How important is it to take a foreign language in high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just keep in mind that he might be competing for a job with engineers from other countries who speak 2+ languages. Instead of focusing on getting into college, maybe focus on being prepared for the real world.

This. Does he speak Spanish? Our STEM 1-12 offers 4 foreign languages. I don't understand taking a language just because it is a requirement. Start as early as possible and take it through high school and even in college if offered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would he replace it with?

He has taken English, math, science, history and Spanish in all 3 years. If he does not take Spanish in his senior year he will likely take two social science classes.
Re another poster’s question, he says he finds it “stressful “ but he is not struggling and has always earned As without much difficulty

Would he be taking the social science classes because he hopes they'll be easy, or would he be taking the social science classes because he thinks they'd be interesting or useful?

If the former: Maybe he should decide based on how stressed he is. If just a little stressed, he should take AP Spanish, because Spanish could eventually be the dominant language in the United States.

If a lot stressed: the social science classes. Harvard is a lovely university, but it's just not worth runining your life for.

If he really wants to take the social science classes for their own sake: He should take the social science classes and think thoughtful thoughts about why he took those classes.

At some point, he has to take responsibility for making himself the person he would like to be, regardless of what you, his teachers or college admissions people think he should be. If he thinks he needs to learn something, or would enjoy learning something, and taking a class wouldn't violate a clear-cut rule, then he ought to take the class he wants to take, not live his life to please admissions officers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just keep in mind that he might be competing for a job with engineers from other countries who speak 2+ languages. Instead of focusing on getting into college, maybe focus on being prepared for the real world.

But keep in mind that a lot of those bilingual engineers will have been learning their second language since preschool. They may naturally be bilingual because of the way their societies are set up.

Parents who want to create genuinely bilingual children have to figure out some way to have them live overseas for at least a year or two.

[Anonymous]

Your child could take the SAT subject test in Spanish at the end of junior year and see how he does. A good score will get him out of the foreign language requirement at many colleges. By the way, I'm a bit of a helicopter parent myself and I'd let him quit after Spanish 5 if he wants to. It is frustrating that public school guidance counselors can't give more targeted advice. We parents feel like we need to stand in the gap.

Would your son enjoy a brief trip to a Spanish-speaking country (Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico) to pique his interest over the summer? Maybe just to celebrate 5 whole years of Spanish? Heck, you could even just visit Miami. It's eye-opening!

My DD has really enjoyed listening to News in Slow Spanish. Maybe your son would like it, too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just keep in mind that he might be competing for a job with engineers from other countries who speak 2+ languages. Instead of focusing on getting into college, maybe focus on being prepared for the real world.

But keep in mind that a lot of those bilingual engineers will have been learning their second language since preschool. They may naturally be bilingual because of the way their societies are set up.

Parents who want to create genuinely bilingual children have to figure out some way to have them live overseas for at least a year or two.

I started Spanish in 6th grade (equivalent of Spanish 1 spread out through middle school), took it each year of HS, and minored in it in college. I’m fluent.

Jus sayin.


You wouldn’t dream of letting your kid drop math at this point, right? You see that as necessary for being educated. Why is language seen as disposable? I’d argue that it’s more necessary than math for many professions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just keep in mind that he might be competing for a job with engineers from other countries who speak 2+ languages. Instead of focusing on getting into college, maybe focus on being prepared for the real world.

But keep in mind that a lot of those bilingual engineers will have been learning their second language since preschool. They may naturally be bilingual because of the way their societies are set up.

Parents who want to create genuinely bilingual children have to figure out some way to have them live overseas for at least a year or two.

I started Spanish in 6th grade (equivalent of Spanish 1 spread out through middle school), took it each year of HS, and minored in it in college. I’m fluent.

Jus sayin.


You wouldn’t dream of letting your kid drop math at this point, right? You see that as necessary for being educated. Why is language seen as disposable? I’d argue that it’s more necessary than math for many professions.

I strongly agree with you that classes in foreign languages are as core to education as math.

On the other hand, I think it's bad for good kids to always have to put their own interests aside to please adults. Especially college admissions people.

I think that kids who are doing well in high school have earned the right to decide for themselves what's educationally sweet, and to define for themselves what they think they need to know. Knowing Spanish is good and important, but knowing something about economics and political science is also important.

I think it would be cruel, for example, to tell a kid who'd really enjoy an anthropology class that he has to take more Spanish instead. If he were going to smoke weed behind the school, that's bad. But if he's choosing between two respectable electives, I think he ought to go with what he cares about. If he can't choose an occasional course based on his own preferences now, when will he?

[Anonymous]

When my kids were in high school, we kept hearing that colleges liked to see four years of a language, but also liked four years of band. They liked to see them to take the most challenging courses (Ap sciences and multivariable calculus,) and also really liked to see students with the IB diploma.They wanted to see students doing more than just studying (drama club, sports, interesting extra curriculars, Olympic medal) and also wanted to see students who were kind and genuine, and leaders in their community. They wanted to see students who had done something spectacular (patent on a cure for cancer, Intel science fair). They wanted kids with a real passion for something. Meanwhile the state outlines for a diploma determined most of the courses they had to take.

It seemed to me that kids could not do all these things.

[Anonymous]

Both my kids dropped language after their junior year. One kid opted for a second science class, the other for a second math class. They just weren't interested in foreign language, and perhaps as a result their lowest grades were in foreign language. One could argue that a A in linear algebra was more helpful for college admissions than another B in a French class (which was the scenario for DS#1). He was admitted to a top 20 university but not an Ivy. I do agree with a PP that by senior year, kids earn the right to decide what is important to them.

