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Ignacio Lara
Mrs. Maxwell
Senior Project (writing essay)
7 November 2011
Obstacles for First-Year Foreign Language Teachers
Approximately sixty to seventy-five percent of the world’s population is bilingual
(Zelasko). Therefore, bilingualism is an important 21St century skill (“One Language Isn’t
Enough”) in most cultures. Then, why is foreign language education having so much trouble
attracting and keeping good teachers in the United States? Teaching Spanish in high school is
now a critical needs area in Georgia and in many other states. Why? Teaching in high school in
general has become more difficult because students’ personal problems get in the way of
learning; for example, many students come to school depressed, angry, worried or scared. Some
students even come to school weak and hungry. Other reasons teaching in high school is hard
include budget cuts and teachers shortages. A foreign language teacher in high school faces a
certain set of problems according to Rogers and Hamil: “Many of these common situations that
confront a first year teacher include large class size, behavior problems, and less than desired
reading and writing abilities”, and points out that technology in the classroom is another
problem. These problems must be solved because bilingual is the most important skill in the
United States’ future as the leader of free world is at stake. (1).
One problem a first-year teacher faces is large class sizes. For example, schools are
becoming more crowded and increasingly underfunded (Roger and Hamil 1). Large class sizes
are causing new teachers to quit teaching because of the demands and stress that large class sizes
produce for them (Roger and Hamil 1). Teachers with large classes cannot help or attend to all
the students at once when all of them have difficulty with learning a new language and with the

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subject being taught. For example, with a large class the teacher has to have patience with all the
students that have questions and because it is a big class it is hard for the teacher to get around to
all the students. Teachers will get tired and not feel like helping students after school because of
how much trouble she has gone through. Furthermore, class sizes are a significant issue for
students who do not have the ability to learn in a large class. Students don’t bother to ask
questions because just they see how many other students have questions for the teacher, so they
just give up. And s the teacher does not have the time to help every single student. Students are
facing the struggle that they have to learn with just the help of one teacher with a huge class
(Roger and Hamil 1).
Another problem a first-year teacher in a foreign language classroom faces is the lack of
reading and writing abilities of students. Students are not trying to learn anymore; their capacity
for learning is decreasing more and more. A research study being done in the United Sates has
reported that the reading and writing abilities of students is “relatively insufficient” (Roger and
Hamil 3). For example, many students when they enter college cannot read a text because they
are deficient readers. The variety of socio-economic backgrounds is one explanation for these
reading and writing problems (Kennedy-Manzo 3). Furthermore, the teachers need to have more
development opportunities to learn strategies to improve the reading and writing abilities of
struggling students (Kennedy-Manzo 3-4). For example, what a foreign language teacher needs
is more resources to help and strategies students understand their lessons. More resources the
teachers need for teaching advanced speaking, writing, reading and understanding.
Finally, another problem a first-year teacher in a foreign language classroom faces is
students misbehaving with teachers and other students. Students, “misconduct is not decreasing
but escalating” (Roger and Hamil 4). They don’t obey the teacher when they are told to stop

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misbehaving with other students. Also, they don’t do their work frequently and prefer to play-
around and not do their work. This behavior may cause teachers stress and fatigue from
overworking with misbehaving students (Sewell 4). Not only is misbehaving a problem, but also
cheating has come more frequent with students. According to McCabe, “cheating has become
more prevalent in the last ten years”(4). Teachers need ongoing training in how to manage a
classroom and how to motivate students to do their best from cheating.
Some foreign language professionals believe up- to-date technology is the greatest need
in the classroom. Technology has a great impact in learning a second language for students.
Schools need this technology because it will help students to become fluent with it. Research has
shown that language proficiency is a direct function of time spent dealing with the language
however the “virtual language lab” was not meant to “replace any of the tools in the past”
(Stroud 3). For example, teachers will still use textbooks, workbooks, and audiotapes for practice
with students. The goal of the computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is no different from
the goal of the foreign language education in general (Stroud 1). The computerized language
instruction will have the same job as a face-to-face teacher with the learning the subject. On the
other hand, most of the schools now have budget cut the schools cannot afford the computerized
language labs to make students improve their speaking and writing. Even more, some students
are not grateful for these tools; they don’t treat the tools or the computers right. For example,
some students’ break headphones, and keyboards, and microphones many students mistreat
them. Also, there is not enough money to equip all classes of the school. Therefore, a foreign
language is not all about workbooks and textbooks. Students also have to experience how
learning a language would be with an example speaking a second language by listening to it on
the computer.

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These obstacles to learning a second language are not just hurting first-year teachers and
their students. The United States could be helped by the benefits that would come if more
citizens spoke at least two languages. What are the benefits of learning a second language in the
U.S.? Many students in the U.S. don’t know that they could have more opportunities to get good
jobs and other benefits of learning a second language, like higher standardized test scores and
advanced reading and writing skills.
One benefit is higher standardized test scores, in “the verbal, reading, and writing
section” (“Learning a Second”). Knowing a second language improves a student’s abilities in
“verbal linguistics, general reasoning, forming ideas, and thinking analytically” (Alic). Also,
advanced reading and writing skills could help with their jobs. It will help them have a better job
by succeed in life and become proud of themselves. Knowing a second language can “open a
child’s mind to-new methods of problem solving” (Marcos). For example, children with
bilingual status have a better chance to do better in school because the child will have more
understanding of the work.
A second benefit is that students will be better prepared for the work force in a global
economy. Having bilingual understanding allows workers to use more than one language at work
and switch back and forth with customers and co-workers (Zelasko). For example, today there
are more Latinos workers for big enterprises because of the necessity to enlarge their companies.
These enterprises are hiring not only just Latinos but those who speak other speaking languages
too. Ability to speak more than one language increase a person’s competitiveness in the job
market “One language isn’t”. For example, a person just knowing one language will not get far if
he wants to succeed. On the other hand, a multiple language speaker has much better chance to
succeed in his career just because he knowing different languages. Employees with the ability to

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speak another language can help U.S businesses dominate the world marketplace and stabilize
the economy (Alic).
The third benefit for students who are bilingual is that they are better prepared for a role
in a global society. They understand another language and cultures where that language is
spoken. Understanding another language also improves understanding of the cultures of the
second language as well as the first language (Marcos). Many students use language and social
skills with new people from a different culture to improve their personal relationships and ones
in business and political pronunciations. Learning a second language gives students a unique
outlook on different cultures which helps decrease prejudice and discrimination (Alic). For
example, U.S citizens who speak another language do not discriminate against people of other
countries because they speak their first language in public areas.
In conclusion, the future of students who are learning depends on the educators of a
second language overcoming these obstacles and problems. Schools districts should give support
to a first-year teacher of a foreign language, and take steps to solve large class sizes, behavior
problems, technology shortage, and weak reading and writing skills. School districts could easily
solve some of these problems. For example, the school could get another teacher or a community
volunteer to help the teacher in the large classes. That would minimize the problem with large
classes and misbehavior with other students. Over all, teachers need the support of school system
and the community to overcome these obstacles to teaching to help students succeed in their
career. All these problems need to be solved for the success of students and the future of
America.