In America, we take pride in a whole lot. Portion sizes, fireworks, football, rags-to-riches stories, our freedom—you name it. One thing I fear we cannot take pride in is our adaptability to the global community around us, specifically in regards to language. Almost everyone I know speaks one language and one language only: English. Good ‘ole American English.
Photo credit: Dawg Dish
Despite English’s global popularity, we must not be content knowing only one language. An article from the U.S. Census Bureau predicts that there will be 119 million Hispanics in the US by 2060 and that the Hispanic population percentage will rise to 29 percent.
With this knowledge in mind, we can no longer giggle and have, “Yo quiero taco” be the extent of our Spanish. Sure, learning a second language is difficult, but it is necessary to fully participate in both the international community and an increasing percentage of our own population.
As a Diversity Ambassador at Butler, I helped lead international orientation for over thirty international students in August. They come from Australia, China, Finland, Spain, Ecuador, Germany, France, Morocco, and several other countries. Minus their accents, I would never guess English isn’t their first language.
Photo credit: Elisabeth King
On the first day of orientation, I heard a German student speak nearly flawless English to me proceed to turn and speak to internationals from Spain in Spanish. In less than a minute he was at ease speaking two languages, neither of which was his native tongue! Seeing international students here so adept in multiple languages reassures me of its possibility for myself and reaffirms my belief in its necessity. If college kids from other countries can speak multiple languages, why can’t I?
With the encouragement of my Hispanic international friends, I am re-doubling my efforts to improve my Spanish, including practicing speaking with them and listening to Spanish music. Additionally, I am searching for Spanish study abroad opportunities next year.
In our modern-day society, cultures and languages are becoming more and more intermingled. To really engage all those around us, we must be open to learning new languages, giving us opportunities to interact with and better appreciate people and cultures worldwide.
With this knowledge in mind, I plan to continue stumbling and stuttering along with my own Spanish until, poco a poco, I become functionally fluent. Regardless of the language, I challenge those of every age to learn a second language (or a third, or a fourth) to better participate in and appreciate our global society.
Matt Del Busto is a habitually overcommitted sophomore at Butler University studying English Creative Writing and Spanish. He’s also involved in the university Catholic community, the Butler newspaper The Collegian, and the Diversity Center. Matt grew up in Carmel and enjoys most activities involving writing and eating.
