Traditional Language Education in the United States Is Failing Students

Let’s return now to our previous comment that less than 1% of American adults were proficient in the foreign language they studied whilst at school. This is a rather shocking fact considering that, according to a national survey in 2008, 93% of high schools in the United States offered foreign language classes. This means that traditional language education is failing today’s students, and because of this, advocates for language education are now pushing for language immersion or dual language programs which will expose students to a foreign language on a regular day-to-day basis – instead of just a few hours per week.

Research clearly shows that two-language instruction is linked to stronger math and literary skills, higher graduation rates and the narrowing of achievement gaps, regardless of a student’s socioeconomic status and race.

Language Skills Are a Necessity for Success in Business

National budget cuts are constantly affecting language education, with the argument that it’s not a principal education priority. However, we do know that in today’s globalized economy, knowing a foreign language (or languages) is no longer an optional skill for success.

It’s an interesting fact that, according to the Joint National Committee for Languages, the language industry employs more than 200,000 Americans, each earning an annual median wage of $80,000. In addition, one in five jobs in the United States is linked to international trade. These are interesting figures because they show not only the size of the language industry but also those industries indirectly related to it; highlighting their incredible economic and employment impact. 

It’s a common belief today that there’s a global war for talent, and the United States will eventually need to import these skills because American professionals are lacking in language skills. It’s no longer sufficient to simply specialize in the job market without having language skills. It appears that there’s a general feeling that English is good enough, and this is the primary factor as to why the United States is lagging behind other developed countries in producing a multilingual workforce.

The Advantages of Employing Bilingual Speakers

Businesses that employ bilingual speakers have a distinct advantage because they’re able to capture a larger market of clients and customers. Bilingual speakers can serve as interpreters for both existing and potential customers. If language barriers are creating problems for United States-based businesses who would love to create markets and good working relationships with customers in foreign countries, it’s bilingual speakers who can bridge that gap!

In the United States, Spanish-speaking people make up the largest group of bilingual employees.

Eging Translation supports over 75 languages and 2,500 language pairs. We cover more than 95% of languages used on the Internet around the world. We’re always happy to provide an obligation free quotation on your translation, so why not contact us today!