Why it's worth it to pay attention in your language classesHave an edge in the job hunt with a foreign language under your belt

Many people have to take a foreign language in order to graduate, but they just go to class and get the credit out of the way as quickly as possible. What many students fail to realize, however, is that there are so many benefits to learning a different language and it can really help in the future. Here are three reasons why you should put effort into, and possibly consider minoring in, a foreign language.

You look better as a job candidate.  We all know how tough the job market is, right now, and it’s expected to stay that way. As a job candidate, you need things on your resume that make you stand out above the crowd. Fluency in a foreign language sets you apart from other college graduates and you look more appealing to employers. If you know how to speak a different language, you may end up landing your dream job. 

You learn a lot about different cultures. In every Spanish class I’ve taken at OU, I’ve learned something new about all of the Spanish-speaking countries that I probably wouldn’t have learned outside of my Spanish classes. All of my teachers have been from different countries and they enjoy talking about what their people and culture are like. It’s so cool to be able to hear about how other countries differ from our own.

Opportunities to study abroad. Studying abroad is huge at OU. While it’s great to go to any foreign country, going to a country that speaks a different language is a whole other experience. You’re able to submerge yourself in the language and culture and that’s much easier if you already know some of the basic parts of the language. It’s also really helpful to be in classes with professors who can tell you the best cities and countries to study abroad in to actually be able to learn the language.