Education Week – Heather Singmaster
“Only 25% of Americans speak a second language. We rest on our laurels as speakers of English, believing that everyone else is learning our language—the language of business. And in many countries across the globe, English is being taught. However, studying English doesn’t always equal fluency or even a conversational speaking level (think back to your one or two years of high school Spanish or French!). Plus, not everyone is on the English bandwagon—by some estimates, 75% of the world does not speak English…and we can’t expect them to. There are so many benefits that we are currently missing out on in our monolingual bubble: enhanced business opportunities, smarter kids, stronger national defense, and better communication within our local communities just to name a few. So what do you say, America: can we stop turning a deaf ear to the rest of the world?”(more)