Learing Secondary Languages should be supported - Research Paper Example

Linguistic barriers prove to be the biggest barriers in the way of building up of rapport between employees because they are not able to understand one another. This paper explores some of the potential advantages of the knowledge of second language. Learning second language provides an individual with an opportunity to immigrate to the country / countries whose languages are known by him/her. Learning second language is particularly beneficial for people who are nationals of the poor countries because they do not have as many opportunities as available to people who are nationals of such advanced countries as America, Australia, Canada, and Britain.

A lot of people belonging to such underdeveloped countries as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh tend to migrate to the richer economies in order to have a better standard of living, and many of them become successful in their endeavors. Once migrated, even if they drive a cab or deliver a pizza, they earn much more than what they did in their homeland. They do not need very high paying jobs in order to be convinced to migrate. They become satisfied as long as they are earning more than they did in their own country.

Luckily, in a vast majority of cases, they do earn more abroad. However, this opportunity can not be availed by an individual unless he/she has sufficient knowledge of the language spoken in the foreign country. In order to move to UK, an individual is supposed to have attained at least the minimum established score of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), which in a vast majority of cases is 5, though it becomes 6 if the purpose of travel is educational. The minimum score varies from criterion to criterion, though it can not be attained unless the individual has tried to learn the second language in the past.

These exams are really tough and one is checked on various linguistic abilities. For example, the four modules of IELTS check an individual’s ability in speaking, reading, writing, and listening English. Thus, an individual is considered eligible for travel only if he/she is sufficiently competent in each of the four areas of language. Once an individual manages to cross this barrier through learning second language, the world is open to him/her and he/she can totally change and improve his/her future abroad.

Knowledge of second language boosts the brain power of an individual. “Children in foreign language programs have tended to demonstrate greater cognitive development, creativity, and divergent thinking than monolingual children” (Peckham). According to Moran and Hakuta (cited in Ukrainian Bilingual Programs), students with knowledge of multiple languages are able to achieve more in such academic tests as the cognitive flexibility, creativity and the Provincial Achievement Exams than students who do not have knowledge of the same.

Knowledge of second language is fundamental to the attainment of higher education in foreign countries. Schools and colleges in the underdeveloped countries are not as advanced as the ones in developed countries. There is lack of research, and the paraphernalia of laboratory are not sufficient to inculcate sound knowledge of the concepts in the students. As a result of this, many students opt to study abroad, though knowledge of second