By Emma Schor Staff Writer Let’s be honest here, who actually remembers the foreign language you learned throughout middle school and high school? If your answer is no, then that is not your fault. This is because foreign languages like Italian, Spanish, French, and German aren’t taught to students at a specific age - children should start enhancing their language development before they are officially students. In my junior year of high school, there was a foreign exchange student from Spain. When she was 5 years old, she started learning languages like French, English, and German. She had been fluent in four languages by the age of 16, while I was still learning my second and third languages. In the United States we start learning foreign languages between 12-14 years old, while other countries start learning between 3-5 years old. And we continue to wonder why people don’t remember what they have learned in school. It’s not just foreign language - it’s American Sign Language (ASL) as well. Use it or lose it. That goes for any concept. It is also the experience and exposure. I have studied ASL for five years and Italian for seven years. I definitely have a higher fluency level in ASL compared to Italian. If I had learned Italian at a younger age, maybe my skills would’ve gone to better use. However, when a language like ASL is taught and used by babies, people tend to give it the name “Baby Sign Language.” It’s not a different language because it’s being taught to babies. It’s still American Sign Language. It is its own language. Deaf people have their own culture, which is enhanced by this language. A baby may learn to sign words like “more,” “please,” “food,” and “milk,” but these shouldn’t fall under the “Baby Sign Language” umbrella - these are just basic vocabulary words that are easy for babies to remember. It’s all about proper experience and exposure. From day one of my ASL class, the teacher had been using ASL with no sort of vocals. If a student didn’t understand, the vocabulary would be on the SmartBoard, and the teacher would point so we would all be on the same page. I didn’t have that same experience with Italian. As much as I loved my Italian teachers, they all spoke strictly English. My friend from Spain mentioned how her language teachers have been speaking in anything but their native language. For example, there wouldn’t be any sort of Spanish in the French classroom. I wish America had the same concept. The only thing I remember from my many years of Italian is how to conjugate specific verbs. That may not help me if I would like to have a conversation with someone in Italy. But because of my ASL skills, I am able to interact and converse with Deaf people with ease. American Sign Language is one of the most ridiculed languages in the United States. It is just like any other language, however, it’s not one that requires vocals. The facial expressions and gestures are key elements within this language. There should be a mutual understanding between each language - no one should be making fun of it just because it is different. And it’s not just Spain that begins learning languages at ages 3-5. It is in every country except the United States. We need to step up our game. Over 30% of Americans studied a foreign language just because it was mandated by their school. They wouldn’t retain any of this information. This is the same for the other 70% of Americans. Even though 70% wanted to learn a new language, it became difficult for them to remember anything. This is because of the American education system. We need to discover what is right for the students and develop proper educational skills. We don’t need exchange students claiming that our schools’ curriculums and lessons are “too easy.” It is a necessity for students to be exposed to new material in order to actually retain it. Otherwise, it is all a waste.