Should students have more choice in their language education?

As students begin their careers in learning, there are several subjects that they need to cover in order for them to become successful. In primary school, these subjects vary from math, science, and English to gym, social studies, and art. One subject that students also learn is French. French is an essential part of the curriculum, as it is spoken throughout Canada. Certain career choices need their candidates to be bi-lingual or at least have a strong ability to communicate and understand. 

            Although French is a necessary language to learn, especially while we live in a bilingual country, variety is an important option for students. As somebody who has traveled to multiple different countries, and speaks many different languages, there are many opportunities to learn different languages. For example, in my own personal experience, Spanish is spoken in a larger number of countries in comparison to French. Also, the Spanish language has a foundation of verbiage and grammar that is comparable to many different languages.

 

            Giving the students the option to have some control in their education is an interesting concept. We allow for the choice to occur in high school, and at certain schools, their "middle school" (Grade 7,8) are able to choose which type, of course, they want to take. For example, at a school I worked at, students in middle school took music as a class. However, they were able to choose between doing choir or band. Allowing for students to have the choice between the two allowed for them to prepare themselves to not only learn how to properly choose between courses but also allows for them to choose subjects that are tailored towards their own interests. 

 

            As previously stated, French is essential for elementary students to learn. It is important in a bilingual country to have an understanding and ability to communicate in both languages. However, giving the students options to learn different languages could benefit them when they grow up. Although there are logistics that would have to be thought through (i/e., Would mean hiring more qualified teachers), students could learn about more topics that they are interested in. In high school and university, students choose their own "electives". Introducing this concept in elementary could prove to be a positive change in education. 

Courtesy of Spencer@NU(OTECA)