Learning Many Languages in the Future - Essay Example

?Learning Many Languages in the Future An explanation and evaluation of the problem/circumstance you are exploring (evaluation) Learning a number of languages might seem hard but it is a practice around the world. This is because language learning involves sheer hard work and determination, which is not that easy to achieve. The learner has to come across quite a few notions before he can make-do with the learning bit. A new language is an entirely novel concept of how things shape up and how communication mechanisms are handled in day to day lives. Hence it is a common notion that people experience hardships whenever they are faced with a situation where they have to own a language and call it their own in the future. It is significant to point out where the problem lies in the language acquisition domains. The concern with people around the world is that they do not let their children learn many languages as they have distinctive dispositions and viewpoints. It is a problem because the parents do not realize that if they disallow their young ones from learning new languages, they are in essence asking them not to move ahead in life – both personally as well as professionally. There is an ignorant vibe that can be collected from the domains of the parents as they intend to upgrade the lives of their children. However what they seem to forget is the fact that these children have to see the new age which these parents might not be able to make it through. Since the children will be alive even after the parents have long gone by from this world, they need to set up a proper basis for their growth and development. This can be done when they allow their children to learn new languages and understand for their own selves how they will view life their own way. What is even more surprising is the fact that the parents have earmarked certain languages for their children and would forbid them to learn others. This is a negative approach as has been comprehended with the passage of time. The parents are perhaps feeling that their children are overburdened with studies already and if they try their hand at learning a new language, they will have an even harder time. What they seem to forget is the fact that the parents have a definite role under such scenarios. They need to make efforts to settle the difficulties once and for all. Learning new languages is not a negative aspect; rather it should be seen in a positive way. If they learn new languages, they will be at a benefit as compared to the people who do not have any know-how regarding a specific dictum. The most basic problem is that the parents do not understand the very problem. If realization of the problem is done, perhaps many things can be handled in an amicable fashion but unfortunately this is not the case. As (Paton 2012) depicts, “The number of schoolchildren shunning the subjects between the age of 14 and 16 has more than doubled since the late 90s, it was revealed.” In this day and age, learning new languages ensure that the children stay one step ahead of many of their colleagues and have an advantage over others when it comes to their professional domains and settings. Hence only when the problem is identified, can there be a solution found for it. Sadly and quite rightly so, the parents are unwary of the fact that their young ones are feeling left behind in this global rat race to reach the top and learning new languages can benefit them like none other. Also, (Paton 2012) believes that “The drop has been particularly marked in French and German – traditionally the two most popular languages at school – with both being named among the fastest declining subjects at GCSE level last summer.” In essence, the cause of the problem revolves around the fact that parents have a non-serious role within such matters. They are the ones who would not let their young ones learn a new language merely because they would feel that by learning a new language, their children will be burdened immensely. Also the reason for this lies in the understanding that they already know a language which is fulfilling their requirements, so there is no need why they should be learning a further language. In addition, the parents opine that since there is an era of globalization, everything gets translated quite easily so it would not be a problem for their young ones if they do not get acquainted with a language that is not theirs. Perhaps they forget the fact that a new language will have its own specific advantages which cannot be denied under any circumstances whatsoever. Or maybe they are not concerned because the world of Internet and technology has changed just about everything, and hence the need to learn a new language has gone out of the window. There are many apprehensions that the parents have with regards to learning new languages and quite a good number of reasons available to defend the same. They seem to forget their respective roles within the lives of their children and this comes about in a serious fashion when their children grow up to find out that they only know a single language. It does not help anyone’s cause and especially when they intend to move outside a country which does not deal in their own national language or mother tongue. The problem starts to make waves for all the wrong reasons and the parents by that time cannot do much (Shanahan and Jetton 2012). Either they are not alive or unconcerned about the way their young ones are dealing with specific life realms. This is a problem that has come about with the advent of time and it will continue to be as such in the coming generations. Hence the cause of the problem stems from the fact that the parents view learning a new language as an unwanted option which will not do any good to their children. If no action is taken by the parents, the new language will always haunt the children as long as they are alive. This will pose to be a problem for them when they grow up and decide their respective courses of action. Therefore in order to have a better perspective at hand, it is of paramount significance to learn as many languages as possible so that the future becomes professionally secured from all angles. Furthermore, there is a significant aspect that must be understood here. Many of the children who do not learn new