What does it help knowing a foreign language when it's not used in your city( and you're not a traveler)?

Question

Some people in Asia, like chinese or Korean or Japanese etc.. I have a feeling they learn languages and since many of them travel so much, they can use them. But people like me, a hispanic in California, knows languages but can't even use them.

Answer 1

Great question!
Even if you don't have a chance to use it on a daily basis, knowing another language helps you to have access to other cultures. You can watch movies in that language and surf websites in that language. But hey, in California, there's a lot of language diversity, so you never know when you'll use it!

Also, knowing more languages helps to change your way of viewing the world around you. Being familiar with more cultures gives you more options to choose from when you decide about how you want your personal culture to be. Also, you can have a better understanding of how language itself works, and how you use it in your life to do different things.

I think language learning is really fun, and I hope you enjoy it too.

Answer 2

I used to work with someone who thought the same thing. She knew Spanish and thought that it may never be used until we had a family come in who became regulars(in the grocery store), that only spoke Spanish and really could not understand much English, so, she then could help everyone else out translate what we needed to say or tell us what they needed to say.

You never know when you may need to use the languages that you know. Some day you may travel to another state where you may need to use it. If you want, teach the language to others to be able to use it more often.

Answer 3

I do speak several languages too, and they have helped me to have a wider and better understanding of different cultures.

You know that nowadays you don't need to set a foot outside your home to communicate with people from many different cultures.

It's not a matter of a career advancement, it's a matter of inner growth.

Keep practicing the languages you've learned, in time you'll agree with me it's a good habit.

Answer 4

Notice that you're thinking about a person for a long time.

Answer 5

And people like me in Australia knows several languages, although I never use many of them in conversation with real people but I have enjoyed reading books and magazines and corresponded with people from many countries and nationalities.
Besides, the benefit of increasing your neuron transmitters in your brain and stimulating it constantly by using it has been proven to postpone Alzheimers' Disease or dimentia from affecting people who speak many languages, especially Chinese and Japanese. Whether you believe it or not, but people have enjoyed the beneift.

Answer 6

Whoa a hispanic in California...imagine that sorry for my stereotype but i couldn't resist ummm you can use spanish in cali, go to south america or central, or spain. English you can go to many countries so i dont know what the problem is

Answer 7

Under the the circumstances it's of less use than it could be. Still extra languages tend to broaden the mind. Much more when they pack cultural understanding. I'd rather spend my time on something more practical though.

Answer 8

Apply for a job and teach the foreign language.

Answer 9

Congratulations on knowing more than one language. Hopefully you will get to travel or run into other situations where you will be able to use them.

Answer 10

Hmm... Maybe better work on English a little bit...

As for learning a second language, I don't think anyone can consider themselves educated if they don't have at least one language in additional to their milk tounge.

Just my opinion...