Why is it important to learn a foreign language?

Question

I've been hearing as of late that large numbers of students from all around the world are learning English now. Additionally, Older people are taking classes and teaching themselves in order to learn the language. With the large amount of people learning English what reason does a native speaker have for learing another language?

Answer 1

By learning a 2nd or 3rd or even more languages you are increasing your mental ability and your ability to communicate with others. It gives you a different way of thinking about things when you can examine something from different languages. I found that when I read the Bible in Spanish I got different views than from what I had when I read it in English. It also frees your imagination and opens you to new views of life and expressing of those views. Why be the lazy one and expect others to learn your language. That makes them one up you. It's exciting to think in another language as you are stimulating your brain and making it stronger. Try it you might like it. Good luck.

Answer 2

we have a saying back home that goes sth like : the more languages you speak, the better person you are. ('better* in the sense that you know more about the world)
and it's actually true ... there is nothing like listening to music, watching a movie or reading a book in the original language, there are those fine "shades" of meaning that always get lost in translation.

my mother tongue is serbian, i studied english at the univeristy and ... i married a dane moved to denmark and learned danish as well, and i never regreted it - danish helps me understand swedish and norwegain (languages) but also the culture and the people of scandinavia much better

for some reason i tend to pick up things in other languages better than before as if my brain is more open them -and i am particularly curious about japanese and spanish right now.
i doubt that i'll ever be proficient in those two at the same level as i am in the other three - but i don't think there is a thing called - bad knwledge

language is basically a code and if you break the code you can understand just about any message written or spoken
the rest os a matter of your own curiocity

Answer 3

Unless you intend to remain in your little corner of the world forever - not even taking a vacation - visiting the corner store - or stopping off at the taco stand owned by the Spanish-speaking gentleman, I suppose it is quite pointless.

On the other hand, it would enhance your knowledge, give you an opportunity to converse with someone of a different culture or country, and increase your eligibility should you find yourself vying for a position in a company where a foreign language would be a plus.

My reason: I want to understand when they say something in another tongue. Curiousity!

Barring all that, we ought not to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. We are a part of it and ought to make ourselves aware so that we can function more adequately.

Answer 4

Because it is not clear that English will remain the dominant language or not. Who knows? If places like China start dominating the world economy, it might be their languages that start to take over.

Beyond that, it helps you learn and grow as a person. So many people think only in terms of what will it do for me immediately, in a practical sense. How much money will it get me? Widening your horizons for it's own sake has value.

Answer 5

You should learn another language it makes it easier to communicate with that culture. Yes many people do know English but out of respect if you're going to visit another country you should learn their language instead of going up to peole and saying "you sppek english" we would expect them to speak English if they came here.... so why have a doubble standard.

Answer 6

To read a book written by someone from another country gives you insight into what other cultures really think and feel. It is far better than learning about that culture from a history book or an opinionated figure.

Answer 7

Well it would be selfish of people (like Americans) to just expect others to know their native language. Learning foreign languages also help you learn about the culture of the language too.

Answer 8

Losses in translation is real. Cultural understanding can only come through a real understanding of the language. Also; the more you learn the more you are worth, and the more you stimulate your mind the less chance you have of dementia and Alzheimer's.

Lykke til.

Answer 9

I think it is important to learn a foreign language if you are going to another country to LIVE...its very rude and disrespectful to move to a country and not know how to interact with the poeple from that country

Answer 10

Too many native Americans still haven't learned how to speak properly. Much of what I hear sounds foreign to me.