Should more Americans be learning Spanish as a second language ?
For all of the reasons you mentioned, it is in the best interest of Americans to learn Spanish as a second language. I actually started learning Spanish in 5th grade, and it seems that most schools around the country do offer it. The only problem is that very few students actually follow through until they are proficient. I think this problem can be attributed largely to poor teachers. Anyhow, knowledge of Spanish will be especially important to Americans living in the Southwest, where in only a few decades, those of Spanish background will make up more than half the population. Learning a language doesn’t only help you communicate. It also helps you to understand a culture. Thus, learning Spanish is important in the sense that it enables us to partially understand the culture of the millions of Spanish-speaking immigrants.
