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It is definitely admirable for a student to learn a foreign language. Learning a new language can be fun, and even profitable for those in the business world. However, it should not be mandated. Forced foreign language classes only make learning more difficult, and can turn a student against voluntarily learning another language at some point in the future. Making another language a requirement should only be allowed for post-secondary majors that are focused on a foreign language or when studying abroad in a non-English-speaking country.

Many people are of the mind that foreign languages are mastered best when the student is pre-school or kindergarten age. Kids of this age retain things much more easily. Therefore, a child taught at an early enough age can attain fluency in another language. Speaking from personal experience, it becomes much harder to learn another language at a later age. I struggled to learn very basic conversational Spanish at the age of 13. It can be argued that mandatory foreign language lessons could start at an earlier age. The downside is, many school systems lack the resources to start teaching foreign languages before middle school/junior high age.

Students have to take more advanced courses as they progress. Being required to learn a foreign language on top of everything else places an unjust burden on them. It can be very difficult to keep up with, for example, algebra when one's mind is also concerned with Spanish grammar or French spelling. Once again, this is an area where having adequate resources is a huge factor. In an ideal situation, foreign language students would have sufficient tutoring available when they struggle. This is not always the case. A student who's struggling with a foreign language can feel seriously left behind.

A common assumption is that everyone will have a job where being fluent in another language is necessary. This is seldom an issue for many in the workforce. While a second language is certainly helpful, very few jobs actually require a person to be billingual. Even though I've worked in retail for several years in a state with many Spanish speakers, I've only had to speak to someone entirely in Spanish once. A diverse workforce can ensure that enough billingual employees are available for non-English-speaking customers. Anyone considering a job where emergency circumstances might dictate use of another language should take a foreign language course even if not required.

A forgotten factor in the issue of mandatory foreign language courses is the fact that many students would opt to drop out of high school altogether rather than study a foreign language. Unlike basic math skills that a person needs on an everyday basis, or English/grammar, or basic sciences, foreign languages are not a fundamental part of many peoples' day-to-day lives. Should a student be prevented from graduating over a course that may never impact their daily life? Considering the fact that our country has a rather high dropout rate for a developed nation, we should not be making it difficult for kids to stay in school.

When considering something as important as education, all points should be taken into consideration. This includes the consideration that a foreign language may not be helpful or good for some students.

Learn more about this author, Amanda Demers.
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