should everyone know more than one language?

Question

should all people in America learn a second lanuage? my friends say it point less that they should learn ours is this the truth or are they just being closed minded?

Answer 1

Most succesful businessmen and world leaders know several languages. Not only are your friends being closed minded, they are hindering their future success.

Answer 2

Without a doubt everybody should TRY to learn another language, however it's too easy to sit here and say 'You should learn another language.' The fact is there are many people out there who struggle to master their own language, let alone a second or third. So the question is, what can they do?
I am learning to speak Esperanto, which falls into the category of 'if you can't learn this language, you can't learn any.' Even with it's simplicity I struggle to advance. I know the reason, which is I can't immerse myself in it to the degree I know I should, and when I do study it I'm distracted by it's history and articles about how it's fairing in the world. (Alive and growing in leaps and bounds BTW). But if you can only sink your teeth into one language, this is the one. With this one you open the scope of areas you can visit, because there are very few (if any) places that don't have some form of representation. You may have to look them up, but that's not hard on the Internet. The average person will learn enough Esperanto to converse easily, if not fluently inside of a month of fairly regular instruction. Give me the opportunity to immerse myself for a week, and I would be fluent.

Answer 3

If you really want to get to know someone, learn their language.

Language is an important tool in communications, and English is not the "end all, be all" of the linguistic world. In fact, a good number of the terms you use everyday come from other languages! Besides broadening your horizons and learning about other cultures, learning a new language can be useful for:

- Swearing without anyone realizing what you're saying
- Carrying on private conversations among friends
- Passing secret messages
- Work, if you deal with a lot of people from different countries
- Travel, if you ever plan to travel outside the U.S., people are much friendlier when you speak their language
- Getting in touch with your roots and learning your native tongue

There are dozens of reasons to learn something new, and language is the gateway to a world you never knew existed. I'm always looking to learn how to speak a foreign language, and I'm even inventing a few (Google "conlangs" to see what I mean).

When I was stationed in Honduras with the Air Force, none of my fellow airmen wanted to learn Spanish, the local language. I took the time to learn it and found that I got nicer treatment, warmer reception, and much better deals from the locals.

Your friends are fools, and they are only hurting themselves.

I speak English, some Spanish, and some French, and am learning Latin and Japanese. My wife and I also "speak" American Sign Language.

Answer 4

... reminds me of what people in the Religious and Spirituality section say. Why should they be open to other religions when theirs is the "only one" that is "real"?

Anywho. They are being closed minded. I've heard some people whine, moan and say nasty words about those who "don't bother" learning English when they are living in America, or even in Canada. It is absolutely ridiculous. In Canda we are a "bilingual" country, yet New Bruinswick is the only province that is truly bilingual. All students in highschool have to learn one language or another up until a certain grade. They enforce learning french at least until Grade 8.

I think everyone should learn at least one other language. They don't have to learn to speak it fluently, just learn some of it at least.

Answer 5

I think everyone should learn at least two languages. Learning a second language is a mental exercise in a different way of thinking. People who know only one language tend to think that their point of view is the only valid point of view. Learning a second language and about the culture that speaks it helps you to begin thinking about the world as a whole.

Answer 6

Whether they should learn ours or not isn't important. The fact is that there are a lot of people in the US (not to mention all over the rest of the world!) who don't speak English well. Learning another language will be useful in gettinga job and just being able to communicate in some part of the US. Even if your friends are planning to live and die in a tiny town, a lot of immigrants are coming in the US, like it or not.

Answer 7

America is an English-dominated language, so yes if people are going to come here, they should know English well enough to speak and get along.

(This is not encouraging illegal immigrants, in fact I am against them entirely.)

But I also think American's should at least learn one extra language-Spanish, German, Japanese, etc. That way if they choose to visit another country, or they end up with a job that may need it (marketing, international welfare, news reporter, etc.), they will be able to perform their job immaculately.

Answer 8

Our country is so diversed. So of course everyone should learn a second language. Your friends are being closed minded. Truthfully what is our own language?

Answer 9

well i think it would be good and very helpful in the future to learn a second language but I dont think people should have to learn a second language. if someone wanted to come to America they SHOULD learn our language English is the second most popular spoken language in the world though. i guess you should be able to chose what language you wanted to learn no matter what.

Answer 10

They're being closed minded. Everyone should know more than one language, even if just for the fun of it.