PaginePaginepagineapp.comRead both texts. Compare how each develops its ideas.
My grandfather fished the same stretch of coast for sixty years. His hands were maps — white scars where lines had cut him, a crooked finger from a winch, skin cracked like dry mud.
When the cannery closed, the town emptied out like a tide going out. Young people left for cities. The boats rusted at the dock. Grandpa still walked to the harbor every morning at five, as if the fish might come back if he kept faith.
The summer I was sixteen, I went with him. We didn’t catch much. Mostly he talked: about storms that lifted the boat like a toy, about the year the herring ran so thick the water looked silver, about my grandmother waving from the cliff.
He died that winter. I live in the city now. But some mornings, I wake at five, smelling salt that isn’t there, and I understand that he was never really fishing for fish.
In many countries, most students study at least one foreign language for years. In the United States, requirements vary widely, and many students graduate without studying another language at all.
Advocates argue that learning a second language builds communication skills, deepens understanding of other cultures and can improve career opportunities in a global economy. Some studies have linked bilingualism to strengths in attention and problem-solving.
Skeptics counter that schools have limited time and money, and that required classes produce little fluency when students study for only two years. They also note that translation technology is rapidly improving.
Some districts have found middle ground: offering languages earlier, when children learn pronunciation more easily, and supporting heritage speakers who already speak a language at home.
| Salt | Should Students Be Required to Learn a Second Language? | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre and purpose | ||
| Central idea or theme | ||
| How the author develops it | ||
| Key evidence or detail |
Worksheets › Grade 9 English › Integration of Knowledge & Ideas › Integration of Knowledge & Ideas
Free Grade 9 English worksheet (Common Core RL.9-10.9): compare "Salt" with "Should Students Be Required to Learn a Second Language?" and analyze how each develops its ideas. Skill: Compare texts and evaluate arguments. Level: Grade 9 — also suits Year 10 (UK).
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It is designed for Grade 9 (ages 14–15), but use it with any child who is ready.
Compare texts and evaluate arguments.
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All 5 integration of knowledge & ideas sheets → · Grade 9 English: all 10 skills → · All Common Core grades
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