Why Foreign Language Skills are Critical in the Age of Globalization
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, globalization is “the development of closer economic, cultural, and political relations among all the countries of the world as a result of travel and communication becoming easy.”
It’s easy to see that our world is becoming more globalized—and at a rapid rate. (If you aren’t convinced, consider the swiftness with which the novel coronavirus swept across the planet this year and in late 2019.)
Interestingly, the Cambridge Dictionary definition of globalization suggests that this process is owed to breakthroughs in two key areas: travel and communication. Before the 1900s, international travel was much less convenient than it is now. Airplanes and automobiles were still being developed, so trains and ships were the only feasible forms of long-distance transportation. These options tended to be slow, uncomfortable, and costly.
Fast forward some 120 years, and everything is different. To travel to most countries now, you only need a passport and a plane ticket.
Of course, Americans don’t just travel for pleasure. A 2017 study by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics found that “Americans make more than 405 million long-distance business trips per year, accounting for 16% of all long-distance travel.”
The ever-increasing movement of people, ideas, and products suggests that knowledge of foreign languages will become more instrumental over time. Especially in the area of international business, the demand for multilingual employees is expected to grow exponentially.
A 2017 joint study by Forbes and Rosetta Stone suggests that “as more companies expand globally, having a multilingual workforce is critical.” In addition, the study found that “businesses with multilingual teams reported improved reputation within specific geographic markets.”
The United States is and generally has been a relatively monolingual country—that is, compared to the many polyglottic countries of Africa, Asia, and Europe, where knowing more than one language is not a luxury, but instead a necessity.
In the U.S., you can travel 3,000 miles from the West to East Coast without ever needing to switch languages. English is spoken all over the country and in the countries that border us—a whopping 85% of Canadians and 12% of Mexicans know English, though the latter figure is higher in touristy areas.
Compare the size of the U.S. to that of Belgium, which is just 175 miles across and has distinct Dutch-, French-, and German-speaking communities. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just ethnocentrism that explains why 75% of Americans are monolingual, though some argue that that certainly plays a part.
At the 2010 Foreign Language Summit, Arne Duncan, the former Secretary of Education declared, “For too long, Americans have relied on other countries to speak our language. But we won't be able to do that in the increasingly complex and interconnected world. To prosper economically and to improve relations with other countries, Americans need to read, speak and understand other languages.” Indeed, the U.S. must stay abreast of current happenings if it wishes to continue competing in the global economy.
Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau reveal that “America is now the second-largest Spanish speaking population in the world after Mexico” and “already has more Spanish speakers than Spain.” Similar data from this source estimates that “the U.S. will have an estimated 138 million Spanish speakers by 2050,” which equates to roughly 40% of the current population.
To be sure, immigration has much to do with these trends. According to the Migration Policy Institute, “Since 1970, the share and number of immigrants [to the U.S.] have increased rapidly, mainly because of large-scale immigration from Latin America and Asia, with the foreign-born population standing at 44.7 million as of 2018.” It’s no surprise, then, why so many job postings now contain the phrase “bilingual preferred” or “bilingual required.”
Former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan also highlighted the indispensable role that education will play in preparing Americans for the future. At the same conference cited above, he stated that “schools, colleges and universities must include producing bilingual students as a central part of their mission.”
However, some educational institutions have been slow to get on board with this idea. In many states, foreign language class is optional for students before and after they reach certain grade levels. For instance, in New York State, students only need “one unit of credit in a language other than English in order to complete the language other than English requirement.”
Next steps
Parents who want their children to become (or remain) proficient in a foreign tongue should encourage them to continue with their language studies beyond what is required. Remind your children that foreign language classes make for more competitive college applications and open doors for study abroad opportunities in college.
Also worth mentioning is that the benefits of multilingualism extend well beyond college. For instance, UEI College reports that bilinguals may find work more easily and earn an average of 5-20% more per hour than their monolingual counterparts.
If your children are small, get them started with a foreign language soon. A 2018 study from MIT found that “it is nearly impossible for people to achieve proficiency similar to that of a native speaker unless they start learning a language by the age of 10.” Inquire about language programs at your child’s school, or look into getting your child private language lessons.
Our country is becoming more multilingual every day. Consider taking steps now to make sure your children are prepared for the future.
Tiffany Sorensen holds a Master of Science in Spanish-English Translation from New York University. She works remotely from sunny Mexico, where she gives English and Spanish classes, writes educational articles, and designs practice tests for the ACT.