SENATOR Grace Poe filed a bill that aims to mandate schools to include foreign languages other than English as an elective course in the higher education curriculum.

“Foreign language skills is an important 21st century social skill that fosters intercultural and international awareness, knowledge, and understanding, critical thinking, and effective communicative skills,” Poe said in filing Senate Bill 716.

The senator stressed that learning foreign languages has its own advantages.

Under the measure, the Commission on Higher Education shall determine the specific foreign languages to be offered, the start of the integration and the necessary guidelines and policies.

The foreign language elective course shall be a basic course for beginners designed as three-unit subject to be offered in all higher education institutions.

The measure also mandates CHED to promote a field of specialization in each of the identified foreign languages.

CHED shall also include the teaching of foreign languages as a field of study in the teacher education program.