The Importance Of Learning A Foreign Language

This case study is based on Patricia, a Spanish national in her twenties who is in her last year studying an Economics degree course. She is also a student on the Elementary course at the British Language Centre. Patricia’s started learning English at the bi-lingual school she attended. She learnt English for 3 years but did not take any official examinations, but sees this as a possibility for the future. At school she learnt English because it was obligatory. The only other language she speaks is Spanish.

Second languages are vital. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have the ability to speak ten out of the near seven thousand languages that are spoken in the world today? It is certainly evident that it would be pretty astonishing but also undoubtedly complex and mind-boggling. From Afrikaans and French, to German and Swahili, foreign languages are responsible for one thing; enabling easy communication and the ability to interact with others in whatever language you may speak. In today’s society, approximately one fifth of the global population speaks English. So, learning another language is inevitably crucial for education, work and travel. It is also important for making real connections with others, broadening your horizons and can even give you an even more in-depth understanding of your own native language. But what advantages do foreign languages have?

We also believe that as our society assumes an increasingly global focus, becoming proficient in at least one foreign language is important. To attain as many foreign language skills as possible during her high school years, Kaitlyn studied Spanish concurrently for four years at Aim Academy and augmented her Spanish courses with independent study, using a variety of print and online resources. In addition to her high school Spanish language studies, she has also demonstrated great personal initiative by engaging in further independent study of other foreign

Lucero de “Belén" Juarez Duran is a 16 year old student attending IMAC language school in Guadalajara, Mexico. She is interested in learning English in order to pass the TOEFL and to assist her later on in securing a high paying job. To meet this goal she feels all aspects of English are important . Currently she has several concerns.

While living in the Dominican Republic, I studied English every Saturday in an institute. Since I only got to exercise and strengthen my English skills once a week and had no one else to practice with, I didn’t excel in the language until I arrived to the United States. As a result, when I started school in the United States, despite being in ELL classes, I struggled academically and socially. I became frustrated since I wasn’t excelling in school as I had done previously, and I felt lonely because I had a limited group of friends. The language barrier, I concluded, was holding me back. This realization made me determined to find ways in which I could enhance my skills in this new language.

The following Global assessment is for Mrs. Elizabeth Flores and includes a Learner Profile (Appendix). Emigrating from Puebla, Mexico 14 years ago, Mrs. Flores is married with two children. According to Elizabeth, learning English is essential to improving her ability to communicate with, government agencies, medical professionals, and support her children in learning. Regrettably, she has limited opportunities to use English outside of the classroom, living in a Spanish-speaking insulated ethnic community.

In “Why Foreign Language Education Matters” Representative Rush Holt expresses the idea that the average American is generally deprived of what is known as cultural enrichment in their day-to-day lives, even though others believe that English should be the primary and only language Americans should speak. Holt conveys the overall concept that being bilingual, trilingual, or multilingual is a benefit not just for oneself but for our society. Rush Holt presents the argument with extreme concern for our upcoming generations and the consequences it may cause our nation’s economy to decrease in federal funding’s for education programs, as well as our global marketplace and national security who is highly dependent of translators, specialist, and

The world has become a smaller place as a result of social media, global networking, and out sourcing. Due to this change in the world as whole people from all countries are working at learning and improving there English. Mexico is not exception. New school are popping up all over Mexico and students are attending both in classroom and on line more and more each year. This essay will study and present, Jorge Oscar Reyes Prado, a native Spanish speaker from Guadalajara Mexico.

After doing fieldwork at Horizon on the Hudson’s for two semesters I have worked with students whose primary language is Spanish. When working with ELL students, it is important to make sure their primary language does not feel like a burden to them. Cummins, Bismilla, Chow, Cohen, Giampapa, Leoni, Sandhu, and Sastri (2005) say that “English language learners will engage academically to the extent that instruction affirms their identities and enables them to invest their identities in learning” (p. 40). By using books written in

Nowadays, with such diversity in languages spoken throughout America, it is not uncommon for students to be unable to communicate with fellow classmates. A foreign language should be taught to all students beginning in elementary school throughout the United States. The implementation of foreign language classes in early education is more beneficial than learning a second language as an adult and increases the understanding of nearby culture. In addition, learning a foreign language as a young child produce higher test scores years later, increases cognitive mental development, and creates a marketable, knowledgeable individual in the workforce. Foreign language instruction should begin in elementary school and continue through high school.

The following Language student profile is for Mrs. Elizabeth Flores and includes a Learner Profile (Appendix). Mrs. Flores is a stay at home wife and mother of two, the oldest in kindergarten. She has lived in the United States for the last 14 years emigrating from Puebla, Mexico. Before having children, she worked within in the community she resides not requiring English language skills. According to Elizabeth, learning English is important and will enable her to communication with schools, medical professionals, support her children in learning, and increase future job prospects. She completed Upper Secondary school in her native country, although she states, “it was a burden on her family due to the cost.” While there she completed one year of English, clarifying that “it is very different than what you hear in the US.” Regrettably, she has limited opportunities to use English outside of the classroom since Spanish is the only language spoken in the home along with most of her daily tasks are within the Spanish-speaking indigenous community she lives. The exception medical and education-related interactions that require English particularly due to her son’s High Definition Attention Deficit (HDAD) diagnosis.

Language is very important for every human being. It helps us to communicate with each other also to be able to read, write and understand what we see in the books, television and streets. Language is a system, which helps the humans to operate and communicate similar to the need for operating system that helps the processor to make the hardware and the software work, likewise our need for the language, which helps us to improve our brain that makes us learn and recognize. Fortunately, we have the ability to learn foreign languages because it is important for our brain and for our society. My goal in this paper is to prove the importance of learning a second language from many perspectives. Also, I have chosen this topic because it is one of the things that have not disadvantages at all.

Language is a key part of any family, community, culture and the human race. Without language the world today would be much different. From cavemen, to the Egyptian use of hieroglyphics, to Old English, to more than 6,500 languages spoken around the world today, the advances that humans have made in language is remarkable and inspiring. The ability to speak, read, write and understand more than one language is also remarkable and expands the liberties in life, especially for young people. High school students should be required to take at least two years of a foreign language class in order to graduate, as many recent studies support the benefits of doing so. Students who have learned a foreign language in high school have proven to have a

To learn a Foreign language is always overly pushed upon students in High School. Some states require students to earn the credit before being able to even graduate and move on to further their education. In the opinion of many people this required standard is irrelevant. Why should the students who live in the United States lose time on other helpful subjects to learn a language who only less than half of the world speaks? I will narrow it down to specifically the languages that are taught in school systems: Spanish, French, and German.

Learning a foreign language involves developing new skills and going through different stages. The four skills you need to develop are listening, speaking, reading, and writing. You need to be able to understand when someone speaks the language you are learning. In addition to that, you need to be able to express yourself in that language. Most of the time, the written language is more complex than the spoken language. You want to be able to understand a text you read. Moreover, you want to be able to express your ideas in writing, with the right words and correct grammar. Acquiring these four skills requires various study patterns.