Why Students Should Learn a Foreign Language - Essay Example

?Nicole n Davis ENC 1101 MW 4-6 18 November Why Learn a Foreign Language? Should in elementary school and high school be required to take a foreign language? Learning a foreign language can tremendously help a person in many situations. In 2003, the College Board’s research showed, “Students who completed at least four years of foreign-language study scored more than 100 points higher on each section of the SAT than students who took a half year or less” (“College-Bound”). Learning another language can improve a person’s thinking skills and help the person progress intellectually. Moreover, it also opens doors for him in his professional sphere by enabling him to take jobs in other countries. Learning a foreign language enables an individual to enrich himself and assists him in higher education too. Ethos: In most countries, students are required to take a foreign language during elementary school and high school. I think that because they are required to take another language, the students actually learn better and get better grades. “All but two countries (Ireland and Scotland) in the European Union mandate the study of a foreign language, which usually begins in primary school. With the exception of Italy and Wales, all European students must learn a foreign language throughout their compulsory education” (Eurydice). In the Central American country of El Salvador, where I was born, students embrace the idea of learning another language because it is engraved in the education system right from kindergarten. In this tiny country, Spanish is the official language, but most Salvadorians know more than just Spanish because of the school regulations, where English is taught to all students attending private schools. Many schools even emphasize on learning more than three languages like in the German School of San Salvador; there, the German School students are taught English, German and Spanish as mandatory subjects. Personally, I find it very tough to study a subject like math in German however I really admire the ability of such students to comprehend tough subjects in many languages. Some students might find it tough to cope with the pressure of learning a foreign language above all the other subjects that they are made to deal with however learning a language is all about fun and it provides an insight into the lives of people living in foreign lands; one needs to treat a foreign language with as much ease and respect as they do to their native languages. People might be under the impression that learning a foreign language is extremely tough and especially so for those learning the language at a later age in their lives; however it must be understood that today, with the help of the internet, learning a foreign language is something that can be at the tips of people’s fingers. There is no age too late to learn something new, and the same goes for a language, in fact it will only enhance people’s lives as it will help them travel better and communicate with other people better. Pathos: “If a second language improves the executive function of the brain, wouldn’t it also enhance the executive qualities in a leader?” (McGregor, Jena) Studies have found that thinking in different languages enhances the leadership qualities that an individual has as it improves the attention span among other thing. When a person hears something, he processes it in different languages that he is comfortable with. When he makes decisions, he thinks in different languages, thus taking in various ideas and taking time out to think out what he wants to implement. Thus, a person is able to determine what kind of information is relevant for him and thus he excels in mental acuity and is able to solve problems better. For example, my friend, studying in the German School, speaks all three subjects fluently and as a result she had the opportunity to participate in a student exchange program and visit Germany. Knowing a foreign language helps to open many doors for a person – right from enriching his travel experiences to making a man more employable, learning another language is very helpful. In another recent example, a well known entrepreneur, Prime Sarmiento talks about her life and how learning foreign languages helped her shape her career. Today, she acts as a translator between top business organizations and their clients in different parts of the world as they rely on her to communicate their ideas with each other. In this manner, she was able to land herself a well paid job that she likes and she is able to travel world over with ease, and thus immerse herself in newer cultures every day. (Sarmiento, Prime) Who is to believe that Sarmiento, a world renowned journalist today, was only a young girl from Philippines back in her day, with very little money and means to even educate her own self? Her mother insisted on her studying and learning languages so that she could travel and see the world while pursuing her dreams. So, even though an individual may not be too keen to travel abroad or adapt cultures from other countries, learning a foreign language has many other opportunities that it can offer from a varying range of literature, art and music, to making friends belonging to different backgrounds. At the very least, learning a foreign language can help an individual to impress his own family and friends! Logos: “A foreign language helps with the understanding of one’s native language. The process of learning to communicate in a foreign language often forces us to learn how to listen. Language provides insight into another way of thinking, another mind-set.” (Ho, Melanie) Individuals can communicate and share their thoughts and ideas better because instead of thinking along a single train of thought, they are now exposed to thinking in different languages and thus taking more informed decisions as prolonged thinking may enable them to weigh their options again and again. Learning a foreign language is mandatory in schools thus because teachers believe it will help to open up the minds of students and enable them to share and communicate their ideas with one another on a broader horizon. In conclusion, learning a foreign language is necessary for a child to grow and develop in all spheres in life; instilled in educational systems from the start, it enables students to become leaders and think differently as well as communicate with a wider circle of people around the world. It opens up better opportunities for them to not only work but also study abroad and thus have a fuller and more satisfying lifestyle. “Learning a foreign language takes time and dedication.” (Why Should I Learn a Language) People might not have so much time on their hands and thus, they may not be able to take the effort to learn another language. Moreover, in some cases, learning a new language might not even be fun and might turn into a boring school subject, however, an old Czech proverb states, ‘You live a life for every new language you speak, if you know only one language, you only live once.’ (Why Should I Learn a Language) There are many different ways to learn, and people have access to the internet where there are a number of fun activities for the purpose of learning a foreign language. Therefore, it might not be easy to learn a language, but once learnt, it really helps an individual in the many ways discussed above – both in the personal as well as the professional life. One does require motivation and persuasion to learn a language, however knowing that by leaning a foreign language one will be able to study abroad, travel without a care, research and work abroad, or even for fun, have secret conversations with friends and family without people eavesdropping! Works Cited Ho, Melanie. "The Rise of the Polyglots." New York Times. N.p., 29 Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . McGregor, Jena. "Can Speaking a Second Language Make You a Better Leader?"Washington Post. The Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . Eurydice. Indicators and Statistics: Key Data on Teaching Languages at Schools in Europe. 5th ed. N.p.: n.p., 2005. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. . College Board. "2004 College-Bound Seniors: A Profile of SAT Program TestTakers."College Entrance Examination Board, Table 3-3 (2004): 5. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. . Sarmiento, Prime. "How Learning a Foreign Language Can Help You Professionally & Personally." Brazen Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. . "Why Should I Learn a Language?" Why Should I Learn a Language? N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. . Read More