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Why Learn Languages?
By Ron Tichenor, Sat Dec 10th
Why learn languages? Why would anyone want to learn someoneelse's language? Obviously, there are a lot of reasons, and ifthe question is on your mind, then you probably have a desire orneed to learn a language yourself. The answer is often differentfor people. Put 10 random people together who are learninganother language and you will probably have 7 or 8 differentreasons and 5 or 6 different languages. Every answer is valid.Every reason is the right reason for that person and everylanguage is the right language. There is no wrong answer to thequestion 'why learn a language?' and there is no wrong languageto learn. The ability to learn another language is not limited by economicbackground, ethnic background, nationality, gender, race,religion,
age or the grades you got (or are getting) in school.While everyone is different, and we all have differing abilitiesand strengths, we all have language ability to some degree.Maybe we all aren't going to become great orators or novelistsin another language, but we all have the ability tolearn, and communicate in other languages. There is no danger of learning 'too much.' You can't fill upyour head with too much language, and there's no danger of youlosing knowledge of the languages you already know. In fact,learning a foreign language (or more than one) improves memory,math skills, analytical skills, problem solving and increasescritical thinking and creativity. Furthermore and mostremarkably, learning a foreign language actually improves ourreading, writing, speaking and listening skills inEnglish. (Article continued below)
Languages don't just pop up out of nowhere, they evolve fromother languages and change over time. Many of the most widelyspoken languages are related and share some vocabulary, and evenif they aren't, languages are always borrowing words from eachother. English is full of words from many other languages.Learning another language not only gives you new knowledge, butexpands upon your existing knowledge of English and gives you awhole new way of understanding it. Furthermore, you begin tolearn how to learn languages, making it easier to learn otherlanguages and understand how language and communication works ingeneral. Other languages are not just a word for wordtranslation of English, but an interpretation of events andopinions from a different point of view. So, why learn languages? Ok, so there are some benefits. Canlearning a language benefit everyone? In a word - Yes. I'm sureif you look around and evaluate your life you will see lots ofopportunities to use different languages. We are all surroundedby people who use other languages, or opportunities we couldbenefit from by using other languages. The possibilities arethere if you look for them. You may have relatives living in Japan, or you want to visitChina. Perhaps you have a life-long desire to see Italy or youare planning a vacation in Argentina, or retirement in CostaRica. All are valid reasons for learning a language. Learningfor travel is one of the most common reasons to learn alanguage. There are more opportunities to travel today thanthere have ever been before, and they are likely to increase inthe 21st century Global Village. Many people learn a language to connect with their roots. Youmay still have relatives living in the 'old country,' or you mayjust want to define yourself a little bit. Learning the languageof our ancestors can help bring us into better contact withourselves and open up a whole new understanding of ourselves andhow we got to be who and where we are. Do you have a new addition to the family by marriage? Learningeven a little of your new family members language can bring bothfamilies closer together. Or maybe you're looking for loveyourself. Think of the possibilities when you learn anotherlanguage. The increase in possible social contacts is tremendouswhen you add a whole new way to communicate. That goes for love,friendship, travel or business. Learning a language for business is a very common reason. Thebusiness opportunities that have arisen in the last few decadeshave made it almost imperative for a businessperson to havelanguage skills. English may be spoken by many people and it isthe language of the internet, but in order to really cultivatebusiness relationships and get ahead in the business world,language skills are a must. There are a wide variety ofindustries in which having language ability is a greatadvantage. It broadens our job skills and career options. The reasons for students to learn languages are many, and notjust because you need it to graduate or get a certain degree.Obviously, improving English skills and overall communicationskills are both valuable to students. Improvement of memory,creativity, problem solving ability and analytical skills alsoare of significant importance to a student. Studies show thatbilinguals routinely outperform monolinguals in all areas oftesting. Scores for SATs and other tests are shown to be higherfor foreign language students, and the longer the foreignlanguage study the higher the average test scores. Having secondlanguage skills also makes a student more competitive in the jobmarket. Learning a language isn't just learning some new grammarconcepts, vocabulary and different sounds. It gives insightsinto other cultures. It creates a more positive attitude towardpeople who are culturally different and gives us a betterunderstanding of what it's like to be an immigrant.Accomplishing this life skill will give you increased prestigein your own culture and a markedly increased status in othercultures. It's a required skill to become a World Citizen.Ultimately, learning other languages gives us a betterunderstanding of our own language and our ownculture, and a new viewpoint to look at the world in which welive and define our place in it. One of my favorite quotes about language by Ambrose Bierce : Belladonna, n.: In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadlypoison. A striking example of the essential identity of the twotongues. It's meant to be funny and it reminds us that languages reallyare different, but it makes me laugh every time I read it. This,to me, also reminds me why I like to learn languages. It's fun!The inner workings of each language are full of little nuggetsthat are downright enjoyable to learn. So, why learn languages?Lots of the reasons above pertain to me, but my answer is muchsimpler - because I enjoy it. About the author:Ron is a long-time language enthusiast, exploring Spanish,French, Swedish, Esperanto and others. Learn more about studyinga language on your own at Language-Learning-Advisor.com | 