[Anonymous]

Top school will want him to continue his studies, plain and simple. Stopping shoes that he’s just a bean counter, checking off requirement boxes as he goes, and not someone who is genuinely interested in learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were in high school, we kept hearing that colleges liked to see four years of a language, but also liked four years of band. They liked to see them to take the most challenging courses (Ap sciences and multivariable calculus,) and also really liked to see students with the IB diploma.They wanted to see students doing more than just studying (drama club, sports, interesting extra curriculars, Olympic medal) and also wanted to see students who were kind and genuine, and leaders in their community. They wanted to see students who had done something spectacular (patent on a cure for cancer, Intel science fair). They wanted kids with a real passion for something. Meanwhile the state outlines for a diploma determined most of the courses they had to take.

It seemed to me that kids could not do all these things.

Not this stuff. Sure - an Olympic medal helps you get into Stanford but a few other kids get in too.
The extra curricular stuff is less important than the academics .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were in high school, we kept hearing that colleges liked to see four years of a language, but also liked four years of band. They liked to see them to take the most challenging courses (Ap sciences and multivariable calculus,) and also really liked to see students with the IB diploma.They wanted to see students doing more than just studying (drama club, sports, interesting extra curriculars, Olympic medal) and also wanted to see students who were kind and genuine, and leaders in their community. They wanted to see students who had done something spectacular (patent on a cure for cancer, Intel science fair). They wanted kids with a real passion for something. Meanwhile the state outlines for a diploma determined most of the courses they had to take.

It seemed to me that kids could not do all these things.

Not this stuff. Sure - an Olympic medal helps you get into Stanford but a few other kids get in too.
The extra curricular stuff is less important than the academics .

My kid totally dropped sports in high school (except a slow cross country jog) and no one cared. It’s the school work that matters the most.

[Anonymous]

^^Its the grades in the top classes and the SAT and ACT scores. Everything else is icing on the cake and interchangeable. And not as important (in case my cake reference wasn't crystal clear to any of you).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were in high school, we kept hearing that colleges liked to see four years of a language, but also liked four years of band. They liked to see them to take the most challenging courses (Ap sciences and multivariable calculus,) and also really liked to see students with the IB diploma.They wanted to see students doing more than just studying (drama club, sports, interesting extra curriculars, Olympic medal) and also wanted to see students who were kind and genuine, and leaders in their community. They wanted to see students who had done something spectacular (patent on a cure for cancer, Intel science fair). They wanted kids with a real passion for something. Meanwhile the state outlines for a diploma determined most of the courses they had to take.

It seemed to me that kids could not do all these things.

+1 At our HS, the "most rigorous" courses would mean taking a full load of AP classes in 11th-12th grade, 6 or 7 classes each year. Very few college students take 6-7 classes per semester so why should a HS student be taking that many "college level" classes. It's ridiculous and if that's what my kid has to go to a "top school" then he's not going. No wonder kids are suffering from so many mental health issues in HS and college. I'll take a happy kid at a less prestigious school any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Top school will want him to continue his studies, plain and simple. Stopping shoes that he’s just a bean counter, checking off requirement boxes as he goes, and not someone who is genuinely interested in learning.

I would think the opposite. If he continues to take a class he’s not interested in, just because He thinksthat’s what top schools want to see, that’s him not d doing what HE wants.

College admissions officers are not examining his schedule that critically. Five years of foreign language in MCPS is five years of foreign language. No college, should look down on that because he didn’t take a sixth year. I know that Kids get into top 20 schools all the time from FCPS without taking five years, let alone six. This is why guidance counselors do not want to give iadvice on this. Because it soon as a kid does not get into A specific collegesomeone will Want to blame the GC’s advice.As long as your kid is taking a great number of honors and AP classes, that shows rigor. There is plenty of room for 4 years of band classes, or an art or theater class.A student does not have to replace a Spanish class with an equally difficult class., Especially in the senior year.

[Anonymous]

"Thank you everyone.
I appreciate the advice. As I mentioned earlier since he is a junior, he does not have a firm list of schools he wants to apply to but since he is interested in a liberal arts education and is likely to have a few top 20 schools on his list, I went ahead and looked at the common data set for a few of these and half recommend 4 years although I don't think any require 4 years.
I did raise the prospect of taking the AP exam in the Spring after taking Spanish 5 but he was horrified - he is finding Spanish stressful and taking an AP exam without having taken the course would add to the stress he says. He says he is now ok with taking AP Spanish next year but he is not happy about it. He is a straight A student who does not shirk from hard work so I don't think this is laziness. For some reason he finds the class stressful. I have offered to find him a tutor if necessary."

I think someone mentioned this but I wanted to highlight it.

If DS really doesn't like Spanish, or even if he is just done with it, then his goal should be TO NOT HAVE TO TAKE SPANISH IN COLLEGE.

Many liberal arts schools are going to want him to take Spanish in college.

Even if he wants a STEM major in a SLAC their distribution requirements might require 2 years of Foreign Language.

Look up distribution requirements at potential schools.

His best bet to avoid taking Spanish in college is to take AP Spanish next year and get a 5 on the test.

That just might be enough to avoid taking 2 or 3 semesters of Spanish in college where each semester is as hard as a year in HS.