Should Foreign Languages Be Required in School?

I have always love learning foreign languages. They are very interesting to me, and they can open doors to a new culture. I love being able to read and listen to things in a different language. I know that not everyone has this feeling, but I have more of a passion for languages than most. What I do think, though, is that everyone should be required to take at least one year of a foreign language in school. I also believe that there should be a foreign language requirement for every bachelor’s degree. Since there are no absolute requirements in every state, some people are able to go their entire lives without learning one word of a second language. This is absurd to me, because of the increase in globalization, and the United States could easily fall behind if the upcoming generations are not prepared to communicate in a different language. Yes, I know that for some, a foreign language class (or classes) is required for high school and/or college, but that is not the case for everyone. One of my best friends is currently in school to be an elementary school teacher. Her high school did not have a language requirement for graduation, and because she has zero hours for elective classes, she couldn’t take a second language even if she wanted to. I think it is crazy that many future teachers will have not been trained in a foreign language. The number of immigrants to the United States has been growing, and it is not projected to stop anytime soon. How are these teachers supposed to communicate with their foreign students, or the parents of those students, if the teacher only speaks English? Is this the most pressing issue in our society? No, but so many other countries require proficiency in a second language, that it is ridiculous that the United States has not followed the trend. This, of course, is in part due to the fact that many states are cutting their education budgets, but that’s a topic for another day.
Thanks for reading!