This House would require all teenagers to learn a second language to graduate high school.

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The U.S. is one of the few rich countries where a second language is not the norm. The cognitive case is well-documented. The opportunity-cost case is rarely engaged honestly.

Background

20% of US K-12 students take a world-language class, compared to 92% in Europe. State-level mandates exist in New Jersey, Texas, and California with mixed enforcement. Proficiency outcomes are weak: the ACTFL benchmarks show only 1 in 10 graduates of US high-school Spanish programs reach intermediate-mid speaking proficiency. The cognitive-benefits literature (Bialystok, Diamond) has held up for fluent bilinguals; the same effects do not appear for students who study a language for two years and never use it.

Government opens with

Monolingualism is a competitive disadvantage in every market the U.S. competes in.

Opposition responds with

A required course taught poorly produces resentment, not fluency; the policy fails its own goal.