(Shared by Christa Wolf of St.Louis, MO)
Why are American businesses looking outside the U.S. for employees?
The following quote comes from an e-mail from PBS station KETC Channel 9 in St. Louis. School administrators and politicians NEED TO READ this.
"Many U.S.-based companies recognize the benefits of hiring employees from overseas. These U.S.-based companies point out that the foreign-born candidates' ability to study and work in the U.S. demonstrates tremendous adaptability. The companies may also value that these potential employees know several languages and have knowledge of foreign business markets and cultures."
SO: Why aren't high schools in the U.S. supplementing and enhancing their existing foreign language programs?
PLAN OF ACTION: ________________________________ !
--> Was denkt Ihr?
I think America's attitude towards teaching foreign language strongly reflects the feelings the country has as a whole towards foreigners, immigrants, and non-English speakers. We only think of foreign language as an afterthought. "English is the best language, why should we have to learn another one? All the Spanish-speakers are immigrants so we shouldn't have to learn their language when they're the ones coming here. Any foreign company that wants to work with Americans should learn English." We think that our society is perfect and are so high and mighty about it that we see ourselves above facilitating a better, more balanced foreign policy.
ReplyDeleteObviously we DO have to improve our system of teaching foreign language in schools and start teaching in the lower grades when the human mind can learn language easily, but many people simply don't see it as necessary.
I agree Lena. Seeing as I took spanish for six years when I was little though I may not be able to speak it fluently I can understand most of it when spoken to.
ReplyDeleteAnd a few years ago a little boy in my mothers daycare came in and started speaking the colors in spanish. and now hes 9 and still knows some spanish that he learned when he was like 3 or 4.
Ich stimme mit diesem Artikel. Es hilft Mann fremdsprache zu sprechen. Aber denke ich auch Mann Englisch gut sprechen muß. Menschen wissen nicht genug über Englisch. Manche Leute sind nicht bereit für eine andere Sprache.
ReplyDeleteEs stimmt, Mw3. Ich hörte gestern von einem Geschäftsmann, der diese Woche zurück aus Deutschland nach Hause kam, dass er sich staunte, wie gut seine Deutschen Kollegen Englisch redeten. Sie sprachen Englisch sogar besser als seine Amerikanischen Kollegen. Er glaubt, dass man seine Muttersprache verbessert, wenn man eine weitere Sprachen lernt.
ReplyDeleteI wish we started learning languages at a younger age. I look at the German students that come to visit our school and I feel a little jealous. They are fluent in German, since its their native tongue but also English. Some are even fluent in French and are learning Spanish. You look around this school and you have some kids in Spanish 5 and are on their way to being fluent but are no where as close to other countries. We could go much farther as a country if we started learning languages at a younger age. The jobs that are going to people out of the country because they can speak multipul langauges could go to more of the people in the U.S. This would help decrease the unemployment problem we seem to be having. Refering to what Lena said, I agree with the fact that we make other countries learn our language seeing as how English is one of the most spoken languages around the world. If we bothered to learn their langauge we would have a better relationship with them.
ReplyDeleteThis is Berthold. I think that the U.S. is very self-centered. We don't put much importance in learning foreign languages and we should because we are not the only country. If you ever are going to a foreign country it would be useful to know what people are saying to you. I went to Germany last summer and i didn't know any German but i did learn some basic things. My German relatives could speak and understand english very well. It made me realize that other countries are much smarter than us in most ways because they know how knowing a variety of languages can help them. I think you should start learning a foreign language in like fourth grade because they are younger and can learn it better. It should be required to take something with a variety of options. In eighth grade i was required to take spanish and that was good but i wish i had had more choices because (obviously) i wanted to take german. I think if we learn other languages in the U.S. it will help us in our economy as well as helping individuals
ReplyDeleteWir sollen auslaendische Sprache zu unsere Kinder im Kindergarten lehren. Wir denken nicht ueber Sprache wie viel wir sollen. Wir denken dass wir nur Englisch brauchen sprechen. Bis lehren wir Kinder im jungen jahren, die anderen Lander werden besser sind.
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