I'm all in favor of encouraging young people to learn another language...
But not because they need to use it here. Multilinguism is a tremendous asset today for getting a good job in business, government, law, or most any other career, owing to globalization.
Like it or not, approve of it or not ... English is the common language of the planet. It's the universal language used to control international air travel. A Belgian citizen would have to learn a half-dozen languages just to move about Europe and speak the native tongue, and even that many wouldn't suffice. On the other hand, if he/she speaks English, they will have no trouble, not anywhere on the Continent, not anywhere in the world. I have taught professional seminars in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The sponsors (different in each case) always restricted attendance to those who were fluent in English. I didn't demand that, it was the accepted norm. We didn't force people around the globe to speak our language. It just happened because of our power, our domination, and our reach.
Children of other lands learn English because it is a matter of survival to them. American children should learn another language, but they don't have to.
If you could remake the world to your liking, X, you would make this all different. No one would be more equal than anyone else, in any respect. We would all love one another and live happily ever after. It's just that this world isn't like that. |
