One thing that I would really like to see in schools is the integration of Spanish into the curriculum, especially at an early age. The Spanish-Speaking population is growing in the United States, it is not stopping anytime soon. Why should we make immigrants and the children of those immigrants learn English without trying to reciprocate by learning their language? I realize that it is impossible to learn every language spoken by people who come to this country, but I know that when I was in elementary school, the Hispanic kids kept to themselves because they were comfortable speaking Spanish and the rest of us only spoke English. I think it would be cool to see Spanish being taught in elementary classrooms not only because of the number of immigrants, but because the younger we are, the easier it is to learn a second language.
Age is really just a number, and we can learn languages at any point in our lives. However, the earlier we start, the easier it will be to learn other languages later on. I started learning Spanish at age twelve, and it has helped with not only Spanish, but my endeavors with Italian, Portuguese, and I hope it will help me with French. When we learn a second language, we learn how to learn a foreign language. That makes it easier. So, if you are older, once you learn your first second language, any subsequent languages you learn will be easier.
But back to bilingual classrooms. If students were taught Spanish at an early age, they would be able to interact with the students in their class who speak that language. It could also foster a passion for language learning. Who knows, maybe it would change the stereotype that Americans don’t like learning other languages.
Many countries around the world teach a second language early on, and if the United States wants to call themselves innovative, they should follow suit. Thanks for reading! Gracias por leer! Grazie per la lettura! Merci pour la lecture! Obrigada pela leitura! Mulțumesc pentru lectură!
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