In most cases, people only encounter foreign languages through their education as required courses. I know that through my experience, I’ve always despised these classes due to their difficult nature as well as their inability to fit into any of my interests.
I always felt that they had no application, especially for myself, an aspiring English major. After all, this is America, and we don’t need to learn any other languages because that’s who we are, correct? Despite these preconceived notions about learning a foreign language (or even just taking a class), there are countless benefits and positive outcomes within them that should be acknowledged.
The Culture
My freshman year of high school, I could not have hated my Spanish class more than I did. In fact, I hated it so much that I ended up failing the class and having to take it again over the summer, making me feel muy estúpido (very stupid). Now, after taking a few Spanish courses, my entire perspective on learning foreign languages has changed.
The demeanor of disgust I once felt while reciting verb changes and taking Spanish tests shifted towards a feeling of admiration when I encountered the aspect of culture within the language. Languages are more than just foreign, they withhold thousands of years of buildup and pride within a nation in order to shape the landscape for what it is today. This enabled me to feel more attached to something that was once extraneous to me.
I delved into the culture of the Spanish language and heritage of Mexico, finding new values and ideals that I never would have found had I stuck to my own homeland. I’ve even started listening to some classic Spanish rock. It’s important to feel pride for one’s country of birth, but without studying other cultures and languages, we refuse an opportunity to become stronger, more intelligent individuals.
The Knowledge
Another positive effect of learning a second language is that it can actually make you smarter. Studies have shown that children who are born into a bilingual household (or eventually learn a second language) are actually more intelligent and able to complete tasks more quickly than those who were only accustomed to a single language.
Along with this, I’ve found that learning a second language has enacted me to study more, making my brain work harder to get through whatever it is that I’m trying to complete.
This has bled through to other aspects of my academic life, making me feel more accomplished only when I put in the right amount of studying each day to achieve better grades and obtain more knowledge. I feel academically stronger due to something I once despised having to take because it pushes me harder than any other courses.
Real World Application
An obvious attribute of learning a second language is the ability to connect better. With a second language, it is much easier for a person to get a job than it is if one only speaks English, due to the individual’s ability to communicate with those of different countries and cultures. Not only is this beneficial for the workforce, but for travelling as well.
With a foreign language under the tongue, an individual can base their vacationing on a plethora of places that they might not feel as comfortable travelling to before they had obtained the ability to speak another language.
With this in mind, it can even make life in one’s own country easier as well, due to the growing population of foreigners in America. This understood foreign language can be applied towards the bettering of oneself and the environment around them.
Even though foreign languages are difficult to learn, there should be a larger emphasis put on them in America. I feel that without the ability to communicate in a second language, we lose the prominence of other cultures within our own, which makes it seem as though we aren’t as accepting of others’ heritages and values as we should be.
This isn’t the sort of country we want to be considering the fact that we call ourselves a cultural melting pot. Without these other cultures, we can’t grasp the one thing that makes us the greatest country on Earth: our ability to mold together the pieces of countless different nations in order to work together through adversity to become one.
