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Monoligualism Synthesis Essay

1) Despite the growth of English globally, monolingualism limits Americans from the cognitive benefits of learning a second language. Learning another language allows for personal growth and improved cognitive skills like pattern recognition and critical thinking. 2) Learning a second language provides practical knowledge of that language, but also leads to cognitive growth as the brain becomes more responsive to identifying patterns. Students exposed to a second language at a young age exhibit more advanced cognitive abilities than monolingual peers. 3) While many foreigners are becoming bilingual in English and their native language, the normality of American monolingualism is overestimated. Many Americans incorporate foreign language skills into their lives and careers through circumstances like healthcare, law, military service

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131 views2 pages

Monoligualism Synthesis Essay

1) Despite the growth of English globally, monolingualism limits Americans from the cognitive benefits of learning a second language. Learning another language allows for personal growth and improved cognitive skills like pattern recognition and critical thinking. 2) Learning a second language provides practical knowledge of that language, but also leads to cognitive growth as the brain becomes more responsive to identifying patterns. Students exposed to a second language at a young age exhibit more advanced cognitive abilities than monolingual peers. 3) While many foreigners are becoming bilingual in English and their native language, the normality of American monolingualism is overestimated. Many Americans incorporate foreign language skills into their lives and careers through circumstances like healthcare, law, military service

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Izzy Fujiwara

AP English Language & Composition


December 13, 2020
Monolingualism (Revised)
Synthesis Essay
Despite the growing prevalence of English on a global scale, monolingualism restricts
Americans from the benefits of learning a second language. In addition to the anticipated
acquisition of technical knowledge, the process of learning a second language allows for
significant personal cognitive growth. When searching for employment, many Americans are at
an advantage if they are multilingual as they can assist and communicate with a larger range of
people. Although the presence of the English language is internationally growing, learning a
foreign language poses monumental advantages not provided to American’s who remain
monolingual.
When learning a second language, an individual not only gains practical knowledge of
the language, but they are also rewarded with cognitive growth. As asserted by Catherine Porter,
a former president of the Modern Language Association, students who were exposed to a second
language at a young age consistently exhibit advanced cognitive skills in comparison to their
monolingual peers. She explains that this difference in cognitive abilities is rooted in the fact that
the process of learning a language allows one’s brain to more responsive and identify new
patterns (Source D). I find Porter’s observation to be evident upon personal reflection of my
experience learning Spanish for the past three years as I frequently compare and contrast the
linguistic structures of the two languages and feel as though learning a secondary language has
allowed me to have a more in-depth understanding of patterns unique to the English language.
Through learning a second language, individuals can obtain critical thinking skills that play an
important role in expanding one’s academic capacity.
Though many foreigners are beginning to speak English as well as their native tongue,
the normality of monolingualism is statistically overestimated as speaking a foreign language is
for a variety of interpersonal relations that are prevalent among Americans. The overestimated
normality of monolingualism is likely accredited to the United States Census Bureau as it is
commonly interpreted to indicate only approximately 20% of Americans are bilingual as 80%
are reported to only speak English at home (Source E). This misinterpretation is However, the
advantageous influence of foreign languages on Americans is more extensive than a marginal
20%. Gary Erard, a bilingual who is personally reported to only speak English at home, explains
that the acquisition of a foreign language is still incorporated into the lives of numerous
Americans despite the secondary language not being spoken in one’s home. These diverse
instances include medical professionals, lawyers, soldiers who fought in a foreign country,
spouses learning the language of a loved one’s family (Source C). Concurrent with the
circumstances provided by Erard, my mom is an attorney who frequently mentions having
coworkers who learned Spanish primarily for work purposes as there is an abundance of Spanish
speaking individuals in need of an attorney that can speak Spanish. While my mom’s Spanish
speaking coworkers are able to expand their clientele to those who primarily speak Spanish, my
monolingual mom is unable to assist these individuals. Considering the diverse circumstances in
which bilingualism is utilized in the lives of Americans, monolingualism can pose a
disadvantage.

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