Narrow view of school
The Counterpoint by Donald M. Miller suggesting our schools not waste time teaching Spanish or any language that doesn't have a practical benefit was interesting but reflects a very narrow viewpoint.
Education, even on the secondary school level, should provide exposure to many fields. I suspect that few know what they want to do with their lives. Taking courses with no "practical" value may open their eyes to fields and opportunities they had never considered.
I agree with Miller that Arabic, Chinese and other languages may be of great value now and in the future. However, don't write off Spanish. There's a large continent south of us where everybody speaks Spanish (except in Brazil and Suriname). I can't believe such a collection of countries can be of no commercial value!
As to the question, "When and with whom will our kids use this language?" there are many opportunities to use Spanish in this area.
Secondary education should be more than trade school. Many courses, such as history, music, art and literature, may have no immediate benefit but contribute to the enlightenment that ideally results from education. I do agree with the author that 100 percent that fluency in English is of paramount value.
Brooks V.S. Klostermyer
Asheboro
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