and
cultural capabilities to meet 21st Century national security challenges.
Knowledge of other languages and cultures is seen an essential key for
mission success of military personnel overseas, required of officers and
those in the war colleges (West Point, Air Force Academy, etc.), and
recognized with Foreign Language Proficiency pay to active duty

soldiers and qualified National Guard and Reservists. As far back as

the 1960s, experts complained about the lack of language training in
the United States, but it became a prime national security concern with
the war on terrorism.
In 2004, a Department of Defense-sponsored study noted that the DoD
should treat developing second language skills and regional proficiency
as seriously as it treats combat skills. In the past five years, all
branches of the service have developed strategic documents to guide
the development language and culture skills within their ranks. Fort
Knox has an officer designated as Language Advocate to promote
language study throughout the state for a more-prepared recruit
population.
The National Security Language Initiative, begun by President George
Bush in 2005 and coordinated by the State Department, Department of
Defense and the National Intelligence Agency, aims to increase the
number of Americans speaking critical need languages and
communicating at high levels of proficiency. Related summer STARTALK
and pipeline Flagship (i.e., Western Kentucky University) programs
support schools in building students critical need language proficiency.
Students who study a modern language can become citizen
diplomats--individuals who help shape U.S. foreign relations 'one
handshake at a time.
HOW DO WE COMPARE WITH OTHERS?
Foreign countries that outscore US students in math and science on
international tests are the same countries that require early language
learning of at least one, and as many as four, foreign languages. Many
English speaking countries are initiating or strengthening their world
language requirements for students: Australia will have a national
world language curriculum in 2014; since 2012 England has required
world language study beginning at age 7; Scotland's "two plus one"
initiative plans to teach two languages in primary school in addition to
a child's native language; and Canada is a bilingual (French/English)
nation.
Other states are initiating large scale, state-funded, world language
programs. In 4 years Utah has gone from 4 to 54 dual language
immersion programs, based on legislative funding. Delaware's has an
aggressive Governor's World Language Expansion Initiative to begin
world language instruction by K or grade 1. North Carolina uses
technology to provide world language student self-assessment tools
linked to their standards.

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