FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SECOND LANGUAGES :: FAQ

Foreign Language Graduation Requirement & Frequently Asked Questions

 

Why Study A Foreign Language?

Business Reasons

The study and knowledge of another language has a great deal of influence on the economy of the U.S. and on international trade.

  1. Each year, 200,000 Americans lose out on jobs with business because they do not know another language.
  2. Additionally, one third of all the corporations in the U.S. are either owned or based abroad.
  3. One out of every six production job in the U.S. depends on foreign trade.
  4. One half of the top profit making companies on Fortune magazine's "500" list are foreign controlled.
  5. Four out of five new jobs in the United States are created as a result of foreign trade.
  6. The majority of American employers, according to a national survey, consider the command of a foreign language a useful skill.
  7. Fifty percent of all the jobs for the 21st century have not been created yet. What is known is that communication will be central to the majority of these jobs.
  8. In NC alone there are over 1,000 international firms. The United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and France have the largest number of firms.
  9. According to the Kiplinger Washington Editors (1996), the Hispanic share of the workforce will increase by 25 percent by 2010. Asians, around 50 percent. Minorities will keep moving up the corporate ladder in the next 15 years. Managers who know how to deal with a diverse workforce will have an edge.
  10. "The workplace of tomorrow is a world of many cultures and languages ...with new forms of global commerce we can't even imagine today" (Kiplinger Washington Editors, 1996).

Social Reasons

It helps students develop a sense of cultural pluralism. One cannot pretend to understand another country's culture unless one knows the language. Language and culture are truly inseparable.

NC has a growing non-English speaking population. There are more than 170 languages represented in our NC schools. Over 100,000 Hispanics reside in NC. Of these many are students who are limited English-proficient.

Academic Reasons
The study of another language impacts other academic areas.

  1. Data from the Admissions Testing Program of the College Board show a positive correlation between SAT scores and the study of a FL. Verbal scores of students increased with each additional year of language study. The most interesting piece of information is that the verbal scores of students who had taken four or five years of foreign language were higher than the verbal scores of students who had taken four or five years of any other subjects.
  2. It helps students develop greater cognitive skills in such areas as mental flexibility, creativity, divergent thinking, and higher-order thinking skills.
  3. The study of a FL has been shown to enhance listening skills and memory and can contribute a significant additional dimension to the concept of communication.

Conclusion
If education is a means by which to prepare students for the complicated world they inhabit, then the educational system cannot deprive students from a general education in the area of foreign language. The value of such an education not only lies in job-related advantages but also in the added dimension of an understanding of other people and cultures.

(Sources: International Westinghouse Electric Corporation, American Institute for Foreign Study, and National Council on Foreign Language and International Studies.)

For links on the same subject, go to:
http://eleaston.com/why.html#ws
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED402794
http://www.utm.edu/departments/french/why.html
http://www.ccflt.org/adfl1.htm

The color brochure "Why Learn Another Language" is again available free of charge from the Modern Language Association. Packets of twenty may be obtained by writing to either flbrochure@mla.org, or the Office of Foreign Language Programs, MLA, 26 Broadway, New York, NY 10004-1789. Requests of up to 300 copies will be honored. The brochure is also available for downloading in PDF and HTML files at www.adfl.org.

 

High School Graduation Requirement

In June 2000, the State Board of Education voted to change the high school graduation requirements to address the UNC System admission requirements. Ninth graders who enter high school for the first time in 2000-01 and who choose the College/University Prep Course of Study will need "two credits in the same second language:( or demonstration of proficiency in a language other than English as determined by the local educational agency)" .

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Foreign Language Graduation Requirement & Frequently Asked Questions

What is the requirement?

2 units of the same foreign language for students enrolled in the College/University Prep Course of Study or demonstration of proficency in a language as determined by the local educational agency

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When will it be in place?

For high school graduation: Effective for ninth graders entering for the first time 2000-2001 and graduating in Spring 2004 For university admission: Fall 2004

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Does Latin count as a language for the graduation and college admissions requirement?

Yes

 

Does Spanish for Native Speakers count for the graduation and college admissions requirement?

Yes

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Does ESL Language Arts count as a foreign language?

No

 

What about native speakers of languages other than English?

Under the present SBE policy, native speakers of the language still need 2 units of foreign language or demonstration of proficiency as determined by the local education unit. Native speakers can be enrolled in their own language at any level depending on their placement in high school and meet the requirement.

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How does a district note the "demonstration of proficiency" on the transcript via SIMS or NC WISE?

When an LEA has determined that a student has demonstrated proficiency in a language other than English, it can be shown on the transcript in the following way:

  1. Create a second course number with no credit attached for a language other than English. Specify “P” as a final mark for the course. This will allow the demonstration of proficiency to show on the transcript.
  2. An override will need to be done to allow the issuance of the College/University Prep Course of Study diploma.

 

Does American sign language count for the graduation and college admissions requirement?

ASL does meet the UNC admissions requirements. Check with your local school district to see if it will meet high school graduation requirements.