Why? Why should you spend your time learning a foreign language when you already speak English? And everyone speaks English, right?
Wrong. According to the CIA World Fact Book, only 5.6 % of the world's total population speaks English as a primary language. That number doubles when people who speak English as a second or third language are counted. This means that well over four fifths of the world's population does not speak English!
Well that was reason enough for me to learn another language… or three. I picked up Hebrew at home, French at school, and even dabbled in some Spanish. But if the idea of connecting with people around the globe doesn't pique your interest, do read on.
Former U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, once said, “We have strong evidence today that studying a foreign language has a ripple effect, helping to improve student performance in other subjects.” Did you know that the study of another language can improve your understanding of your native language? Stronger vocabulary skills and higher reading achievement in English as well as enhanced listening and memorization skills have all been associated with extended foreign language study. In fact, several studies have revealed that with each additional year of foreign language instruction, a student’s scores on college entrance exams such as the SAT or ACT improve incrementally.
This might explain why colleges look so favorably upon, and often require, the study of a foreign language for admission. Surely, my language abilities boosted my college application, but I didn’t realize just how valuable they were until I got in. My knowledge of languages gave me options: I was able to choose from a larger pool of majors and study abroad in countries in which a lot of my peers could not. I chose to spend a semester in Paris, where I blended in with the locals, regularly devoured Nutella crepes, and learned all about a culture that I might never have encountered if it weren’t for all those years I spent learning French.
My eye-opening time abroad sparked a passion for travel and all things international, and speaking several languages made my newfound hobby more feasible and more fun. Language barriers can be frustrating at best, but when you know the native tongue, you have the comfort of being able to navigate all sorts of situations. Thanks to my language skills, I successfully ordered meals in Barcelona, negotiated lower prices in Tel Aviv, and somehow explained to a pharmacist in Rome that I needed drops for an eye infection (and yes, it healed just fine).
But the benefits didn’t end overseas. Having graduated from college without a clue about what I wanted to do professionally, I dove into the workforce and began exploring my options. SAT tutoring and translating gigs eventually turned into job offers from a research company, a law firm, several financial corporations, and even an entertainment group—all international businesses and all competing in the global marketplace. Whatever your career goals may be, speaking another language will increase your employability by giving you an edge over your monolingual competitors.
As you can see, the study of foreign languages has advantages that go well beyond the school setting in which it starts. So while that Spanish, French or German class may feel like a burden now, it can open all kinds of doors down the line. I’m not saying that learning another language is easy—I’m just saying it’s worth it!
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