When 6th graders make the transition to middle school, one of the exciting new aspects is the opportunity to take a foreign language class. In the Scituate school system, students can choose between Spanish, French, or Latin, starting from 7th grade up to their senior year of high school. While for some students, taking a foreign language is very important and beneficial, others may not feel the same way.

   The importance of foreign language in education is obvious for some students, but for others, it is unnecessary to require them to study a subject that they may not consider an essential part of their core education. Educational standards have made subjects like math and English a required part of a student’s foundation, but foreign language tends to follow a different curriculum in separate schools. Because of this, students can often be at different foreign language levels when they start college or even if they switch high schools, making it obvious that a more defined standard for foreign language is needed.

    The best way to address the issue of foreign language’s importance is to require it as part of a student’s curriculum for only a few years and then provide an earlier opportunity to choose whether or not to continue with it. If students were required to take a foreign language for all of middle school and freshman and sophomore year, they should be able to choose to take it for the last two years of high school or not. This policy would work best because students would have the opportunity to explore their possible interest for a foreign language, especially in a high school setting, and if they think they would be better off furthering their education in a different subject, they should be able to do so.

    However, making foreign language optional would not necessarily solicit students to only take electives for the rest of high school. Foreign language should be available for those who simply find it interesting or for those who would like to continue to study it in college or any higher education. But for those who think differently, it should be mandatory to study another academic subject in replace of foreign language.

    Foreign language may be very beneficial to understand different cultures and how the modern world works, but in reality, English is continuing to become the dominant language of the world. It is unfair for there to be a standard to take a language for all of high school. Ultimately, students should not be considered any differently by colleges if they do or do not take foreign language. If a student feels strongly enough and is able to further their education to the same extent through another, they should have the option to opt out of a foreign language, without consequence, after 10th grade.