Music classes to fulfill LOTE requirement in school

[NightGuardianAngel]

Does anybody agree with allowing students to take music classes (piano lessons or lessons on another musical instrument, band, choir, music theory, etc.) to fulfill the language other than English requirements? Music is a universal language.

 

[Gizmo74]

Does anybody agree with allowing students to take music classes (piano lessons or lessons on another musical instrument, band, choir, music theory, etc.) to fulfill the language other than English requirements? Music is a universal language.

My son is taking computer programming to fulfill his lote. I don’t think taking another language should be required to graduate high school. Some kids have no interest and others just can’t do it. I am grateful my son can learn to program for his foreign language.

Never thought about music as a language but great they offer it in your district as an alternative.

 

[AxeBomber]

Learning to read music and play an instrument definitely involves skills that are similar to picking up a new language.

 

[china mom]

I graduated HS before it was a requirement to take another language. It was recommended for college bound but not required.

My kids had to take a second language and they just phoned it in. They learned nothing. My daughter already has a language processing delay and struggles with English. I personally have no ear for language and would have struggled.

I do not think a language class should be required but if it has to be, I would think that Music should be accepted.

 

[mjkacmom]

Keep in mind that most colleges want at least 2 years FA in HS, some more. I was so bad at Spanish but took 3 years in HS. Had to take 3 in college, after German 1 I was able to get permission to take linguistics and phonetics. I was an English major. My 21 year old is taking ASL for his college requirement since he hasn’t had Spanish since Spanish 3 sophomore year in HS, he’s a bit rusty. My kids are very musical (dd28 and H play professionally), all 5 were in top choirs in HS and learned many songs in other languages. Besides being a weighted class it only fulfilled the arts requirement.

 

[china mom]

Keep in mind that most colleges want at least 2 years FA in HS, some more. I was so bad at Spanish but took 3 years in HS. Had to take 3 in college, after German 1 I was able to get permission to take linguistics and phonetics. I was an English major. My 21 year old is taking ASL for his college requirement since he hasn’t had Spanish since Spanish 3 sophomore year in HS, he’s a bit rusty. My kids are very musical (dd28 and H play professionally), all 5 were in top choirs in HS and learned many songs in other languages. Besides being a weighted class it only fulfilled the arts requirement.

I don't disagree that most colleges want a foreign language but I did manage to obtain a Bachelors degree without ever taking a foreign language or music class in HS or college.

 

[tvguy]

I graduated HS before it was a requirement to take another language. It was recommended for college bound but not required.

I graduated from High School in 1975 and in the district I lived in to graduate you needed to take two years of a foreign language. Foreign language was a big program in my district, to the appoint that in 7th grade students took "Introduction to Foreign Language", on semester of one language, the second semester of another language. My school's options were French, Spanish and German. My best friend went to another High School, and Esperanto was another option there. There was a big push in the 1970's to make it the international language. Of course, in reality, English has become the International Language. In 8th grade you then had the option of taking a full year of High School Level foreign language, which I did. And I did 4 years of Spanish in high school, so I graduated with 5 years high school Spanish on my transcript.

 

[china mom]

I graduated from High School in 1975 and in the district I lived in to graduate you needed to take two years of a foreign language. Foreign language was a big program in my district, to the appoint that in 7th grade students took "Introduction to Foreign Language", on semester of one language, the second semester of another language. My school's options were French, Spanish and German. My best friend went to another High School, and Esperanto was another option there. There was a big push in the 1970's to make it the international language. Of course, in reality, English has become the International Language. In 8th grade you then had the option of taking a full year of High School Level foreign language, which I did. And I did 4 years of Spanish in high school, so I graduated with 5 years high school Spanish on my transcript.

But do you speak Spanish .

I graduated in 1982 and, like I said, language was not required but encouraged for college bound (which I was but still didn't take a language). I just don't have an ear for language. I spent two months in a non English speaking country when I was twelve and still didn't pick up much.

I am envious of people who can learn more than one language.

 

[RedAngie]

I graduated from High School in 1975 and in the district I lived in to graduate you needed to take two years of a foreign language. Foreign language was a big program in my district, to the appoint that in 7th grade students took "Introduction to Foreign Language", on semester of one language, the second semester of another language. My school's options were French, Spanish and German. My best friend went to another High School, and Esperanto was another option there. There was a big push in the 1970's to make it the international language. Of course, in reality, English has become the International Language. In 8th grade you then had the option of taking a full year of High School Level foreign language, which I did. And I did 4 years of Spanish in high school, so I graduated with 5 years high school Spanish on my transcript.

We were encouraged to take Russian or Japanese in the mid 1970s. Many High Schools probably didn’t even offer those choices.

The teachers and administrators lied and claimed it would be VITAL to know at least one of those languages by the mid 1980s.

 

[mjkacmom]

These days most colleges consider FA a core area like math, English, science, and social studies and require 2 - 3 years and some of the more selective like to see 4.

 

[tvguy]

But do you speak Spanish .

I graduated in 1982 and, like I said, language was not required but encouraged for college bound (which I was but still didn't take a language). I just don't have an ear for language. I spent two months in a non English speaking country when I was twelve and still didn't pick up much.

I am envious of people who can learn more than one language.

Today, no. I could have gotten by 50 years ago, but only used Spanish a little my first few years out of college, none since.

 

[tvguy]

We were encouraged to take Russian or Japanese in the mid 1970s. Many High Schools probably didn’t even offer those choices.

The teachers and administrators lied and claimed it would be VITAL to know at least one of those languages by the mid 1980s.

Like I posted, if you speak English, you already speak the universal language. My daughter just moved to Germany to go back to school, and several Universities there have various majors that are taught the first two years in English, while you learn German, then shift to German instruction that last year and a half.

 

[walt34]

Foreigner here. I have no talent for languages. I was even tested at the age of 10 and my talents are in STEM, not languages. My parents decided to send me to a school that required me to learn 2 modern languages in addition to Latin. Although my English will never be at the level of a native speaker and my French is quite limited (neither of which is my mother tongue), I'm very grateful that I had to take this route for a number of reasons:
Learning a foreign language has taught me a lot about my own. You never really understand how grammar works, even in your mother tongue, until you've tried to translate from one language to another.
Speaking foreign languages has given me access to other cultures in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.
It's much easier to learn new languages as a child.
I love to travel and there are countries where shouting English slowly at the locals won't get you anywhere.

I think music education is important in its own right. It's just a very different skill to learning a language.

 

[jo-jo]

Today, no. I could have gotten by 50 years ago, but only used Spanish a little my first few years out of college, none since.

I took three years of Spanish in high school, looked great on my record. I know about a dozen words. I learned more from Dora the Explorer.