A Proficiency Deficiency
by Marit Hanson
photograph by Marit Hanson
I stared hard at the page in front of me, hoping that maybe, if I squinted hard enough, the black curly script would give up its secrets. It stared back, the vowel-packed French words snickering at my linguistic incompetence. I was doing battle with a menu, and the menu was winning.
After five minutes, I tossed the carte du jour on the table with an exasperated sigh. “I have no idea what any of this means,” I admitted.
“Fromage means cheese,” my friend Jenna offered, though the crease between her eyebrows revealed that she didn’t have a clue what she was looking at either. Jenna, her mom and I had only arrived in Paris that afternoon – three intrepid ladies on a whirlwind tour to celebrate the end of the semester Jenna and I had spent studying abroad in Spain.
Sudden panic twisted my stomach. “How are we going to order?” I wondered aloud. My brain, hardwired with Spanish phrases, balked at the prospect of cobbling together a sentence of passable French. The little Parisian restaurant – so quaint-looking half an hour ago – now seemed ominous with its minefield of mystery meats and sauces (all of which seemed to end in eaux or aise). For all I knew, the innocuous-sounding dish I had my finger on would arrive still squirming in its shell.
Jenna’s mom, however, dismissed my fear with a flippant wave of her hand. “Don’t worry. They all speak English,” she assured me, before hailing the waiter in a loud voice. “Excuse me!”
I said nothing, chewing on her words. They bothered me, though it was hardly the first time I had heard such a comment. Barely a day had gone by during my semester in Seville, Spain oh which I hadn’t overheard one or more American students mention English, or rather the lack thereof.
“It can’t be that hard to speak English.”
“Everyone else does.”
And my personal favorite, “I don’t like to speak Spanish when I don’t have to; they should learn to speak English.”
Should they? True, English is more or less the lingua franca today (according to ForeignPolicy.com, half of the world will speak English by 2015), but does that give its privileged native speakers justification for ignoring the world’s other languages?
Currently, the United States resides in a sort of linguistic backwater as compared to the rest of the Western world. As of 2004, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that only 34.5 percent of U.S. high school graduates completed three or more years of foreign language education, and a mere 5.4 percent completed AP-level courses by graduation. While this amount of instruction may be enough for students to attain certain literacy in a foreign language, it is a far cry from fluency, or even proficiency.
Compare this to foreign language education in France. Unlike the United States, French law requires all of its students to enroll in foreign language courses. According to a report done by the Eurydice network, which keeps track of Europe’s education statistics, French students begin learning their first foreign language (English) as soon as they start elementary school, at about seven years old. In collège (junior high), students add another foreign language to their curriculum and continue studying it until they finish lycée, or high school. By the time they finish their public education, then, French students have 11 years of foreign language education under their belts.
An optional three versus 11 compulsory years of foreign language education? The source of America’s linguistic deficiency is as plain as the numbers.
With much of the world striving to acquire English as a second language, however, some wonder why they should bother becoming conversant in a foreign language at all. Though the arguments in favor stretch into a long, exhaustive laundry list, the best case for language learning is summed up in two words: human relations.
Whether in the demanding business world, the heat of politics or the relaxation of vacation, competence in another language strengthens relationships between locals and foreigners. Giving the native speaker the option to communicate in her own language, rather than expecting her to speak English, shows a willingness to compromise, something key in a business deal or even a simple matter of asking directions.
On a more personal level, sharing the same language opens doors to cultural connections and experiences that would otherwise be hidden. If I didn’t speak Spanish, I would have never discovered El Patio, a small Sevillian restaurant teeming with young Spaniards and bursting with delectable edibles. Without foreign language education, we slam these doors shut.
As dismal as the statistics surrounding American foreign language education may seem, not all hope is lost for the future of American language skills. Across the nation, many school districts and even some states have begun to take steps to ensure that younger students receive at least some instruction in foreign languages. According to the New York Times, the school district of Fairfax County, VA, has decided to expand its language learning program to offer bi-weekly foreign language classes to elementary school students. Public schools in New York State require all students to have completed at least two years of a foreign language before entering high school.
American students also have the option of attending the foreign language immersion programs provided by certain private, public charter and magnet schools. Unlike most public schools, these programs – offered at all grade levels – strive for proficiency and fluency in the target language rather than just familiarity and exposure. However, these programs do have a downside: The vast majority is found only in metropolitan and suburban areas, effectively alienating would-be learners in smaller towns and rural areas.
For students left without the option of immersion programs or required foreign language classes – and even for those beyond the years of formal education – there is still a wealth of language learning opportunities available. Many cities and towns offer reduced-rate language courses for adults through community education programs. For more independent learners, language-learning software – such as Berlitz or Rosetta Stone – is an excellent way to dive into a new language or brush up on one previously learned. And if all else fails, foreign languages phrasebooks are invaluable to travelers, helping them brave their way through hotels, markets and restaurants alike.
You would think that I would have thought to buy one before leaving for France.
Fortunately, the waiter did speak English, to our great relief, and helped us decipher the menu. He jotted our orders down with a patently bored face, intoning, “Weel zat be all?”
“Yes, thank you,” said Jenna’s mom.
“Yes, thank – no,” I stopped short, wracking my brain for the French equivalent. “Merci.”
He smiled.
Published 27 July 2009. All Rights Reserved.