The U.S.’s English tunnel vision
Starting foreign language education earlier changes how students see the world
I never even thought about learning a second language until middle school.
For some reading this, especially those born in Quebec, that sentence sounds ludicrous. But there I was, on the first day of sixth grade, choosing my “Spanish” name in a class that ended up teaching me more about how to fake an assignment than conjugate a verb.
I attended a large public middle school in the U.S., and I never took the class seriously, praying every day for the bell to save me from the shackles of vocabulary. Things didn’t improve much for the first two years of high school either, as my apathy carried over. I remained indifferent to my French classes, dismissing them as a throwaway period during which I could focus on more important schoolwork.
As a Montreal resident now, I can’t help but laugh and cringe when I look back on how I once felt about foreign languages. Still, my gripes weren’t entirely unwarranted.
Things started looking up in my junior year. I started taking all my classes more seriously (at the behest of my mother) and found that with a competent teacher and the environment of a small private Catholic high school, learning a foreign language could be beneficial, even enjoyable.
I started improving my grades and immersing myself in the learning process, strengthening a connection to French that eventually led me to spend a gap year in France after high school. That same connection led me to Concordia University, a decision that pays dividends today.
Throughout the final two years of high school, I kicked myself for failing to take my middle school foreign language classes seriously and lagging behind my peers. And yet I found myself circling the same conclusion each time: the classes I took wouldn’t have meaningfully affected my comprehension even if I had taken them seriously.
The foreign language learning system preceding high school in the U.S. is abysmal.
Just 20 per cent of U.S. students learn a foreign language, a number dwarfed by countries in Europe where the median sits at 92 per cent. And despite evidence that the most effective period for language learning falls before the age of 10, only 25 per cent of elementary schools teach a second language, and that number drops all the way to 15 per cent in public schools, which make up the vast majority of institutions.
My newfound appreciation for foreign language in high school no doubt stemmed from the seven-person class and my incredible teacher. But it makes me wonder why the U.S. doesn’t prioritize such a valuable skill earlier in life, especially when the years best suited for language learning pass so quickly.
Just one school in my hometown offered language courses for elementary students: the private Spanish immersion school that fed into the private Spanish immersion high school. Compare this to a school system like Norway, where English becomes a standard part of education at age six, something common across much of Europe.
I recognize that Americans have the advantage of growing up speaking a language that is widely understood around the world. But learning a second language doesn’t just help you make new friends.
Studies show that bilingualism is linked to improved task switching and focus, with benefits that are especially pronounced in childhood and later in life, supporting cognitive development and helping slow decline.
Now, I interact daily with people who speak three, four, even five languages. Every single one of my best friends speaks at least two—even those outside Quebec. My girlfriend’s English is so good, you’d never guess she grew up in southwest France.
Language matters. Experiencing a new culture through its language represents one of the best ways to improve comprehension and avoid the pitfalls of prejudice. Living in Montreal—a true cultural melting pot—only solidifies my stance.
If the U.S. had introduced languages earlier, students might not see them as another requirement to get through. They might see them as a way to understand the world beyond their own borders.
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