The role of class in parent engagement is well-known, thanks to the work of US sociologists such as Shirley Brice-Heath, Annette Lareau, or Jessica Calarco.įor children, limited proficiency in the language of the school is a leading cause of educational disadvantage. Language as a barrier to parent engagement By contrast, working-class parents often face barriers to engaging with their children’s education. As a rule of thumb, middle-class parents are good at engaging with schools and this can secure significant advantages for their children. Obviously, different parents have different levels of capacity to engage with their children’s education. However, parental engagement is critical to student outcomes: parents choose a school or program for their child, they socialize their children into ways of interacting with institutions and their representatives, and they lobby for the needs of their children. What we tend to overlook is the role parents play in their children’s school success. When we think about student achievement, we typically think about student qualities: how smart a student is, how hard-working, or how personable. Whether a foreign language improves the mind in numerous ways such as memory, enhancing the skill to communicate with others across the globe, or opening up job opportunities, learning a foreign language is crucial in this diverse world.(Image credit: Markus Spiske via Unsplash) Parental engagement is a critical aspect of student achievement However, in the United States, only 15% of elementary schools offer foreign language classes (Washington Post), and in 2008, 18.5% of elementary and middle school students in the United States reported learning a foreign language (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).Īlthough English is such a predominant language and some Americans do not feel like learning a foreign language to “keep up with the world,” learning a foreign language is critically beneficial. These European students learn another language from a young age, which research has shown that it is significantly easier to learn a foreign language younger. Also, over 20 European countries make students learn two foreign languages for at least one year (Quartz). About 20% of American students learn another language, but the median for European students is 92% (Pew Research Center).Īccording to the Pew Research Center, students as young as six years olds learn a foreign language in almost every country in Europe. While 15-20% of Americans are bilingual, 56% of Europeans are bilingual (The Daily Texan).Īlthough many schools require students to take a foreign language for at least two years to graduate high school in California, this period will not make students fluent or adequate enough for students to be immersed in a language.Ĭalifornia is one of the 11 states with a foreign language requirement however, 16 states do not have foreign language requirements, and 24 states have graduation requirements that can be attained by fulfilling numerous subjects, including a foreign language (American Councils).

The language, dominating in so many of these sectors, is another reason why Americans may not find it critical to pick up another language. ” In 2019, approximately 1.27 billion people spoke English, making it the most spoken language in the world that year (Statistica).Įnglish is the lingua franca across numerous fields including business, science, and aviation. Julian Lisboa (10) agrees with this statement and believes “Americans don’t feel the need to learn another language simply off the facts that America is so diverse already and students don’t feel the need to learn a language they won’t ever use. Since English is a predominantly spoken language worldwide, people may not feel like they need to learn other languages to be successful or to communicate with others. Although the United States has no official language, it is evident that English is dominantly utilized, so many seem to suffice with only knowing this language. Most Americans are known to be monolingual, while in other countries, it is common to come across a person fluent in various languages. Compared to the rest of the world, the United States seems to be lacking in an area: knowing multiple languages.

Being monolingual