All students in high school should be required to take at least 2 years of a foreign language.

Language is something that we all learn from young, and almost everything that we use to communicate. Some people think that out native language and what we learn from young is enough, but it is actually otherwise. Difficult as it is, language is ultimately a form of communication between people, and without a command of a language, what would happen to your life then? Language is also a form of art, as well as a factor which can change the course of your life after high school education.

For a start, language is the basis of communication and communication outside of our native country is crucial. It is universally recognized that there are hundreds of languages in the world, if not thousands. The fact that not everybody speaks English or Chinese also cannot be ignored. For example, if you happen to know a friend who does not understand the native languages of your country, what happens? Communication would fail and the friendship cannot develop. In Singapore, English and Chinese are the two official languages, but Malay is actually our National Language. In the context of the question, the language Malay (to Singapore) is not considered a ‘foreign’ language; However, if we take Malaysia into perspective, conversing over there would definitely be considered ‘foreign grounds’ and Malay would then be a foreign language. It is not often that you can find a student who is fluent in all three languages: Malay, Chinese and English, but you do find students who only speak good Malay and not English or Chinese. Would that not make conversing a problem if we do not command the Malay language well? Brought into the context of oversea conversations, it would be the same thing: Inability to communicate due to differences in language. With a good command of the language everything from just casual chat to official conferences would become so much easier. Would life not be more colourful if languages had been at your fingertips? Therefore I think all students in high school should be required to take 2 years of a foreign language.
Besides that, language is also a form of art. Art is always something for us to appreciate, and will always be something that is a never-ending source of knowledge and learning for us.

Moreover, the languages that are taught in schools are also counted as a ‘subject’, and that counts it as something to learn and master, just like other subjects such as Mathematics or Science. For example, in high schools, students have to take a core subject called ‘Language Arts’. This subject incorporates all the exams and tests and learning that all the other subjects have as well. So therefore it should be considered a form of art and therefore something we have to learn to master and appreciate, does it not? The whole point of the education system is to educate students, and by giving them more to learn achieves exactly this aim. By requiring students to take at least 2 years of foreign language, students would then be able to appreciate another language, just like Chinese or English. And as mentioned earlier, a good command of such foreign languages contains other benefits as well. Therefore, high school students should be required to take 2 years of a foreign language, just like another subject.

Lastly, language is part of our lives after graduation. Our lives do not simply consist of the classroom life of high school and the tense atmosphere of the exam hall. In fact, high school is, although important, barely five percent of your life. For the most of us there still is a long road ahead to our lives, and the command of a foreign language will be a substantial part of it. For example, some of us might want to take up a job overseas in a country like Switzerland or France; perhaps it might be a rather prestigious chance, and you do not want to lose it. And to avoid relinquishing this chance to the devil, you will need to have a good command of the language of that country. In France you will need to speak French; in Switzerland you will need to speak 3 different languages depending on which area you are staying in. As we progress from teenagers to adults, we will learn that money would become a big part of your future life, and as mentioned earlier money might come from overseas and that is where a good command of a foreign language comes in. Moreover, instead of learning the language when there is a need to, learning the language at the age of 13 might be a better idea – considering that at the age of 13 students are usually quite intelligent and learning would also be much more convenient than, let’s say, at the age of 30. Therefore, students should be required to take 2 years of a foreign language, so that they can have a better chance in life later on.

All the points that are listed above are all substantial evidence of how foreign language would be very beneficial to high school students.