languages often feel left out when they are involved within multicultural aspects. This means that their domains are handled in a negative fashion and they start feeling the pinch more often than not. They tell their parents about such concerns but since they have already grown up by this time, nothing more can be done. They feel left out because they cannot do much and have to suffer throughout their lives now. Some people believe that with the advent of globalization, the entire world has become a village of sorts and hence it is not imperative that each and every language is learned in essence. The assumption holds a fair bit of ground due to the fact that globalization has largely brought together people from different world cultures (Pinkham, Kaefer and Neuman 2012). It has also made them feel in line with the requirements of the time and brought a sense of understanding and empathy which was not the case in the yesteryears. Then again, this is easier said than done and the counterarguments are also heavily in favor of learning as many languages as possible. With the coming in of Internet and related technological regimes, getting a language translated takes only a few seconds and it does not pose as a problem as such for the teenagers especially since they are always glued on to the Internet on their laptops, palmtops and cell phones. Also the young ones believe that if they learn a new language, they would essentially be wasting their time because studies are never appreciated by teenagers in this day and age. They would much rather have a short course and learn the basic language rather than getting involved within the details. However, it does not serve the purpose for anyone. When it comes to moving out to different nations like Germany, Quebec within Canada and India, English does not serve the purpose, especially for students and professionals who are from the West. Thus it is significant that they know German, French and Hindi respectively to cope up with the respective domains of these countries. The refutation to this premise is all the more pivotal because it serves the purpose of understanding as far as learning or negating the learning of a new language is related. The focus shifts directly on to the various dimensions that a single language might just bring into the picture. This is the need of the hour in this day and age of immense clutter – to reach a point of consensus where learning and unlearning is deemed in similar, and without much trouble on the part of the people at large. Indeed as a proposed action, learning a new language is taken as a proactive measure on the part of the parents because they are essentially teaching their young ones how to combat difficulties in an easy way. They are telling them beforehand what they should be ready to face in a growing world of immense competition. This will resolve their problems once they land within the big bad world of business. The solutions that can be found for the subject at hand come about when there is an understanding related with the realization that the parents should have as they try to bring comfort within the lives of their children. They must teach them to learn new languages as and when they can during the course of their lives. Also many programs need to be developed so that the children of today know how to counter the threat of cultural overload when they enter several nations of the world and interact with individuals belonging to different societies. As (Author Unknown 2013) suggests, “If your family spoke a particular language in the past you might want to learn it and possibly teach it to your children. It could also be useful if you are research your family tree and some of the documents you find are written in a language foreign to you.” The reason why such a nuance has not happened to this day is because it was never taken on as a problem in the past. Parents believed that this would never be seen as an issue in the coming times yet it has been proven wrong with the passage of time. Now new language learning has become an important aspect of many children and teenagers around the world. Essentially speaking, language learning was never a problem until it started to make waves in the current times. Now more and more people are being given preference on one context or the other, and especially if they are well-acquainted with a language that is the norm within a nation or territory. For example, the adults who are good in French get preferred over those who have little know-how of the language in Quebec, which is a region within Canada. Also those who do not know English are finding it harder to seek a job within the United States. Even though English is the official language of the world, it has to be acquired by people with earnestness and desire to learn. The need is to make the parents aware more than anything else because they are the ones who are going to bring in the much needed change within the lives of their young ones. If they inculcate such values of language recognition and learning from the very beginning, their children will grow up to realize the same domains and hence be on top of their game when they go out there and work professionally. To summarize the discussion at hand, language learning is not only a painstaking process but also a rewarding one as it draws parallel with learning a subject or gaining a perspective which was not owned by the learner when he started to acquire the new language. Hence credit must be given to him because he has taken the pains to grab something which was not known to him in the past but is now part and parcel of how his nuances will be handled. Works Cited Author Unknown. Why Should I Learn a New Language? Omniglot, Found Online at: http://www.omniglot.com/language/why.htm , 2013 Paton, Graeme. More Teenagers Shunning Foreign Languages at School. The Telegraph, Found Online at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9030818/More-teenagers-shunning-foreign-languages-at-school.html , 2012 Pinkham, Ashley, Kaefer, Tanya & Neuman, Susan. Knowledge Development in Early Childhood: Sources of Learning and Classroom Implications. New York: The Guildford Press, 2012 Shanahan, Cynthia & Jetton, Tamara. Adolescent Literacy in the Academic Disciplines: General Principles and Practical Strategies. New York: The Guildford Press, 2012 Read More