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- Title
Rethinking the Role of Languages in the US: Toward a More Diverse Cultural Identity.
- Authors
Stein-Smith, Kathleen
- Abstract
This article examines the English-only post-colonial narrative that has driven the development of US cultural memory and cultural identity does not sufficiently allow for the presence of other languages and cultures that form part of our diverse cultural identity -- past, present, and future. It finds that the current US foreign language deficit, including both lack of necessary foreign language skills among Americans and lack of motivation among Americans -- believing that English is the global lingua franca -- to learn other languages, impacts national and economic security as well as our communities and our society. The author concludes that the resurgence of Spanish, French, and other languages as our languages, rather than foreign languages, empowers us all. Access to foreign language learning from the earliest grade levels for all interested students will not only impact our economic and national security, but will create a new, and more diverse and sustainable "English plus" American identity for generations to come.
- Subjects
FOREIGN language education; BILINGUALISM; MULTILINGUALISM; IMMERSION method (Language teaching); ENGLISH language immersion education
- Publication
Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 2019, Vol 10, Issue 3, p403
- ISSN
1798-4769
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.17507/jltr.1003.01