Learning Foreign Languages.
Today’s
post is a reply to an article published in The Observer, concerning the issue
of ceasing learning languages. The
article says that languages were removed from the core curriculum.
Because of that three-quarters of 14-year-olds are not taking a modern language
and the take-up in primary schools is mysteriously delayed.
Because English
is a lingua franca, Americans and
British don’t want to learn other languages because they think it is unnecessary.
They simply believe that other people around the world would know their
language so that there will be no problem in communication.
On the
other hand, for some people learning languages is a blessing. Thanks to that
they can easily communicate with people from different nationalities when
travelling or just when some foreigners ask them about directions. What is
more, knowing other languages is useful when it comes to getting to know with
others, exchanging and supporting opinions. When you know different
languages there is the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and
make friends with them, visit each other, and have unforgettable memories.
Knowing
languages gives us the opportunity to experiment with the world around us more
freely. You can read foreign newspapers, magazines, books, news, or watch foreign
television. You can also understand lyrics of your favorite songs.
What is
worth mentioning is that in big corporations knowing English as a foreign
language is not enough, because employers proceed form the assumption that
everybody knows English and it is not a big deal to be able to communicate in
that language. That is why, it is extremely important to learn other languages.
Personally,
I have a bad experience with learning German, but maybe one day it will change. And I have always wanted to learn Spanish. I believe that learning languages is
very important but at the same time can be quite a nice experience.
