Essay Sample on 21st Century: A Global Village, Secondary Language in Focus

Introduction

The connection between different societies, countries, including cultures, has continued to strengthen every year in the 21st Century. Through cultural and technological advancements that have made the world a global village, something that use to be considered a remit by the ordinary citizens have now become less foreign. Secondary language is the second language that a person learns after his/her native language. Secondary language is most common in those settings where most speakers are not native, for instance, governmental and educational functions. In today's world, second languages are very crucial in our day to day interaction and social life at large. There exist several second languages that are worth learning, some of which include Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, and English. This paper will discuss some of the secondary languages that are worthy of study.

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Today, there exist so many and better opportunities for traveling across the globe than before as a result of multiculturalism and better communication technologies (Hall 27). This has created the need to have everyone study and acquire some knowledge as well as an understanding of a second language other than one's native language. With civilization taking deep roots in different parts of the world, it has become much more comfortable and common to learn new languages (Brogan 35). This continues to create the need to understand and possess knowledge of a second language. Trade activities and working across different parts of the world have also contributed to this growing need to study a second language. One should carefully choose the second language to learn. It makes more sense if a person decides to learn a language that will soon dominate the world of communication for the next at least a few centuries. Otherwise, it will be a total waste of time for one to spend most time perfecting a dying language, for instance, Latin. However, it is wise to put more efforts to learn and practice a modern and progressive tongue.

According to research that was done through interviewing employers, students, high school teachers, and college professors indicated a possible direct correlation between competences in a foreign-language and employability (Hall 26). World leadership, the position of the United States as a global leader, increased literacy and learning, and job markets were seen as critical global growing concerns. Educational institutions have been challenged to create more opportunities that aim at exposing students to some of these foreign languages, at least at an early stage (Cutshall 607).

For instance, the need for individuals with some knowledge in a foreign language is growing in the US, especially with regard to national security. This calls for politicians, educators, economists, academics, and students to be aware of this need for competence in second languages (Cutshall 608). The federal agencies in charge of national security have in history been recruiting Americans fluent in the second language such as Persian, Arabic, Pashto, Korean, and Dari. The recruits are then tasked with the responsibility of translating digital documents on the internet as well as monitoring communications over the internet. They interpret spoken languages and represent the interests of America in both private and public forums.

Some of the most crucial second languages that call for everyone to have their competence include Mandarin. Mandarin is a form of Chinese language and the most commonly spoken across the world. Its native speakers are estimated to be about 955 million. This is equivalent to 14% of the Earth's total population, and the numbers are expected to rise every year (Cutshall 609). The competence in Mandarin is high demand, especially now that the Chinese economy is set to overtake the current United States dominance by the year 2028. This is what gives us the insights that the language will soon become dominant.

The Second language that one might consider studying in the Arabic language, which today, is the fourth most commonly used language over the internet. This has been contributed to the fast-growing oil market in the Middle East as well as the expanding product industries. The Arabic speaking world has continued to play a vital role in the discussions concerning complicated politics, cultural and social matters. Individuals investing their time and resources to study Arabic are indeed positioning themselves into a central position for the near and distant future roles, such as prospective jobs like high-end diplomats. With the economic status of Arabic countries being known to be reliable, those people who can speak the Arabic language are considered to hold a higher reputation. According to the World Economic Forum, the Arabic language is known globally to be the fifth most influential language. Therefore this language becomes very crucial soon, and the decision to study Arabic will never be a disappointment.

Spanish is another language that has had a huge global presence for a longer duration. Spanish is one of the languages that have the power to bring people from distinct cultures together. It is broadly spoken across different continents. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken after the Mandarin language, with an estimate of 405 million native speakers across the globe. It is considered to be a crucial language among the high markets such as Colombia, Argentina, and Chile (Cutshall 609). It is also the third most commonly used on the internet. For the American continent, where English is the native language, learning and mastering Spanish, unlike Mandarin and Arabic, is much easier due to its attractive elements.

English is another popular and most famous language across the globe, considering it is the international language. The modern technology revolves around the English language with most innovations, applications, and computer programs designed and developed using English. According to recent research, 70% of people do use English at schools as well as in their houses (Brogan 35). The widely used Microsoft computers have been developed in English. Students majoring in Computer science and other IT related courses require the competence of the English language.

It can be deduced that the growing interest to obtain competence of a second language is largely dictated by the economic demands. It is a piece of common knowledge for economists, academics, politicians, and employers that those people with competence in the second language can create and manage global interactions. Additional skills to include foreign language for those working with the Immigration, the law enforcement, public sectors, and Naturalization Service, including its affiliated agencies, is very crucial and highly recommended (Brogan 35). The world is characterized by rapid changes that compel not only Students from America but also from other continents to equip themselves with all the necessary tools to fit well as global citizens (Mbumina). For instance, world peace and stability are more dependent on the mutual understanding of everyone. This calls for the people to possess knowledge of at least one foreign language so that they can communicate with one another. Through cultural interactions and understanding among people will provide world peace.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we are ending to a world where a person possessing knowledge of only one language in the 21st Century will be considered illiterate. The competency of second languages is no longer being considered a skill of want, but instead, it is a necessity. With or without any reason, studying a second language will at long last have something to offer. With the increased diversity at workplaces, there is a demand for employees and workers with diverse cultures as well as linguistic background. Therefore, students and other individuals with the competence of foreign-languages stand better chances in the global job market. With the US being a global leader, a shortage of people with second language competence can negatively impact global interactions as her citizens will be limited in terms of communication with the rest of the world. With this regard, people in the world of business, policymakers and educational leaders have played key roles in promoting competence in foreign languages. To help better promote second language programs, there is the need to create an awareness of the existing correlation between foreign languages and employability among students and other citizens, including the business world. It is clear that many people today are considering foreign language competence as a skill just like any other not only in academics but also in the business.

Works Cited

Cutshall, Sandy. "Foreign Languages Risk Becoming "Lost Curriculum." Foreign Language Annals, vol.36, no.4, 2003, pp. 607-609. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2003.tb02157.x

Brogan, Martha L. "Trends in international education: New imperatives in academic librarianship." Scholarship at Penn Libraries (1990): 35.Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/library_papers/35

Mbumina, Elie B. The importance of second-language competence in the 21st-century workplace: Perceptions of professors, teachers, college students, employment agents, and administrators. Diss. Capella University, 2014.

Hall, Gloria F. Globalization Competence in the Post-Secondary Curriculum: A Case Study of an International College Program. Diss. Union Institute and University, 2017.