The Importance of Learning a Second Language
Executive Summary
This report will outline the feasibility of inputting a requirement for future law students to learn a second language. It is required to complete only two years of a foreign language in order to graduate with a college level degree. The importance of learning a second language is much more needed then two years at an undergraduate level. Research shows that Florida's population is increasing each year, and more than 15% of that is from a Hispanic culture. Law students will eventually represent multiple races throughout their career.
America is becoming a country where foreign ethnicities are growing at an extreme rate. Lawyers, just like doctors, will always be needed no matter where the market is heading. According to the justice system, everyone has a right to have an attorney or will be appointed one by the courts. As the population increases with the variety of different cultures, the demand for bilingual attorney will also increase.
Future law students are gaining knowledge and continuing their education in the American system, but also need to learn about the other cultures in the country. The languages spoken in America are expanding and will continue to change as years pass and more immigrants enter the country. Diversity is defined "as something of different kind, form, character, etc., or of various kinds of forms; multiform" (Diverse. n.d., 2011). America is becoming more and more of a diverse country, and it is applicable that the lawyers representing its people should know how to relate and communicate to the people.
Law firms look for bilingual employees that could translate for their clients. Employees who can speak a second language and use their knowledge in the workplace get an increased pay compared to others who only speak English. If the attorneys at law spoke a second language, the extra bilingual staff would not be needed. The attorneys would find that the relationship with their clients would become more personable. This ultimately would lead the law firm to accumulate more clients because the people would feel more comfortable speaking to an attorney who took the time to understand their culture and background.
This report concludes that it would be feasible to make a requirement for future law students to learn a second language in order to gain more knowledge and communication with their future clients. This would increase the supply of bilingual attorneys that ultimately would lead to an increase in clients including people of different ethnic background.
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to explain the feasibility of introducing a requirement for future law students to learn a second language. The report will describe many of the benefits that an attorney or anyone in the law field could endure by learning a foreign dialect. America’s population is continuing to increase with high percentages of Hispanics and other international residents. If this feasibility could become a reality, the law field would have many more bilingual people and in turn be capable to communicate with all types of people.
The feasible report will outline the problems that society faces today because of the lack of mixed cultural communication in businesses. The requirement for learning a second language will influence many different types of businesses, but no matter what the economic standing in years to come, the law field will always be accounted for. The negative affects that the economy has portrayed on businesses in America could be helped with a variety of solutions, but the no matter where America stands there will always be a mix of culture among its people.
The research for this report has concluded many ideas of the importance of studying a second language for the law field. The technical background shows charts of statistics that prove learning a foreign language will be profitable for future lawyers. The targeted audience for this report is the educational board of the multiple universities around the country. The decision to put this feasible study in to action will be chosen by the leaders of the United States Department of Education.
This report outlines the importance of educating future attorneys to understand and deal with their clients on a more personal level. The population will continue to increase and more of the people are coming from different countries around the world to live in America. The research proves the law fields are in dyer need for more multicultural people to represent the people of America. There are people who are bilingual, but do not have the education to understand or work in the law field. This feasible study shows how the law field can improve its potential and ultimately increase their client base. This feasible report explains how learning second language will help to improve the education and career market in America, especially in the law field.
Description of the Problem
In America today, there is an estimate of 3 million people. In Florida alone, there is an estimate of 18 million people. Both the South and the West have had the most increase in population in the last decade. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there has been a 17.6% change in Florida’s population and a great percentage of that is nonwhite citizens (2010 Census). This is creating problems in American society because more and more people are speaking a different language than English. This problem is not a negative aspect in the society, but one that will bring culture and variety to the American people.
There are now a variety of consumers who are in need of better communication because of the multiple languages that are spoken in the United States. Businesses are in constant demand for translators to help communication with their potential clients. In the field of law, there are multiple firms who have to hire extra employee just to have a bilingual person on staff. This is a problem because the bilingual employee is adding additional costs to the firm; therefore, the attorney needs to increase their costs to the client.
The problem with law studies excluding a foreign language is that the student will be working with many clients who do not speak English. This could lead to multiple issues, such as losing potential clients because the attorney does not speak their language and cannot communicate with them on a personal level. Someone who is in need of an attorney is most likely fighting a battle for which it could ultimately change tier life drastically. In this situation, the client will need an attorney who can fully understand the issue at hand and will need to have complete support to fight for the client’s rights. Even if the attorney is a prosecutor, they still need to be aware of the trial and all details about the case.
