Why Take A World Language?

Why take a world language?

1. Students who completed 4 years of world language study scored more than 100 points higher on each section of the SAT than those who didn’t.

2. Most four-year colleges and universities require 2 years high school level world language (not including middle school levels) for college entrance.

3. World Language study creates more positive attitudes and less prejudice toward people who are different.

4. Analytical skills improve when students study a foreign language.

5. Increased Career Possibilities:

-Business skills plus world language skills make an employee more valuable in the marketplace.

-Increasing numbers of jobs now require people who are capable of interacting in languages other than English and can adapt to a wide range of cultural backgrounds.

Acceptance to the University

Did you know that most universities, including the University of Minnesota, have a holistic admission process where they review high school transcripts as well as cumulative GPA, ACT or SAT scores, and activities?

What are colleges and universities looking for?

Rigorous course selection, especially in the key academic areas of math, science, language arts, social studies, and world language.
Completion of college prep classes and of academic programs through advanced level courses, for example world language or social studies courses through College in the Schools.
Consistency, improvement, and rigor of courses, especially in the senior year.

Did you know that students who completed 4 years of world language study scored more than 100 points higher on

each section of the SAT than those who didn’t? (source: Wall Street Journal, October 30, 2003)

Increased Career Possibilities

Knowledge of one or more world languages and cultures is a marketable skill. Increasing numbers of jobs now require people who are capable of interacting in languages other than English and can adapt to a wide range of cultural backgrounds.

Four out of five new jobs in the United States are created as a result of foreign trade.
A total of 6,688 small, medium, and large companies exported from Minnesota locations in 2001. (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2004)
Communication skills will play an important role in service industries within the United States. Service industries are predicted to be the fastest growing markets in the 21st century.
Proficiency in a world language is important for many different employment and career opportunities: airline industry, advertising, anthropology, arts, corporate law, education, engineering, fi lm, government, health care, hotel industry, import/export, international banking, international organizations, interpreting, journalism, law, law enforcement, marketing, medicine, publishing, radio/TV, religious occupations, research, science, social work, teaching, telecommunications, technology, travel and tourism, vocational and technological fi elds. (source: Minnesota New Visions: www.mctlc.org/newvisions)

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