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Introduction
Diversity and multiculturalism have become essential characteristics of modern American society. The United States has been referred to as the melting pot of cultures, religions, and ethnicities, but the current approach to language policy and multilingualism is not reflective of such a title. While the government has taken some steps to encourage foreign language proficiency among the population, they have been insufficient to meet the absolute need for a policy change. US language policies have persistently highlighted the benefits of the English-dominated curriculum, which significantly limits the potential of the educational system to address the concerns of the ever-evolving diverse environment.
Discussion
The proposed change to meet the demands of the multilingual American society is implementing a change of policy for making schools multilingual. While the choice of languages may vary from one jurisdiction to another, it is imperative to ensure that instruction is done in at least two languages. When students are embedded into a context in which speaking several languages is the norm, their opportunities for language acquisition will automatically expand, thus ensuring that more learners gain proficiency by their high school graduation. The purpose of this policy change is to make multilingualism a prerequisite to general education because of the benefits it has for cognitive development, learning success, and choice of career. The rationale for the change lies in the issue that in the US language learning context, English serves as a thread for facilitating diversity, which creates a further paradox in the practices targeted at reaching the requirements of multilingualism.
The problem of the need for more attention to multilingualism as a nationwide requirement for successful language learning stems from the reliance on English as a prerequisite for acquiring a second language. In contrast to the EU approach, the aim of which is to promote language diversity for preserving and further developing it, the American curriculum centers around the native language, which is considered international. However, for many students, English is not their first language, and their academic development is highly limited. Instead, the language curriculum in the European context implements both Communicative Language Teaching and Content- and Language-Integrated approach, thus allowing for making instruction flexible.
Among the reasons for the insufficient efforts to facilitate multilingualism in the US educational context is that the nationwide language policies still need to cater to the multicultural population of the country. Specifically, public signage is still in one language, while non-English speakers have limited access to translations and interpretation in government interactions. When there is a transformation in such public areas, it is likely that the embedding of multilingualism as a new curriculum policy change will be successful. Improving access to services in several languages will encourage cross-cultural communication, thus diversifying the social landscape in the country and laying the foundation for successful language acquisition in the school context.
There are several measurable benefits of the proposal to implement a policy change to make education multilingual in the US. On the development level, multilingualism allows individuals to adopt a flexible approach to learning and expand their mindsets with knowledge of diverse cultures, their values, as well as ideas and perspectives. The knowledge of several languages from early ages gives learners an insight into cultural differences, which promotes sympathy and mutual understanding. On the teaching level, when a class is made up of students of students belonging to various cultures, multilingualism can help teachers establish diverse environments where the exchange of varied opinions and perspectives is encouraged. When several languages are used in teaching and learning, comparisons can be drawn between the native and second languages, which increases linguistic performance, improves memory, and helps gain success on standardized tests (Heineke and Davin 621). It is beneficial to introduce multiculturalism into the educational curriculum at early stages is conducive to accelerating academic performance and closing the persistent learning gaps.
Surprisingly, the policy change can help facilitate the improved cognitive functioning of learners because of the benefits of studying different languages. As suggested by Fox et al., foreign language learning improves students cognitive flexibility and overall development (478). Such a consequence of making education a multicultural environment shows that the benefits of language learning are vast, especially since multiple-language learners perform better than their monolingual counterparts. Therefore, it is essential to abandon the outdated focus on the English-dominated curriculum that limits the opportunities for students to develop as well-rounded individuals with vast personal and professional opportunities.
Conclusion
To conclude, the current approach to language learning in the United States is such that it does not align with the dynamic and diverse nature of the countrys population. A change in policy that makes schools multilingual is a complex but highly necessary step toward meeting the needs of modern American society. While such a change entails a complete reconsideration of the existing approach and abandoning of the English-dominated curriculum that is ineffective at facilitating the expected level of multilingualism in the country. Using the experience of European countries that have been more successful at facilitating multilingualism, it is possible to revise the current policies and remove the restricting barriers.
Works Cited
Fox, Rebecca, et al. Benefits of Foreign Language Learning and Bilingualism: An Analysis of Published Empirical Research 20052011. Foreign Language Annals, vol. 52, no. 3, 2019, pp. 470-490.
Heineke, Amy J., and Kristin J. Davin. Prioritizing Multilingualism in US Schools: States Policy Journeys to Enact the Seal of Biliteracy. Educational Policy, vol. 34, no. 4, 2020, pp. 619-643.
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