Louisiana’s legislators must act to protect heritage language education endangered by the current version of SB 261, writes French immersion educator Lindsay Smythe.

Des élèves du programme d’immersion française à l’École primaire Têche à Cecilia dans la paroisse de Saint-Martin de la Louisiane (Drake Leblanc, Télé-Louisiane)

Lindsay Smythe Doucet, Contributing Author - Sunset, Louisiana

This op-ed is adapted from a letter sent by Lindsay Smythe, a seasoned French language teacher and the current director of one of the newest French immersion schools in Louisiana. She encourages language education supporters in Louisiana to contact their Representatives directly via email or the LFLTA advocacy form. The views expressed are her own. Télé-Louisiane is working with legislators, community partners, and French language educators to legislatively protect language education in the TOPS framework.

As a foreign language educator and one of your constituents, I write to ask our elected representatives in the Louisiana’s House of Representatives to formally oppose Senate Bill 191, which would change the curriculum requirements which grant eligibility for TOPS to allow computer science/coding to count as a world language/foreign language requirement. I urge the House to reject this bill as is unless amendments are put in place to protect world language programs in our State.

My name is Lindsay Smythe, and I’ve been an educator for 17 years, first in Cameron Parish and then in Lafayette Parish. For the last eight years, I was a French and English teacher at Lafayette High School, where I served as French department head and director of an academic exchange with a high school in Paris, France. As you know, I changed roles this past year and am now the principal of a French immersion elementary school in St. Landry Parish. In these roles, I have seen the benefits of second language acquisition for students, and I am deeply concerned about the potential negative effects in the passing of SB 191.

The Legislature and the Governor should reject in summary for the following reasons which I discuss in further detail below:

As its name states, computer science (including coding) is a science, not a humanities. One cannot simply replace the other. If computer science is deemed important enough to allow for TOPS, it should be listed in science electives or computer science skills should be added to graduation requirements.
As one of the only states with a governmental agency to preserve bilingualism in our state (CODOFIL), and in a state where tourism is the 4th highest employer, it would be counterproductive to lower our population of bilingual speakers.
With the bill written as-is, districts could simply close all foreign language departments. In a state (and nation) where teachers are leaving the profession at a high rate, the last thing we need to do is endanger the jobs of those who have chosen to stay. It is also a detriment for students, as students who take computer science would lack the language requirements to apply to most universities in the United States.
Computer science is already offered in many Louisiana high schools, and students can take it as an elective to graduate (both those in TOPS and Jumpstart pathways). In a nation where students are already lagging behind in second languages, we should not be removing this requirement as an option.

Computer science/coding is a science, not a humanities.

This legislation proceeds that the study of computer coding and world languages is the same and that one can be substituted for another. Code.org, an organization dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools, formally opposes legislation like this that would allow students to opt out of foreign language for coding. To quote Hadi Partovi, Code.org's CEO, "The only people who would suggest that computer science is akin to learning a foreign language have never coded before." The CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Richard Culatta, released a statement on June 8th, 2021 further emphasizing that, "We must strengthen world language instruction and allow students to learn world languages and also about the cultures from which they arise, which is key to creating inclusive school communities. I urge state legislatures and the US Congress to rethink efforts to recategorize coding and computer science courses as a world language."

Foreign languages courses teach far more skills than the language itself. The study of foreign languages not only broadens students’ perspectives of the world, but also imparts a more profound understanding of their own cultures. It additionally increases students’ skills in the use of English. It is often the foreign language classroom where students gain the greatest understanding of grammar and expansion of their vocabulary. The study of cultures in language classes gives a greater understanding of one’s own culture and appreciation for a wide range of other subjects, including art, music, cuisine, film, science, and philosophy.

Bilingualism is important for business.

Language study benefits all students as evidenced by decades of research showing improved overall academic achievement and enhanced cognitive abilities of those who study a second language. According to the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism website, the tourism industry is the 4th highest employer in our state, and without proper second language skills, we risk hurting a major industry in our state. Additionally, there is a wealth of data showing employers need workers with language skills, including employers here in Louisiana. A 2019 report from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, entitled "Making Language Our Business," found that 9 out of 10 US employers rely on employees with world languages skills, and 1 in 4 employers lost business due to lack of world language skills.

Both teacher jobs and university-bound students will be at risk.

If Computer Science is allowed to replace foreign languages as an elective, it also means that districts or individual schools will be allowed to opt to close entire foreign language departments as long as they offer computer science. Additionally, four-year universities (both in and outside of Louisiana) require at least two years of a foreign language, and though a student may be able to graduate under this new legislation, they would be unable to use Computer Science as a substitute for university admissions. Even if Louisiana changes its TOPS requirement, it has no power over other states.

I hope you will recognize that SB191 presents a false choice between two unrelated disciplines that would limit opportunities for Louisiana's students to develop skills and understanding they need more than ever in today's world and workplace. The passage of this legislation would be a direct disservice to all students of Louisiana (and Louisiana as a whole), and I respectfully ask that you reject this bill in the House, as well as any others that would weaken the world language requirement for TOPS.

Lindsay Smythe is French immersion educator and avocate for heritage language education in Louisiana. She was born in Cameron, LA and currently resides in Sunset with professional experiences in both the Lafayette Parish and Cameron Parish Public Schools. She is a graduate of LSU and has been a student an dSainte-Anne’