Importance of Language – Why Learning a

Second Language is Important

By Leonardo De Valoes, Adjunct Faculty 
Language impacts the daily lives of members of any race, creed, and region of
the world. Language helps express our feelings, desires, and queries to the
world around us. Words, gestures and tone are utilized in union to portray a
broad spectrum of emotion. The unique and diverse methods human beings
can use to communicate through written and spoken language is a large part of
what allows to harness our innate ability to form lasting bonds with one another;
separating mankind from the rest of the animal kingdom.
The importance of communication is often overlooked. Despite our great
prowess in communication, misunderstandings and mistranslations are
commonplace. It is arrogant to believe that one can travel the world and expect
all of mankind to understand his or her native tongue. In order to travel the
world, whether for business or pleasure, a desire and willingness to adapt to
new cultures and methods is necessary. Adaptability, of course, includes the
ability to communicate with new people in various dialects. Being unable to
communicate in a country is akin to living with a serious impairment; it is very
difficult and near impossible, to adapt and get along with new people if there is
no way to communicate with one another.
Additionally, the ability to communicate in multiple languages is becoming more
and more important in the increasingly integrated global business community.
Communicating directly with new clients and companies in their native language
is one of the first steps to founding a lasting, stable international business
relationship. Being able to do this automatically puts any multilingual person
miles ahead of his or her peers in the competition for jobs and high-prestige
positions. Language is such a key aspect to setting up children for success in
their future professional endeavors that high schools across the nation and in
almost every Western country require at least two years of a foreign language.
Most institutions offer opportunities to learn a foreign language at even earlier
ages. In recent years, psychologists such as Agnes Kovacs have studied the
intelligence and mental capacity of young bilingual children in comparison to
monolingual children. As noted in the article Why Bilinguals Are Smarter by
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee of the New York Times, the author states, “The collective
evidence from a number of such studies suggests that the bilingual experience
improves the brain’s so-called executive function — a command system that
directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and
performing various other mentally demanding tasks.” Furthermore, by instilling a
reverence for foreign language at a young age, parents put their children miles
ahead of their future competitors.
The impact of multilingualism can be traced to even more fields. A doctor who
can communicate with his or her patient in their native tongue is much more
likely to have success at diagnosing them. A scientist or engineer capable of
explaining his findings and ideas to his peers will be able to expedite and
perfect their work, even if his peers could not understand him in his first
language. Any hiring manager in any company in the world would tell you that
the ability to speak a foreign language is a prized commodity. Learning to
communicate fluently in multiple languages provides additional job security and
advancement opportunities in uncertain economic times.
In order to prepare our nation’s children to be the next generation of future
entrepreneurs, doctors, scientists, engineers, or whatever influential job they
choose, we must foster an environment from a young age that promotes
multilingual learning. Through this we are setting up ourselves, our children, and
our children’s children, for growth, success, security, and ultimately, prosperity.
Therefore, it is up to you to create a warm and comfortable environment in
which your child can grow to learn the complexities of language. The
communication skills that your child learns early in life will be the foundation for
his or her communication abilities for the future. Strong language skills are an
asset that will promote a lifetime of effective communication.
I have always been interested in languages. I have traveled to over 125
countries in the last twenty years and have recently published a book series
entitled, Our Beautiful World. Our language is the most important part of our
being. I think it is important to learn other languages, other forms of
communication besides our own because it helps us to learn about other
peoples and cultures. The most important one, however, that we can learn is
our own mother tongue as this is one of the most basic parts of our identity. If
we were to lose our own tongue, for example, if we were to grow up in a country
which is not our own, someplace that is not our home, in my opinion, we would
be losing a part of ourselves.
Other texts:
From: Washington State University – Why Study Foreign Languages
What can you expect? You will learn a second language in exciting new ways,
using technology and focusing on communication. Learning a language is not
just learning grammar and vocabulary; it is learning new sounds, expressions,
and ways of seeing things;
Should you continue language study after high school? Yes! Don’t waste your
investment of time and effort; whatever you have learned is a foundation for
further study. Stick with it. Use your second language on the job; seek out
opportunities to use it in your community; in college, take more courses, study
abroad at intersession or for a summer, a semester, or a year.
More and more businesses work closely with companies in other countries.
They need many different kinds of workers who can communicate in different
languages and understand other cultures. No matter what career you choose, if
you’ve learned a second language, you’ll have a real advantage. A technician
who knows Russian or German, the head of a company who knows Japanese
or Spanish, or a salesperson who knows French or Chinese can work
successfully with many more people and in many more places than someone
who knows only one language.
 
