Learning foreign languages is a must nowadays in the era of technology, of digitation and in the ongoing process of becoming and developing each person`s personality.It is as if we all have an intellectual passport in order to pass from one country to another.First of all, learning foreign languages is also a predominant factor for personal development not only for travelling, but it is a part of students`curriculum and even if it is compulsory and we have to pass an exam in order to show that we master a language, it should be part of a person’s culture and each of us should embrace the idea of learning not only one language, but more languages.
“One language sets you in a corridor for life.
Two languages open every door along the way.”
― Frank Smith, ”To Think: In Language, Learning and Education”
As Frank Smith stated in his work, we can say that knowing more than one language offers more advantages than just knowing just one and the more foreign languages we use, the more opportunitites for us.Therefore, we can have better jobs and even more perks as employees. Moreover, there are some other benefits to learning a foreign language :
- It can improve a person’s brain and memory functions
- It is a way of meeting new people and of knowing about different cultures
- It increases cognitive abilities
- It fosters an understanding of the interrelation of language and human nature
Although it is not an easy process, but foreign language learning refers to the “process of acquiring a language that is not native to an individual, typically through formal education or leisure activities, with the aim of either achieving educational goals or enhancing communication skills in a globalized world” [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080448947005091].
There are also intercultural understanding and economic benefits that are in favour of learning a foreign language.The process of learning a foreign language includes reading, writing, listening and speaking, all of them creating an interdependence and it is important to master all in order to be a good knower of that specific language.Research also suggests that being bilingual or multilingual can delay the onset of dementia and other age-related cognitive decline.
However, there are people who consider that if they do not know a foreign language, they are not educated enough Another reason for learning a foreign language is that it may make one’s life reacher, as knowing one or more languages enriches our general knowledge and our perspective on life.Despite all these advantages and benefits, it is not an easy-to-do task, as it requires time, effort and since each language is changeable and adaptable according to its speakers, to its inflections, it is an ongoing and never-ending process.
All in all, mastering a foreign language is a “delightful voyage full of new expressions and ideas.”
Once you enter this world of discovery, you realize it is a full process that helps you develop and you keep going further.No matter the obstacles encountered, this journey will open every door that life offers you.This privelege of learning a foreign language will last for a lifetime.
Bibliography
- International Encyclopedia of Education (Third Edition), 2010
- Paul Pimsleur, 2013, How to Learn a Foreign Language, Heinle and Heinle Publishers
- www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080448947005091
- www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/foreign-language-learning.html