Foreign language skills give you an edge

Stepping off the plane in Munich, I was equal parts excited and terrified to start my high school exchange trip to Germany.

Thrilled though I was to finally visit Europe, plunging headfirst into a foreign language I spoke only proficiently — and that’s a generous term— intimidated me.

In addition to her native German, my 15-year-old host sister spoke English, Spanish and French, all of which she began learning at a young age. She had been an exchange student to the United States, France and the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, I was never offered second language classes in elementary or middle school. I was lucky enough to go to a private high school which offered German, Chinese, Spanish, French and Latin courses. But the public high school in my town only offered Spanish and a few online language courses.

Compared to Europe, the United States doesn’t stress learning a foreign language and retaining it nearly enough. According to Pew Research Center, most students in Europe must study their first foreign language by age 9 and then continue with a second language throughout compulsory schooling.

With all of the benefits attached to learning a second language, America should emulate Europe and require

students to pursue language beyond rudimentary high school classes.

As of 2014, The Guardian reports that more than half of Europeans can speak a second language proficiently, while Gallup reveals that only one-fourth of the American population can hold a conversation in another language.

According to Forbes, although about 90 percent of high schools offer language classes, these are often limited to only a few languages — most commonly Spanish. About 25 percent of middle schools offer courses, while only 15 percent of elementary schools do. Elementary school-aged children learn languages faster than people of any other age, so teaching younger kids another language is especially important for retention.

But the more startling statistic concerns higher education. According to The Atlantic, only 7 percent of American college students are enrolled in a second language course.

This dearth may be because many colleges have increasingly slashed their language requirements.

Although Pitt has a language requirement — two terms of a second language course — there are exceptions. Students who have completed three years of a second language in high school with a grade B or better are exempt, as are those who are able to pass a special proficiency examination or those who have a native language other than English.

In total, a fair number of Pitt students are exempt from the language requirement. This means that many students choose to forego a collegiate language education.

There are many arguments for choosing not to pursue a second language. English is the world’s most influential language, and many find it unnecessary to know another language if they have no plans to live abroad.

But this mindset is shortsighted, even lazy. In an article for U.S. News and World Report, Clayton Lewis argues that this outlook exemplifies a belief in “English language exceptionalism.” Americans internalize the predominance of the English language and inhibit themselves by failing to explore other languages.

Proficiency in a second language opens previously locked doors and creates global citizens. It minimizes the communication gap.

Although many people spoke English when I visited Germany, there were still several instances in which I had to communicate with people who spoke no English whatsoever. Once, while travelling with a friend, we got off a train at the wrong stop. The only other person on the platform from whom we could ask directions was a woman who only spoke German. I would have quite literally been lost if I had been unable to speak any German.

Second language education also sharpens minds and carries over into other subjects. According to George Lakoff, a professor of cognitive linguisitics,  at University of California, Berkeley, the problem-solving and memorization skills intrinsic to second language study also benefit us cognitively. Multilinguals are also more perceptive to their surroundings and better at focusing in on important information.

Above all, knowing another language is a practical skill.

The global job market practically demands proficiency in another language. With more and more competition from European and Chinese businesses, it is becoming crucial for executives to have second language skills.

According to Ryan McMunn, founder and CEO of BRIC Language Systems, those entering the workforce in 2014 with second language fluency can expect an additional 10 to 15 percent pay increase.

But knowing another language is not only necessary in the corporate world.

My dad owns several small businesses, and I have often heard him lament that he does not speak at least some Spanish, as it would make it easier to communicate with a few of his Hispanic customers.

A second language is beneficial to almost any career. Diplomats, politicians, businessmen, teachers, artists, scientists, writers and technicians alike would do well to know another language.

If nothing else, proficiency in another language comes with an immense sense of personal satisfaction.

After five years of German, being able to read, write, listen and, above all, hold a conversation in another language makes me proud of myself and my hard work.

I encourage other Pitt students who are thinking about discontinuing their language careers to persevere instead, and to those who have already stopped — why not pick it up again?

That way, when it comes to life and the workforce, you’ll finally have that je ne sais quoi.

Write to Emily at eks50@pitt.edu