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.