Olabanji Baruwa

Franco Columbo Russell

ENG 110

October 30, 2025

It may seem normal for most students to speak more than one language in a nation as diverse as the United States. In reality a large number of American high school graduates never had the ability to read, write, or speak a second language fluently. American schools low second language literacy rates are a reflection of a bigger problem  in the educational system, including lack of funding for  education systems, a lack of language programs, and the idea that English is the only language that is useful for them. Not realizing learning a different language can help them down the line. This gap disadvantages American students on both a cultural and economic level as the world grows more connected. Improving the future of education in the United States requires an understanding of the reasons behind the very low rate of second language learning and fluency  and how it impacts students’ opportunities and global awareness.

One big reason why not many people in the U.S. can read and write in a second language is that schools don’t make it a requirement. Stein-Smith  points out that “the US suffers from a foreign language deficit, with only 1 in 4 Americans able to have a conversation in a language other than English and with fewer than 20% of K-12 students, and 7.5% of college and university students studying another language” (p. 872). This quote shows how bad the language gap is in America and how few students really have the chance to learn two languages. Even though the U.S. is a country of immigrants, language programs are not funded well or sometimes  not available at all. This means that students miss out on the benefits of learning another language. The lack of exposure reinforces the idea that English is enough, making it harder for young Americans to connect with people from other countries or appreciate the different languages spoken around them. This relates to a bigger problem of cultural disconnect in the US. Students miss out on opportunities for understanding diverse cultures  when they are discouraged from learning foreign languages. The numbers show that language education is being ignored, which means that schools  don’t think being bilingual is an important skill. I think the best way to address this problem is a change in mindset. Schools and students  must see language education that can help better their future, not just another subject they need to pass.

The lack of instruction and support for teachers assigned to teach a second language is another barrier to second language literacy in American schools. Teachers that are not being trained correctly and don’t have the right resources can cause them to create nonengaging lesson plans for students .In the article , Gironzetti and Belpoliti  explain, “the analysis highlights the challenges faced by SHL instructors, the gaps in their teacher education, and the need for additional resources and targeted support.” This quote highlights the fact that even in cases where schools provide  second language programs, the teachers in charge of these classes often lack the resources and training necessary to make them successful. Teachers may find it difficult to engage students or create lessons that develop  true language proficiency if they lack sufficient professional resources and  planning. Language instruction is frequently viewed as secondary or not as important  to other academic subjects in the American educational system, which shows in the  lack of support for teachers. The root problem is systemic. We live in a country where a lot of people think that learning a second language isn’t necessary, because most people that live here speak the same language  . Without these resources many teachers are left to make lesson plans on their own, lessons aren’t up to standard or outdated. With this being said, many students could lose interest and disengage. It will take more than just adding language classes to increase students second language literacy. Big investments are needed in curriculum development. With proper teacher training and curriculum development it can help solve  the problem of the low second language literacy among students in America.

Very few students are required or encouraged to continue a language  beyond the introductory level, which limits both their proficiency and their cultural literacy. I took two years of Spanish in high school and even passed the Regents exam, but if I hadn’t taken the time to keep practicing on my own, I would have forgotten most of what I learned. This is a serious problem in U.S. second-language education. According to Matthew Rampe’s argument in The Tufts Daily, “only 10% of people in the U.S. speak a foreign language proficiently… in Europe, 65% of people can speak a second language other than their native tongue.” When it comes to multilingual education, the United States is very far behind, as this big comparison demonstrates. American schools typically view language learning  as elective rather than a genuine skill that students should acquire, while European countries start teaching a second language at a very young age . ​The article statistics highlight a more significant problem ,fluency is not the goal of American school language instruction  . Many students after they take their required class don’t continue to take language class as an elective ,which is not enough time to build strong communication skills because fluency is not expected by students , schools rarely invest in more comprehensive and up to date  programs, and students rarely feel motivated to continue. This continues a cycle of low expectations of students and it is something that is optional . Improving second language literacy in the U.S. will require more than just a better curriculum. It will take a shift in the mindset of how we think about learning a second language and its importance. I think firstly schools should start teaching second languages in elementary schools. It is easier to learn a language when you’re younger in my opinion. Schools need to offer better resources and show students that being multilingual isn’t just a bonus skill, but something that can truly shape their future. Making these programs better  wouldn’t just help the U.S. catch up with other countries, it would give American students the tools they need to find better jobs, connect with different people, and learn about different cultures.

A big reason second-language literacy is so low in American schools is because many people in the U.S. don’t value other languages or cultures the same way other countries do. Many language programs are underfunded or outdated, teachers don’t get the training they need, and students rarely continue studying a language long enough to actually become fluent. A lot of students end up memorizing a few phrases and then forgetting everything after the class ends. This is an issue that deserves more attention. If the U.S. wants its students to compete globally, then language learning needs to be taken just as seriously as math, science, or English. When students get real opportunities to practice and build their skills, they’re more likely to stick with it and actually become proficient. Second-language literacy isn’t just about remembering vocabulary, it’s about helping future generations communicate with people who are different from them and understanding that the whole world shouldn’t be expected to speak only English.

Work Cited

Gironzetti, Elisa, and Flavia Belpoliti. “The Other Side of Heritage Language Education: Understanding Spanish Heritage Language Teachers in the United States.” Foreign Language Annals, vol. 54, no. 4, 2021, pp. 1189–213, https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12591.

  Stein-Smith, Kathleen. “Cosmopolitanism and Multilingualism in a Globalized World: Perspectives on the Lack of Foreign Language Learning in the US.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 11, no. 8, 2021, pp. 871–77, https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1108.01.

  “The US Needs to Improve Foreign Language Education.” The Tufts Daily, https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2023/10/the-us-needs-to-improve-foreign-language-education . Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.