It is possible to practice law and not speak a second language, but it causes more issues and problems for the firm or county that the attorney represents. Studying a foreign language would give the future attorney a positive influence over their clients and the power to help them more because they understand the client’s background and culture. Not having the knowledge of speaking a foreign language is hurting attorneys more than helping them. The increase in population with the high percent of nonwhite and Hispanic people will continue to grow and the necessity for people who speak their native language will be in high demand. This problem will linger as long as the people in America do not put forth an effort to live and communicate with others around them.
Technical Background
The focus of the research for this report was on the increasing numbers of population in Florida by race. The research concludes that as the white race decreases the nonwhite, Hispanic, and other races increase drastically from 1980 – 2010. The graph below shows the percentage change in the four difference races described in the Florida census over the past three decades. “Population change is the rate of change in population between decennial census years. While every census region grew considerably during the twentieth century, the South and West experienced the largest increases in population”(2010 Census). Florida is included in the largest increase in population. These numbers prove that Florida is consistently increasing in other races each decade. This is pertinent information for this report because the importance of learning a second language is determined by the increase in different races’ population.
The law students who would be required to learn and study a second language can determine which language is most used throughout their area by reviewing the census for their area. It is necessary to choose the language based on interest and common aspects to the student’s law field of choice. The feasible study has retrieved multiple sources to show the increasing numbers of different races and cultures in America. The solution to the growing issue of many different languages expanded throughout the U.S. is for these students to become fluent in order to communicate with the future clients in the career.
* Chart information provided by http://2010.census.gov
Another important factor to why this feasible report would benefit law students is because there is a high demand for bilingual attorneys, paralegals, legal secretaries, etc. Monster.com is a website for job posting that anyone searching for a position can look through. This site for Florida alone had multiple pages with job openings for bilingual people in just the legal field. There were many other posts for other business fields as well. Most of the job positions listed that being bilingual is preferred or a “plus” for the position offered. This proves that learning a second language would most definitely be a positive influence for the law student who will need to find a job after graduating. There are many more job opportunities for people who are educated in a second language.
The chart above shows the different directions that each one of the different graduate law students could follow based on their knowledge of a second language. Dictionary.com defines the noun monoglot as “ a person with a knowledge of only one language”. The monoglot shows that their opportunities and success in the law field are less than one who is bilingual. Based on the research from Monster.com, this flow chart is accurate because there are multiple positions that need a bilingual person.
The chart shows the importance of becoming knowledgeable in a different language than one’s native tongue. The feasibility to require potential law students to learn a second language would help improve the possibility of receive a position in the law field after graduating. This would not only increase chances of finding a position quicker, but also includes the positive feedback and responses from future employers.
The requirement of learning a second language could not hurt the student, but only increase their knowledge of the cultures that are quickly becoming a part of the American society. Law is a detailed and difficult field of study including massive amounts of statutes and limitations that are required to be known by the law student. The requirement of becoming bilingual increases the chance of locating a starting position in the law field that will ultimately lead the graduate student into their career with an amazing skill of speaking two languages.
All the research done to complete this feasible report has shown that the requirement for learning a second language would increase the benefits for future law students. The population census over the past 3 decades alone explains the necessity for the students to become knowledgably in another language. All the information provided in the report has proven to be a benefit to the future law students who would be required to learn a second language. Each year more natives enter the United States and are in need of goods and services that the American people provide. The United States is the place where dreams come true, and by speaking another language, the American people will help to provide a country that cares about other cultures and ethnicities.
The report concludes that the feasibility of creating requirement for future law student to learn a second language will ultimately increase job opportunities and benefit the communication between future clients in the law field.
References
Bilingual Legal Jobs in Florida. (n.d.). Find Jobs. Build a Better Career. Find Your Calling. | Monster.com. Retrieved April 4, 2011, from http://www.monster.com
Bureau. (n.d.). Florida Demographic Summary. EDR - Office of Economic & Demographic Research. Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://edr.state.fl.us
Diverse. (n.d.). Dictionary.com | Free Online Dictionary for English Definitions. Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://www.dictionary.com
O'Connell, V. (n.d.). Building eBay for Lawyers. Business News & Financial News - The Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from http://www.wsj.com
Resident Population Data. (n.d.). 2010 Census . Retrieved April 12, 2011, from http://2010.census.gov
