There are more than 6,500 languages spoken on earth, and chances are you’re only fluent in one. Wenatchee High School offers language classes in French, German and Spanish. Being fluent in more than one language can be very helpful in this especially competitive job market, but only if you are fluent in a language that is highly applicable or useful.

Translators and interpreters are expected to be one of the 15th fastest growing occupations in the nation, according to the Department of Labor. The government is looking for people who can speak Middle Eastern languages such as Arabic. In the private sector, knowing Asian languages such as Mandarin and Japanese can be a very desirable skill, according to CNN. The average salary for translators and interpreters is $43,000. Linguists are not only in high demand, but their job pays well too.

The world’s most commonly spoken language is Mandarin (Chinese). English is second, Spanish is third, German and French are 10th and 11th respectively. My point is, WHS isn’t offering classes for some of the most widely used languages in the world.

At our high school we should have the option to learn languages that will provide us with better job opportunities. Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the world, so why aren’t we being taught the language that is spoken by the largest amount of people on Earth? Hindi and Arabic are some of the top five most spoken languages on Earth according to The United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Why not teach Arabic, or Hindi? Arabic is a great language to learn because of the United States’ involvement in the Middle East, and Mandarin can be a great help to people interested in international business. Knowing how to speak and write in these widely used languages would give a serious boost to your resume.

WHS offers students a chance to learn multiple languages, but it is time to make a change to the languages that are being taught. Students would see much greater benefits in learning more widely spoken languages. I’m sure learning German and French is a lot of fun, but the truth is that you’re most likely wasting your time. In this competitive job market, knowing Mandarin or Arabic is going to prove vastly more useful in finding a job than knowing German or French.