Should High School Students Take a Foreign Language for All 4 Years?

By: Kate Sonnenberg

Scholarly researchers and educators generally agree that bilingual or multilingual children have increased brain plasticity and an academic edge. In Why Bilinguals Are Smarter, Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, writing in the New York Times, reports that “the bilingual experience improves the brain’s so-called executive function — a command system that directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and performing various other mentally demanding tasks.” Auburn University lists Twenty-five Reasons to Study Foreign Languages, including, among others, improved analytical skills, better ability to deal with abstract concepts and higher scores on standardized testing.

 

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the value of fluency in a foreign language cannot be overstated. As World Languages Professor Leonardo De Valoes explains in Importance of Language – Why Learning a Second Language is Important, “the ability to communicate in multiple languages is becoming more and more important in the increasingly integrated global business community.” Fluency in a foreign language also enhances cultural sensitivity, reduces prejudice, and, in the words of Auburn University “expands one’s view of the world, liberalizes one’s experiences, and makes one more flexible and tolerant.”

 

Notwithstanding the general consensus that gaining mastery of a foreign language is valuable from an intellectual, educational and social perspective, many students, especially those who are STEM oriented or have learning differences, struggle with foreign languages throughout school, leading many high school students to decide to drop foreign language at the earliest opportunity. Depending on your child’s school, this can often be after sophomore year (especially if your child studied a foreign language in middle school and is able to complete level 3 of that language by sophomore year) or after junior year.

 

Parents beware: if your child drops a foreign language in high school that can absolutely impact the competitiveness of their college application, not to mention deprive them of the cognitive benefits of mastering a foreign language. The most elite colleges and universities generally want to see that applicants have taken a foreign language for all four years of high school. Even at those schools that do not expressly state that they recommend four years of a foreign language – MIT, for example - the overwhelming majority of applicants will have taken foreign language for all four years of high school. Importantly, the level of the foreign language is less critical than taking a language each and every year of high school. Thus, when deciding which level of a foreign language to take as a high school freshman it is important to make sure that the high school will be able to offer four years of study. In other words, you do not want your child to max out of the language as a junior, even if that class is an AP or IB level course. 

 

One option is to drop back a level as a high school freshman (for example, taking Spanish II rather than Spanish III, a choice my own son made); even if the class seems like it will be “too easy,” there is significant value in reinforcing language skills which will help with future, more advanced,  language acquisition. Another option is to add a second foreign language to the mix - a choice that might appeal to students who are already accelerated in a first foreign language.

 

So, what to do if your middle school or high school student complains that they just hate Spanish or French or Chinese and cannot wait to be able to drop the class? This is often because learning a foreign language, especially in a classroom context, can be hard, and sometimes even a bit boring. One option to consider is a study abroad program over the summer. When a student participates in a language immersion, especially one with a homestay if you and your child are comfortable with that arrangement, they usually come home with improved mastery and confidence – a recipe for success in the classroom. 

 

While there are many excellent programs, among the best are School Year Abroad (programs in Spain, France and China), Where There Be Dragons (programs in Guatemala, China and Taiwan) and The Experiment in International Living (programs in Spain, France, China, Japan and Jordan). These well-vetted programs offer students a chance to truly immerse themselves in another culture. 

 

In light of the current COV-19 situation, check out:

Best of Online Learning - Language

 

Another option is to find a place closer to home where students can speak the language they are learning, such as volunteering with children or the elderly who do not speak (or are learning) English. This might help your child appreciate the process of learning another language, as well as the value of being bilingual. Whether they speak that foreign language at home or abroad, they are increasing their cultural sensitivity, with the added benefit of gaining brain plasticity and an academic edge. 

 

About Kate:

Kate is a graduate of Princeton University and the Columbia University School of Law. She takes great pride in helping her two (very different) children through the college admissions process - a graduate of Amherst College (swimmer and student activist) and a student at Wesleyan (American Studies and Theater major). She has experience working as an application reader in the Princeton University Admissions Office, where she read thousands of undergraduate applications and interviewed hundreds of students as an Alumni interviewer. 

 

If you would like to learn more about how Versed can help your family with pre-college planning in general, please schedule a free introductory consultation here.

 

 

For additional information and insights, check out our blog: 

Best of Online Learning - Language

Do High School Students Need a Focus?

Crafting a cohesive college application

 

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.