Hablas español? Nope

By Chris Stamas

Nicholas D. Kirstoff put it best in a recent New York Times piece: "If a person who speaks three languages is trilingual, and one who speaks four languages is quadrilingual, what is someone called who speaks no foreign languages at all?"

Answer: an American.

As harsh as this pronouncement sounds, it's the truth. While many Americans study a second language during their youth, fluency, for the most part, continues to elude them.

As someone who went to Greek school for six years and still wasn't close to fluency until recently, I can tell you that learning another language in the states is difficult.

It takes immersing oneself in a language and culture to truly learn it; and the U.S.'s size, location and standard of living don't give Americans much reason to make that leap.

Our schooling is also in part to blame. Instead of a foreign language curriculum that emphasizes conversation, students are drilled endlessly with grammar: conjugating verbs and filling out workbook exercises.

Personally, I am able to translate a slew of Spanish words, but to put them to use while ordering a burrito is a struggle.

I truly don't believe Americans are at fault for their shallow knowledge of languages. For the rest of the world, learning a second language, primarily English, has become close to necessary. In order to travel, work and communicate outside of one's native country, the ability to speak English is required.

For this reason, kids outside of America are taught English beginning around age nine and often times parents pay for an English tutor or English-speaking au pair for their children.

While spending time in Europe, I realized that kids also pick up English through other avenues such as the entertainment industry.  

I didn't miss a beat on the top American songs while abroad, they were constantly playing on European radio. Also, American films play at the majority of foreign theaters, forcing Europeans to watch movies in English while relying on subtitles to understand the dialogue.

Through both mediums, osmosis allows spectators to learn English words and sayings by simply paying attention.

Since Americans lack equivalent incentives and exposure, it takes even greater discipline to become bilingual. But it's still worth it.

Learning a second language can help in many future endeavors whether it's for a job or learning about another culture. As the nation is realizing, the way we speak to one another has become a problem.

Seeing a different culture's perspective on discourse is invaluable in improving tense or complex situations. Also, once bilingual, reflection on your native language leads to an increased ability to express yourself and engage in conversation with others. I learned this first-hand and can attest to how rewarding it is to put the effort into learning a second language.

At times, becoming discouraged is unavoidable, but once you start making strides, the desire to persevere and pursue fluency is addicting.

Kirstoff isn't completely correct, many American immigrants as well as their children speak a foreign language at home.

It is those of us outside this situation he is poking fun at. Don't take it personally. Prove him wrong.

Chris Stamas is a senior political science major.