When we all made our first appointment to meet with our academic advisor freshman year, we went in knowing that we would have to take pointless classes that were believed to mold us into better students capable of obtaining a degree. From English Literature 1001 to U.S. Politics 1110, we all had to struggle through finding the motivation to work and study in these classes while knowing we would probably forget everything that we learned from these classes by the time June hit. Of all of these classes though, the ones that we all complained about the most were the foreign language requirements for some (most) majors.
It’s bad enough having to take a class dealing with the history and writing, both in English, let alone having to listen to unwanted, new words being thrown at you each class period. Thus, most of us look forward to the day when we take that last final for our foreign language requirement and say “Adios, Felicia” to our professor and the classmates. Upon graduation though, you might begin to realize that your school had it right by requiring you to take one or two (or three if you’re like me) foreign language classes, but why?
1. Yes, it is a resumé booster: Being able to put down fluency, even if it is elementary fluency, in a different language can help you to stand out from the pool of other applicants that were also organization presidents, social chairs, and philanthropists like your ‘oh-so’ involved self. It makes you more of an asset to a potential employer, especially in a world where the need for excellent communicators is growing exponentially.
2. It helps your mind: Many studies have been conducted to show that learning a foreign language can improve your memory, sharpen your mind, and help with your ability to multitask. Moreover, it can help prevent the development of Alzheimer’s or dementia. It isn’t easy to speak in one language and then transition to a different one, and by doing this, developing your skills in a foreign language can help keep your mind on its toes.
3. It can help you to be more cultured and accepting of differences: Having knowledge of a different culture and language can help you to be more understanding of others who do not have the same background as yours. You are more willing to try to understand their traditions and won’t protest the pride that they have for their home countries, the same pride that you have for your own.
4. It makes traveling easier: For those you who have known that studying abroad was on your bucket list since arriving to school, it is a wise, strategic move to go ahead and jump into studying the language of whichever country you would like to travel to. Don’t expect to know every facet of the language after two courses of it, but regardless, some knowledge is better than no knowledge when it comes down to basic interaction with new people in an even newer place.
5. It can improve your knowledge of the English language: I once had a high school French teacher who told me, “You cannot be able to fully grasp another language until you can fully grasp your own language (Merci, Mme. Lord).” She was referring to the fact that a lot of her students, like myself at the time, accepted the ignorance of so many words in our language. By learning another language though, we can take what we learn and apply it to our own language through learning new vocabulary, enhancing our writing skills.
6. It is helpful in the career world: Learning a different language can open many doors for you when you are trying to survive in the career world. For starters, why limit yourself to only jobs in America or other English-speaking countries? Why not expand the horizons in your career? Learning a foreign language can give you the opportunity to go job hunting in Spain, France, China, or anywhere that you desire? Moreover, if you do land a job in a different country, you can consider it an opportunity to continue to develop your skill set in that language.
7. It gives us as Americans more prestige: Don’t get me wrong, America has so many things that we should take pride in. When it comes to multi-lingualism though, many other countries have an edge on us and consider us to be uncultured and ignorant. To be a country that’s known as a ‘mixing-pot’ of cultures, isn’t this fact ironic? As students, our generation can help to reverse this opinion about our country and, as I said earlier, be more accepting of other Americans, regardless of background.
8. Finally, it’s pretty awesome: For starters, being able to speak a different language can make you sound super intelligent, and yes, it’s pretty damn hot! Moreover, you can watch foreign movies, listen to foreign music, and read foreign news and books. In the grand scheme of things, being multilingual is major confidence-booster when it comes to both school and basic social interaction.
So, don’t be annoyed by your foreign language classes. Make the best of the time that you have in them, and consider them an investment for your future and overall happiness. Your school can provide you the best foreign language education with skilled professors as opposed to learning through online vocabulary tests and Rosetta Stone. Thus, make the compositions, quizzes, and finals that you have in your classes worth it because it all will pay off in the end!
Sayanora! Au revoir! Adios! Ciao! And peace out!
