by: Tanvi Ambekar
Opinion Editor
In 2024, only 43% of public schools in the United States taught one or more world languages as independent courses, with Spanish, French, and ASL being the most common. However, as of recently, U.S. inhabitants speak more than 350 languages, including Tagalog, Arabic, and Vietnamese. Studies have shown that language learning improves learning capability, cultural connection, and even brain health. As an institution, the U.S. public education system should be doing more to ensure American children have the opportunity to benefit from these practices. The standardized education system in the United States should provide more opportunities for students to learn a variety of world languages.
Language learning has numerous health benefits. For example, a study from King’s College showed that learning a second language increased grey-matter density in the brain region tied to language and vocabulary, meaning the child’s native language also improved. Similarly, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis argues that the language a person speaks influences their perception of abstract concepts. Therefore, the more languages a person knows, the more nuanced and well-rounded their worldview will be. By teaching this skill to American youth, we can equip the next generation with the diverse perspectives needed to critically analyze real-world issues.
Furthermore, studies have shown that bilingualism delays the onset of dementia; one study from 2013 revealed that bilingual patients developed dementia 4.5 years later than monolingual ones. Although the exact hypotheses for why this happens varied across subgroups, the pattern was clear: the mental exercise of speaking another language strengthens the brain enough to limit the effects of neurodegeneration. If the education system builds this mental strength earlier on, every child will be at lower risk for such disorders.
Learning a language is much easier when students are young, so elementary schools are a better target for reforms. A study of approximately 669,000 people showed that the ability to learn grammar proficiently declines with age, and fluency is much easier if one starts young. If the U.S. wants children to take advantage of their neuroplasticity, it should offer world language courses early to provide the benefits discussed above.
Overall, the education system is not so much failing as it is insufficient. 82% of public high schools offer at least one world language course, but only 20% of elementary schools do. To take advantage of children’s synaptic adaptability, laws should mandate that elementary, middle, and high schools offer at least one world language course to students. In addition, schools should advertise the numerous benefits of multilingualism to both students and parents. By implementing these changes, we would offer the next generation better opportunities and neural health.
(Sources: Alliance for International Exchange, American Councils for International Education, European Commission, National Library of Medicine, Nature)