Twenty-First Century Leadership
Each of us makes an impact. Each of us has the ability to effectuate positive change in the world. Let us choose to lead the effort to individually and collectively do what we can to make our school, our local community, our state, our nation, and our world a better place. How will you use what you have learned in your language classes to LEAD WITH LANGUAGES and make a POSITIVE IMPACT in the world?
21st Century Skills - Lead with Languages
Learning other languages and understanding the culture of the people who speak them is a 21st-century skill that is vital to success in the global environment in which our students will live and work. In a report entitled, Education for Global Leadership: the Importance of International Studies and Foreign Languages for U.S. Economic and National Security, the Committee for Economic Development (CED) stated “To confront the twenty-first-century challenges to our economy and national security, our education system must be strengthened to increase the foreign language skills and cultural awareness of our students. America’s continued global leadership will depend on our students’ abilities to interact with the world community both inside and outside our borders.” For college and career readiness, our students need to be proficient in other languages, regardless of whether they choose to transition directly to the workforce or to post-secondary education (21st Century Skills Map, Partnership for 21st Century Skills). The benefits, importance, and relevance of proficiency development in world languages cannot be over emphasized in today's world and in today's job market. Today, more than 1,200 international firms have facilities and operate in South Carolina, and this number continues to grow (South Carolina Department of Commerce). Successful world language learning increases opportunities for our students.
Take a look at the chart below from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) to discover the minimal level of what you are ready to do with language in the workplace after a certain number of years of study. Keep in mind that the level of student commitment to language learning significantly changes the level attained. The more years of language you choose to study and the harder you choose to work at developing your language proficiency, the more ready you are to do as much as possible with your language learning. Make yourself more marketable in today's workplace; make a difference in the world through the enhanced cultural understanding gained through language study. Choose to develop a strong foundation in language and learn as much language as possible throughout your years at Hillcrest High School. You will be glad that you did!