Mandatory foreign language classes should not be a requirement for an advanced diploma in Virginia. High school is looked at as a time to diversify your knowledge in many different subjects and to pick the classes you want to take. However, mandatory classes such as foreign language requirements prevent you from being able to choose suitable classes for yourself. 

Many foreign language teachers and counselors will say that foreign language classes help prepare you to deal with people that don’t speak English and you can help translate. This is entirely untrue. I can safely say that anyone who takes a foreign language class strictly for the advanced diploma will not recall any of their foreign language knowledge after graduation. 

According to thelinguist.com, if the average person were to put in ten hours of work dedicated to foreign language a day, then it would take roughly 48 days to achieve basic fluency of the language. Taking the time to spend an hour and 14 minutes every day for 90 days will give you minimal knowledge in the language or in most cases, no recollection of the language after high school.

I personally have a brother who took up to Spanish 5 in high school and has zero Spanish knowledge to this day. This same brother was later able to go to Spain and navigate his way around the country, strictly off his fluency in English. Almost every touristy, foreign country outside of the U.S. does not require you to learn a foreign language to make your way around said country. Across the world, English is an increasingly spoken language and the requirement to take three foreign language classes fails to prove relevancy after high school. 

My freshman year I took Spanish 1 and am now required to take Spanish 2 and 3 just to graduate with an advanced diploma. These requirements restrict my freedom to choose what classes I want to take and in general have nothing to do with what I want to pursue after high school. High school should be a time where you are able to pick what classes you want and these requirements prevent you from doing so and should be removed.