The Benefits of Multilingualism in a Globalized Society Essay

With the Internet now ubiquitous, making it as easy to talk to someone on another continent as if they were your neighbor, coupled with the accessibility of global travel, it is now more beneficial than ever to know more than one language. However, United States citizens are mainly monolingual English speakers. In today’s globalized society, multilingualism is essential in keeping the pace on the world stage, and the United States should seriously consider taking action to encourage it. There are many benefits that a multilingual individual enjoys. According to Michael B. Paradowski, from the Institute of Applied Linguistics at the University of Warsaw, â€Å"Multilinguals can expand their personal horizons and—being simultaneously insiders†¦show more content†¦Instead, the American citizens should view immigrants as an asset rather than a problem (Brown). These other languages and the cultures that accompany them have helped shape America in the past and wil l do so again if the multiple viewpoints of multilinguals are respected. Immigrants who come to America are usually put into an ESL, or English as a Second Language, program, if their local school offers it. This means that they are mostly segregated from their peers until they have learned enough of the language to enter the inner circle of the English speaking world. Recently, though, other methods of teaching English to immigrants have become more popular, such as Two-Way or Dual Immersion programs. In this program, half of the students in the classroom are native English speakers and half are native speakers of a foreign language. This not only helps the non-native English speakers learn the language better and faster but gives the native English speaking students an understanding of the other language and culture (Brown). In the school districts of Hillsborough County, Florida, more than 150 foreign languages are represented, making this an extremely diverse community. This also makes it a reflection of national trend (Brown). In Hillsborough alone, â€Å"nearly 31,000 students spoke Spanish at home; six of the most commonlyShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Globalisation On English Lingua Franca Essay1743 Words   |  7 PagesIn a globalizing world, where language governs our society extensively the dominance of English has effects on linguistic and communicative inequality between native and non-native speakers (Tsuda, 1999). Research on globalisation argues strong evidence that English is the lingua franca or international language and communication of today. But to what extent has globalisation progressed through language? 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