The World Speaks: The Importance of Multilinguism

May 18, 2017

Globalization is the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.

Multilingual- using or being able to use several languages especially with equal fluency.

These are textbook definitions of the word that can be found within Webster’s dictionary.

But what do these words really mean, besides what Webster’s says they mean?

Most would write these words off as something you hear about a couple of times in the classroom as something that you don’t really need.

But the fact of the matter is that these words do matter, and they do have a prominent effect on not only humans, not only society, but the world as a whole.

We live in a multilingual world that is becoming increasingly globalized, and as the world and its different cultures and people come into more contact with each other, it has become very important to know more than one language.

As Americans, we’re used to living and being around multiple languages and cultures.

Our whole country is made up of thousands of people from different background and ethnicity.

According to an article published by BBC, despite the variety of cultures and people from different backgrounds, English remains the most spoken language in the United States, with 80 percent of the American population speaking English as their main language of choice. Spanish comes in second place with 12.4 percent of the population, and the rest of the population speaking a mix of Indo- European, Asian, and Pacific Island languages as the first language of choice.

Many countries around the world speak English, so communication shouldn’t be a problem for visiting Americans and native English speakers.

But it can be a problem for those who only speak English and want to travel or work outside of the United States. According to an article published by Ethnologue: Languages of the World, there are over 7,000 living languages in the world as of 2015, and of the increasing number of 7.2 billion people in the world, 1.39 billion people of the world population speak a dialect ofChinese as their main language- not English. In fact, of the 7.2 billion people of the world, only 527 million people speak English, making it so Chinese has more native speakers than any other language.

Of course, the population of China needs to be taken into account as well, but the main point is, as world population and globalization increase, so does the need for multilingual speakers.

Business is one field that has be- come increasingly international, and as trade and communications between different companies overseas continue and grow, so does the demand for multilingual speakers who can communicate with those who don’t only just speak English.

Furthermore, as more and more companies begin to trade ally, people are frequently beginning jobs for which they need no language skills, but then being asked to relocate abroad, or offered a promotion that requires language skills.

According to an article published by U.S. News, Heinz Company, PNC bank, and PPG Industries all have corporations across the globe, and are examples of companies in Pittsburgh that would want employees who have languages skills beyond standard English.

And as America increases its presence in the world market and trade, international companies with branches overseas are looking for people who not only know America business, but can also communicate with speakers of other languages.

According to the Auburn University website, one is at a distinct advantage in the global market if one knows as many languages as possible.

Many people who are multilingual have an advantage over those who only speak one language as they are seen as being more intelligent and educated, causing more opportunities for employment.

Learning foreign languages also expands one’s world view and illuminates the barriers between people, while also enhancing one’s opportunities in government, business, medicine, law, technology, military, industry, and marketing.

Nevermind the fact that most Americans are seen as not being able to speak anything but English.

Learning a new language and understanding and educating oneself about another culture not only breaks this stereotype, but also inspires respect from others outside of the United States.

So if knowing more languages and understanding different cultures is seen as a huge advantage in the working field and in daily life as well, why does Franklin Regional only provide two languages for it’s students to learn?

According to each school website, Penn Trafford High School offers German in addition to the customary French and Spanish, while Norwin Senior High School offers all of the above and Japanese, and Hempfield Senior High School offers it’s students not only Spanish and French, but Latin, Chinese, and German.

Not only do these additionally offered languages provide even more opportunities for students outside of school, but the new cultures students are exposed to helps broaden perspectives outside of American stereotypes and borders.

Adding more languages for students to learn would provide Franklin Regional students with the same opportunities as the surrounding school districts, while also opening up many doors for its students in the future.