In modern America, there are many situations where it is necessary to know a secondary language. Working in customer service you could encounter a customer that doesn’t speak English, being a teacher you many have a student that just moved to America and hasn’t fully learned English yet.

A reported 66 million Americans speak a language besides English at home. 6.8% of Americans don’t speak English at all. That is 22,569,200 million people who you would not be able to communicate in English. As a result, learning a second language can be very beneficial. 

The U.S is becoming increasingly more multilingual, creating more situations where there maybe a  need to speak a second language. In the article “Learning a second language should be required” it states, “The U.S. is known as a melting pot, where people from all different countries, ethnicities and backgrounds can come together to create a large, successful and peaceful union. With numerous different backgrounds comes numerous different languages. English is obviously the most common language, but many people come speaking languages such as Spanish or French.” 

In addition, to be able to communicate, learning a second language also helps you gain news skills, in grammar, vocabulary and overall brain function.  According to the article “Why you should learn a second language and gain new skills” It states, “The more you use your brain to learn new skills, the more your brain’s functions work. Learning a new language pushes your brain to get familiar with new grammar and vocabulary rules. It allows you to train your memory”.

Anaya Pratt, freshman explains, “You’re able to communicate with various people and you’re going to have more opportunities.” 

Learning another language also improves your ability to multi-task. According to the article “Why you should learn a second language and gain new skills” It states, “Time management and multitasking are two skills that will always help you. Multilingual people can switch between languages”.

Freshman, Isabel Witt thought learning a second language is necessity. “I think so in modern society it’s kind of necessary to at least know some words from another language,” said Isabel Witt.

Futhermore, knowing more than one language increases the opportunity to receive a scholarship. In the article “Learning a second language should be required” it states, “The U.S. does not have an official language, (on a federal level, but is the most common language spoken in the United Stated) but most states offer scholarships to students who have pursued at least two years of world language classes.”

In conclusion, the increasing diversity of the United States, the improvement to brain function and memory, the enhancement of multitasking abilities, and the scholarship opportunities that learning a second language provide are all important factors to consider when evaluating the need for learning a second language.