Language Learning
I will never understand how anyone can think there is no value in learning a second language. While speaking several languages is obviously more useful for some people than others (e.g., people who travel a lot, or work for a multinational company), it’s not as if speaking a second language is a total waste if you’re not one of them. There are so many advantages to language learning; I just wish everyone could see them. My family, for example, used to say stuff like “why are you learning French? We speak English in the US!” They just didn’t get it. It’s a little better now, since I obviously use French and Spanish for work, but they still don’t have any idea about why I find language so fascinating.
What do you think? Am I missing some obvious argument *against* learning another language (other than a simple lack of time)?
8 comments
Permalink1
Yeah i completely agree with
you,even many of my friends do not understand as to why am i learning french they keep on
asking me as how am i gonna profit money wise by learning french,but what they do not realise
is that there can be some other motivation the money in learning a language and i completely
agree with the reasons that you have listed, it very true. I hope many more will agree with our
opinions
Permalink2
I teach French and speak English
and Italian fluently. My mother language is Maltese. I am fascinated by languages, they open up
new worlds especially through culture. I have a hard time trying to convince my students that
learning French is worthwhile. They think English is quite enough, which isn’t saying much
since we’re bilingual.
Permalink3
I adore languages, and don’t
understand any argument against it. That’s all I can say:)!
Permalink4
Laura, you have a wonderful
French language site which is very much appreciated. I am an intermediate level student of
French and have found your site invaluable. I regularly tell fellow students about it. (It
is amazing to me that more students don’t know about it! Even the teachers very often are not
aware of it.)
I was sorry that in your recent survey on the French site there was
no
category for why I want to study French. Yes, French is a beautiful sounding language, but
what keeps me going is the effort to understand another society – in this case the French
society. I want to have an intimate understanding of at least one other society, and I think
that is best done if one speaks the language. I am interested in what happens to a society
when socialism is embrassed as much as it is in France. Is their society really happier,
better off etc. as the Left in the U.S. would have one believe? Is their national health
insurance working well for them? How does the political structure work? What were the riots
about? (When I see their Televison News – TV5 Monde – I realize, from other sources like the
Internet, that that form of news is no more reliable than television news in the States.) Is
there a French sense of humor that is substantially different than American humor? Is there
systemic anti-Americanism in France as Bernard Henri Levy recently stated in an interview? If
it exists, what is behind it?
The bottom line is that learning another language expands
my world. And thank you again for a wonderful site.
Permalink5
There are many reasons for
learning a second language. I currenrly live incolombia (apparentlymy spanish studies have
escalated out of control) and anyone here who speaks asercond laguage is almost guaranteed a
good job. This would apply to North America as well. Also if one travels in a a country where
their second language is used it is usually cheaper and more fun togo to “non-tourist
restaurants.
Simply put, a complete education should include fluency in at least two
languages.
Permalink6
Learning a new language also help to understand the culture and to expand one’s horizon.
Indeed there are a lot proverbs in French which are very similar to those in Chinese.
Thank you Laura! Merci beaucoup!
Permalink7
I love languages and even when
I was little was always impressed w/those who speak more than one. I look at them in
fascination wondering how do they do that so easily. As I am getting back into studying
different languages I’m also starting to appreciate my own, English. That’s why I love all
these language sites Laura has put up. I saw recently one which teaches English from a French
student’s perspective which is entirely cool b/c it’s another way for me to cement the
differences b/w the 2 as well as give me a refresher on English grammatics. I’m also studying
Spanish so eventually I’ll be checking out the Spanish version of learning English.
I
just recently too realized that not every one in the whole wide world cares a/b learning other
languages. It was hard to for me to wrap my mind around this b/c how could they not at least
secretly want to? I guess it’s different strokes and I’m sure there are plenty of things I
am definitely not interested in that others would find impossible to understand why not.
Permalink8
I have found Laura’s site
really helpful. I use it all the time, and have promoted it widely among all my friends at
evening class. Here in the UK learning a second language was never taken seriously. Now I’m
in my thirties, I realise that with Europe on my doorstep and some truely wonderful cultures,
food and countryside right here, I want to explore. The only way to this with an amount of
success is to become fluent in European languages. My job revolves around figurework, and so
learning a second language forces my brain to work in quite a different way and I am sure that
this exercise is also improving my English, well I know it has helped with my grammar. One day
I hope to own a little place in southern france and be able to become part of the community….
Thanks Laura for putting together a website that make revision and understanding all those
important little words so much easier.