Here at YLHS, students are offered the choice to take a second language. Whether it be Spanish, Chinese, German, Japanese or French, each language will have a benefit for the student in the future. By learning a second language, students will have an easier time getting a job in the future, could get paid more and will be able to speak to more people using their second language.

Although it seems that one would never need or use the language they learn in high school, it is actually the opposite. These days, many employers are looking for people who are bilingual. No matter what profession, there will always be a way to use a second language. 

According to Forbes Magazine, with the expanding work environment all over the world, it is a huge disadvantage to be limited to only be able to speak one language. By speaking more languages, foreign customers from around the world will be able to associate one’s business, which is why being bilingual makes it more likely for someone to be hired. 

In fact, the ability to speak multiple languages is a business skill that is continuing to grow in importance as time goes on. Additionally, having the being bilingual increases the chance of higher pay. As mentioned before, businesses all want to hire people who are bilingual, so it is likely that they will increase the pay for people who have this valuable skill.

The growing number of immigrants in the United States also highlights the importance of being bilingual. According to the United States Census Bureau, the majority of today’s immigrants are from Latin America or Asia. These parts of the world speak languages other than English, such as Spanish or Chinese. By learning multiple languages, one can easily communicate with foreign immigrants, or even with people in overseas countries. 

Mrs. Nicholson (Staff) says, ”having two languages helps because there are so many different people coming into our country that we can communicate with, and it is definitely better than only being monolingual.” By learning a new language, one is also exploring a new country’s culture. Next to religion, language is one of the most important factors of culture. Just by learning a language, one can look into the traditions, arts, and history of the people who speak that language.

The importance of learning a second language is continuing to grow today. Many new opportunities are opened up to people who are bilingual. No matter what language one may choose to learn, that language will bring many benefits in the future.