Should Students Be Required to Take a Second Language Course
A Modern Must A spectacle is happening in today’s society that the world, one hundred years ago, could have never thought possible. Cultural barriers between countries are blurring and are eventually predicted to disappear entirely, forming one, global nation. This process of globalization is due mainly to the rise of modern technologies through the internet and computers. Just a few decades ago, people would have never thought that an international business meeting would be as simple as few clicks of a mouse and a video-call. Now, international trading, as well as many other tasks, is becoming a reality. However, the only thing that might restrain a deal between a start-up American business and a possible Chinese investor is an acute language barrier. To keep the machine that is the global market well-oiled and functioning at maximum efficiency, it only makes sense for a common language to be spoken. The sooner the United States schools realize this, the sooner they can stay competitive on a global scale. The culture-blending effects of globalization necessitate high school and college students to achieve proficiency in a second, useful language. To fully understand why a second language is so important for United States citizens, one must understand the causes of constantly rising globalization. The first and most obvious cause is the internet and the lines of communication that it opens. If used appropriately, the internet can connect people from a variety of nationalities for almost endless purposes. Perhaps the most appealing purpose would be the potential for international business endeavors. Businessmen have, since the dawn of the internet, seized the opportunity to use it for global business growth. They recognize that the internet is an information highway that can be used to help business contact clients from around the globe as well as promote their business on the web. These business opportunities have given once developmentally
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