Have you ever cooked something, and it tastes great, but there's just that something missing? You can't quite put your finger on it. The meal would be fine without it, but then - it hits you! You add that magic ingredient and the entire dish comes together. Languages can be like that. America is a great and prosperous nation, with a wealth of cultural histories. But how can all of those cultures be properly integrated with one another? What can be added to the Great Melting Pot to bring it all together?
Did you know that many countries require their students to be fluent in at least two foreign languages in order to graduate high school?
Many of us have taken the two years of required foreign language in high school, whether it was Spanish, French, or German. But how many of us can honestly say that we could carry on a coherent conversation in that language today?
English is the international business language, and 339 million people worldwide speak it, whether it's their first language or not. This said however, there are around 6,500 other languages spoken today in the world. That's 6,500 other cultures, other perspectives, other lifestyles. English speakers are blessed, because English is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world, but that doesn't mean that we have nothing to benefit from learning other foreign languages.
One major benefit of learning a foreign language (and becoming proficient or fluent in it) is the extended learning process. Unlike other subjects of study, where you can learn something in a day or two, mastering a language is a long term process. It conditions your brain to learn, and to retain the information over an extended period of time. How many times have you crammed for a test and the next day forgotten almost everything you studied? Language learning is the opposite.
Another practical advantage of learning a language is the competitive edge it gives you in today's job market. Being fluent in another language is an extremely marketable quality in a job candidate. A reporter who can speak Spanish, Chinese, AND English will be much more desirable than a reporter who can speak only English.
Of course aside from these advantages, there comes along with learning a new language an entire wealth of cultural knowledge. Interacting with people of another language brings a whole different perspective to the table, and enables you to experience life from another culture's point of view. Did you know there are even words from other languages that don't exists in English!? Obtaining another language can give you all new ideas about the world.
I'm not saying that America should start requiring everyone to pass a fluency test in a foreign language (although it's never too late to pick up another language). However, it may not be a bad idea for schools to start teaching languages earlier and to offer more available courses for would-be language learners. Considering how many different cultural backgrounds America was formed upon, it would be amazing to see and hear all of those cultures intermingling in a more tangible way.
