The New Mandate“What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish?”I know, I know. Your eyebrows are furrowed and there's a confused look on your face, but stay with me for just a moment. This is the exact question my Spanish teacher asked the class on the first day of school. Everyone in class looked at each other and thought: Is he crazy? The first question of the school year is about yeast and shoe polish! “Does anyone have a guess?” - asked Mr. "NO? Okay, I'll tell you the answer. Every morning you will rise and shine!" There was no chance of that happening! Especially during the first period of the school day! That's what was going through my head at the time and that's exactly what happened my freshman year of high school. I would show up to class and listen to the teacher try to teach the class Spanish, but I never gave the language a chance to sink in. Now that I'm in my senior year, I look back on that year and regret not applying myself to learn a foreign language. There are countless opportunities that have passed me by due to my relentless desire to learn. Learning a foreign language won't be crossed off my bucket list forever. Reflecting on the past, I now know that although learning a second language is difficult, the foreign language should be included in the core curriculum of elementary school students because it is easier to learn when young, increases academic achievement, and extends employment opportunities . A common thought shared by countless people around the world is that learning a foreign language is a complete waste of precious time. Elementary school students in the United States already have an intensive course schedule, should it really be made more challenging? It's true that... halfway through... it's a challenge to implement a foreign language program, but it can be done if people are determined. Despite the popular belief that studying a foreign language is a waste of time, a multilingual student has more possibilities in his life than someone who is monolingual. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, more than one in five school-age children (21%) speak a language other than English at home. This number of bilingual speakers is expected to increase in the coming years (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association). It's time for educators to prepare future generations for extraordinary success. My dream is that students of the future are prepared to live in our ever-changing and demanding world. Hopefully, one day no one will look back on their past and regret not having acquired skills in a foreign language.