Less than 10% of US adults are fluent in a foreign language, according to Dr. Sue Knight, Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Central Michigan University.
She says over half of European adults are fluent in more than one language. There are several reasons for this disparity, including the proximity of different European cultures to each other.
Dr. Knight says there are several ways to improve US language proficiency - including immersion schools, "where, starting in kindergarten, you go to a school that is completely taught in either French, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, whatever, and you learn all of your subjects via the language. So, you're learning your subjects, but you're just picking up the language as you go along."
Learning another language offers insight into other cultures, according to Dr. Knight.
"In Ojibwa, there's no word for good-bye - they say, 'so long.' And that's reflective of that, too, so language does that. Also, studying another language, it includes the culture, it includes the literature. We have different perspectives on life, on what's important in life, it's important to see other perspectives."
There are immersion schools throughout the state, according to Dr. Knight. She says one of the best ways to promote foreign language proficiency is to start early.
Dr. Knight recently received the 2010 College or University Teacher of the Year Award from the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.
She teaches a methods course at CMU for future Spanish, French, and German teachers.
She says over half of European adults are fluent in more than one language. There are several reasons for this disparity, including the proximity of different European cultures to each other.
Dr. Knight says there are several ways to improve US language proficiency - including immersion schools, "where, starting in kindergarten, you go to a school that is completely taught in either French, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, whatever, and you learn all of your subjects via the language. So, you're learning your subjects, but you're just picking up the language as you go along."
Learning another language offers insight into other cultures, according to Dr. Knight.
"In Ojibwa, there's no word for good-bye - they say, 'so long.' And that's reflective of that, too, so language does that. Also, studying another language, it includes the culture, it includes the literature. We have different perspectives on life, on what's important in life, it's important to see other perspectives."
There are immersion schools throughout the state, according to Dr. Knight. She says one of the best ways to promote foreign language proficiency is to start early.
Dr. Knight recently received the 2010 College or University Teacher of the Year Award from the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.
She teaches a methods course at CMU for future Spanish, French, and German teachers.