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Demands
are high on today's high school students in English,
math, social studies and science. So why add foreign
language to the mix? Why does New York State require
credits in languages other than English for a Regents
diploma and advanced degrees?
One
answer is to prepare today's youth to communicate with
other people around the world. But knowledge of foreign
languages has many more specific benefits that begin in
high school and follow an individual throughout life.
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Students
with foreign language experience do better on the
SAT, a test that many universities use as a
student-selection criteria. The College Entrance
Examination Board reported in a 1992 study that
students with four or more years of a foreign
language scored higher on the verbal section of the
SAT than those who studied four or more years in any
other subject.
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Most
New York State four-year universities will only
accept students who have taken at least two years of
a foreign language, and many others require or
prefer students with three or more years of a
foreign language. In one recent survey of 48 New
York universities, 94 percent said that three or
more years of study were "optimal" for
admission. (29 percent said three years, 40 percent
suggested four years and 25 percent preferred five
years of language education.)
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Other
research shows critical thinking skills, creativity
and academic achievement remain significantly higher
for those students learning and using a second
language.
Students
who know other languages have access to a greater number
of careers in hospitals, schools, law enforcement
agencies, banks, social work organizations, corporations
with an international reach, technology firms and
government agencies, to name a few. They also can more
easily pursue jobs in the travel industry on airlines
and cruise ships, and they can work abroad for
international businesses or organizations, such as the
United Nations and the Peace Corps.
Valuing
multilingualism
Beginning
with the Class of 2005, there is no more Local Diploma
and New York State students must pass at least one year
of high school foreign language to graduate with a
Regents Diploma. The only exception to this are pupils
whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) indicates a
disability with foreign languages. Students aiming for
the higher-level Advanced Regents Diploma must pass
three years of foreign language and a foreign language
Regents exam, unless they are enrolled in a five-unit
occupational studies, art, or music experience.
This
new push on foreign language in schools is part of a
larger effort in America today to improve national
security and to bolster our country's economic
competitiveness. Unfortunately, it is not always easy
for young people to see the relevance of multilingualism
in their own lives, especially when they don't need a
second language in most of their daily interactions.
This
is where parents can play an important role - by
stressing the value of learning another language, by
encouraging their teens to stick with it right through
their high school years, and by suggesting that they
branch out to other languages if and when they go to
college.
Following
are some other practical ways that parents can help
their teens meet with success in the foreign language
classroom.
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Be
aware of cultural events in your community that
feature music, dance or food from the country or
countries your child is studying and help your teen
find videos, music and books in that language. The
more exposure your teen has to the culture, the more
the language will be enjoyable and make sense to him
or her.
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Consider
hosting a foreign exchange student. It can be a
wonderful way for students to learn about another
culture through the experiences of someone their own
age.
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Encourage
your teen to enroll in a summer language immersion
program. There's no better way to become fluent in a
second language. Ask the foreign language department
for more information on these.
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Join
your teen in learning a new language, or if you
already know something about a language, pick up
where you left off to show your teen just how
important this is to you.
>
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For
permission to reprint this article, please contact the
Capital Region BOCES Communications Service at (518)
464-3960.
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