From: Omniglot – Why Should I Learn a Language  
Many English speakers seem to believe that wherever you go on holiday you
can get by speaking English, so there’s no point in learning any other
languages. If people don’t understand you all you have to do is speak slowly
and turn up the volume. You can more or less get away with this, as long as you
stick to popular tourist resorts and hotels where you can usually find someone
who speaks English. However, if you want to venture beyond such places, to
get to know the locals, to read signs, menus, etc, knowing the local language is
necessary.
Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover
that, despite all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years, many
foreign people still speak in foreign languages.
(Dave Barry)
 If you and some of your relatives, friends or colleagues speak a language that
few people understand, you can talk freely in public without fear of anyone
eavesdropping, and/or you can keep any written material secret. Speakers of
such Native American languages as Navajo, Choctaw and Cheyenne served as
radio operators, know as Code Talkers, to keep communications secret during
both World Wars. Welsh speakers played a similar role during the Bosnian War.
 Maybe you’re interested in the literature, poetry, films, TV programs, music or
some other aspect of the culture of people who speak a particular language and
want to learn their language in order to gain a better understanding of their
culture.
Most people in the world are multilingual, and everybody could be; no one is
rigorously excluded from another’s language community except through lack of
time and effort. Different languages protect and nourish the growth of different
cultures, where different pathways of human knowledge can be discovered.
They certainly make life richer for those who know more than one of them.
(Nicholas Ostler, Empires of the Word)
 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.
 
From: Auburn University – Twenty-five Reasons to Study Foreign
Languages

1. Foreign Language study creates more positive attitudes and less

prejudice toward people who are different.
2. Analytical skills improve when students study a foreign language.
3. Business skills plus foreign language skills make an employee more
valuable in the marketplace.
4. Dealing with another culture enables people to gain a more profound
understanding of their own culture.
5. Creativity is increased with the study of foreign languages.
6. Graduates often cite foreign language courses as some of the most
valuable courses in college because of the communication skills
developed in the process.
7. International travel is made easier and more pleasant through knowing a
foreign language.
8. Skills like problem solving, dealing with abstract concepts, are increased
when you study a foreign language.
9. Foreign language study enhances one’s opportunities in government,
business, medicine, law, technology, military, industry, marketing, etc.
10. A second language improves your skills and grades in math and English
and on the SAT and GRE.
11. Four out of five new jobs in the US are created as a result of foreign
trade.
12. Foreign languages provide a competitive edge in career choices: one is
able to communicate in a second language.
13. Foreign language study enhances listening skills and memory.
14. One participates more effectively and responsibly in a multi-cultural world
if one knows another language.
15. Your marketable skills in the global economy are improved if you master
another language.
16. Foreign language study offers a sense of the past: culturally and
linguistically.
17. The study of a foreign tongue improves the knowledge of one’s own
language: English vocabulary skills increase.
18. The study of foreign languages teaches and encourages respect for
other peoples: it fosters an understanding of the interrelation of language
and human nature.
19. Foreign languages expand one’s view of the world, liberalize one’s
experiences, and make one more flexible and tolerant.
20. Foreign languages expand one’s world view and limit the barriers
between people: barriers cause distrust and fear.
21. Foreign language study leads to an appreciation of cultural diversity.
22. As immigration increases we need to prepare for changes in the
American society.
23. One is at a distinct advantage in the global market if one is as bilingual
as possible.
24. Foreign languages open the door to art, music, dance, fashion, cuisine,
film, philosophy, science…
25. Foreign language study is simply part of a very basic liberal education: to
“educate” is to lead out, to lead out of confinement and narrowness and
darkness.