AVID 10
Block 4
Situation: Universities and colleges require that entering freshmen must have taken at least two years of a foreign language on the high school level before graduation.
Directions: Think about the advantages and disadvantages of taking two years of a foreign language in high school.
Prompt: Write an essay to convince a university or college whether or not two years of a foreign language be a requirement for high school.
Many colleges now require that students have taken at least two years of the foreign language in order to be admitted. Language is the key component of communication; being able to speak with someone personally is important for building a relationship, learning a foreign language can be a great opportunity. It can increase your limits and help you to look beyond the familiar. It can teach you to take a step back and examine your own culture and ways of communications; learning another language enables students to see the world through a new image. Knowing a second language can also give people a competitive advantage in the work force by opening up additional job opportunities. People who speak another language have the ability to communicate with more people, read more literature, and travel to other countries. Learning a foreign language has some disadvantages too. It can be a lack of resources and train teachers. There will be unfocused learning. It might even dilute the efforts to teach basics like English, Writing, and Math, since time and limited resources how have to be devoted to teaching this separate language. It is also very difficult. I agree that it should be required for students to have at least two years of foreign language. It helps you in the future.
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