Speaking foreign languages not only broadens our mind...

Educating speakers of other languages in English, and encouraging mastery of multiple languages, has long been important to America’s competitiveness — and will be increasingly vital in the years to come. We challenge our schools and communities to invest in our future leaders with biliteracy and multiliteracy skills. (link to the article) Arne Duncan is U.S. secretary of Education. Libia S. Gil is assistant deputy secretary of the Office of English Language Acquisition in the Department of Education. 

"Being a native English speaker is not the main requirement for jobs requiring proficiency in English" ...I know this last sentence might sound weird, illogical or even fallacious. Let me share my opinion with you patient reader. Every year the number of English learners achieving a C1 or C2 English  level diploma increases, and every year the age of the students acquiring such a high level of English is younger. Not only that, they speak at least another language: Spanish, French, German... So, language wise they are more employable, specially in today´s globalised economy. Think about it...

I know this might sound harsh, but think twice when you travel abroad, to a country whose language you speak (let´s say, to Mexico and you speak Spanish) and people (staff, people you meet there, couchsurfing members etc.) want to "help" you by speaking English, although you might be trying to practise your Spanish: they are not helping you, they are unconciously showing that they are fluent in English, practising it and, most importantly, are also keeping you from improving your Spanish. So, in the long term what is likely to happen is: you forget most of your Spanish (French, Japanese...you name it) missing the chance to be fluent in a foreign language whereas "we" get to be "proficient" in English. Is it fair? Comment on this post!
Next time someone answers back to you in English when you are practising your favorite foreign language... do not let them get away with it! 

Hugo Díaz

• Exact excerpt from the article by Lauren Razavi in The Guardian digital edition. 

<< Both Danijela Trenkic and John Schumann believe that native English speakers are at a unique disadvantage in trying to learn other languages. The key issue in motivating English-speaking language learners is the prevalence of English as the world's lingua franca, an issue that has been explored and debated by experts for more than a decade. "We speak natively the language that the world is trying to learn. For us, it's never clear that we need to learn a second language, and if we decide to, it's hard for us to pick which one," Schumann asserts. "It's also very difficult to maintain a conversation with a German if your German isn't good, because they'll quickly switch to English, and they're often more comfortable doing so." 

"One of the main reasons there are more successful learners of English than of other languages is that there's more 'material' out there, and it's more socially relevant in the sense that people you know are likely to share your enthusiasm for the material – films and music, for example," Trenkic adds. >> 

Bibliografía
. “Language learning: what motivates us?” Artículo de Lauren Razavi en el periódico The Guardian, versión digital (26/04/2014). Disponible en: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/19/language-learning-motivation-brain-teaching

• Melanie Balakit

ANNAPOLIS — Maryland could become the fourth state in the nation to establish a Seal of Biliteracy Program, which would recognize public high school graduates who demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English.

Students would have to demonstrate proficiency in not only speaking, but also reading and writing in one or more languages other than English, including American Sign Language, according to a measure pending in the State House.

“In the 21st century, we want a school system that recognizes the importance of languages and cultures as globalization increases,” said Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez, who sponsors the bill. If passed, the measure would add a special recognition of biliteracy to the diplomas or transcripts high school graduates receive beginning in 2015. 

Article by Melanie Balakit Capital News Service