1. What are the benefits of learning a
new language?
What are the challenges in learning a
new language?
2. “Kolik jazyků
znáš, tolikrát
There are many reasons to learn a new
jsi
language, from working in another člověkem.”
country to discovering your You live a
roots, through intellectual new life for
curiosity, romance, travel, and secret every new
communication. language you
Learning a new language takes time and speak.
dedication. The reasons below may help If you know
to convince you to take the plunge, if only one
such persuasion is needed. Some reasons language, you
live only
are practical, some aspiration, some
once.
intellectual and others sentimental, but (by: Czech
whatever your reasons, having a clear proverb)
idea of why you're learning a language
can help to motivate you in your studies.
3. When you move to a different country or
region, learning the local language will help
you to communicate and integrate with the
local community. Even if many of the locals
speak your language, for example if your L1
is English and you move to the
Netherlands, it's still worth your while
learning the local language. Doing so will
demonstrate your interest in and
commitment to the new country.
4. If your partner, in-laws, relatives or friends speak a
different language, learning that language will help
you to communicate with them. It will also give you a
better understanding of their culture and way of
thinking
5. If your work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign
languages, being able to talk to them in their own languages will
help you to communicate with them. It may also help you to
make sales and to negotiate and secure contracts. Knowledge of
foreign languages may also increase your chances of finding a
new job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas, or of going
on foreign business trips.
Many English-speaking business people don't bother to learn other
languages because they believe that most of the people they do
business with in foreign countries can speak English, and if they
don't speak English, interpreters can be used. The lack of foreign
language knowledge puts the English speakers at a disadvantage.
In meetings, for example, the people on the other side can
discuss things amongst themselves in their own language without
the English speakers understanding, and using interpreters slows
everything down. In any socialising after the meetings, the locals
will probably feel more comfortable using their own language
rather than English
6. Missionaries and other religious types learn
languages in order to spread their message. In
fact, missionaries have played a major role in
documenting languages and devising writing
systems for many of them. Others learn the
language(s) in which the scriptures/holy books of
their religion were originally written to gain a
better understanding of them. For
example, Christians might learn Hebrew, Aramaic
and Biblical Greek; Muslims might learn Classical
Arabic, and Buddhists might learn Sanskrit.
7. Learning a second To better understand
language has been the rest of
humankind
proven to delay the Language is an aspect
onset of dementia of humanity, and
learning what a
fellow human speaks
teaches you more
about humankind as a
whole. The more
languages you
know, the more you
understand our
species, and that is
beneficial no matter
what the situation is.
8.
9. Those who become fluent in a language that is not their native
tongue experience a number of second language benefits they
might not have expected originally.
In some parts of the world, children grow up surrounded by more
than one language and develop the ability to speak in multiple
languages very naturally. In areas of the world that are
culturally more monolingual, learning a second language is a
much more challenging endeavor.
After childhood, the areas of the brain that are responsible for
language acquisition become more fixed, and the process of
picking up additional languages becomes more academic and
less organic. However, the need for more and more people to
learn a second language has never been higher. As globalization
increases, the old boundaries that separated language groups
are becoming increasingly blurred by the relative ease of
travel, advances in technology, and internationally focused
economic systems. As a result, second language benefits have
never been more valuable.
10. While each individual will have
his or her own reasons for
learning a second language and
experience unique
rewards, some of the benefits of
learning a second language are
universal.
11. Historically, the main motivating factor for learning a new language
has been money. In fact, the spread of certain languages and the
development of others would not have occurred were it not for the
need for people to trade with one another. People living in port
towns who worked around shipping markets would often develop a
pidgin, or a simplified language used exclusively to conduct
business. Over time, pidgins can evolve into complete language
systems spoken by people in a region that are not involved in trade.
Today, while pidgins are not as widely used, the need for
communication between speakers of different languages has never
been more urgent. International corporations are headquartered
out of multiple cities in multiple continents, and employees are
often expected to function fluently in several languages.
Additionally, increasingly disparate economic realities across the
globe are fueling new migration patterns as people seek out better
opportunities for themselves and their families. Languages are
inevitably brought with them, and communities are finding
themselves needing to function in new languages in order to
maximize potential new markets.
12. Less pragmatic than the economic reasons for learning a
second language, but no less important, are the
cultural second language benefits. Groups are defined
not so much by who is in them, but by who is kept out
of them. When communities cannot communicate with
each other, they suffer because they cannot participate
in the free exchange of ideas. Relationships cannot be
easily forged at either an individual or collective
level, which impacts everything from romantic
connections to religious tolerance.
When people can communicate comfortably in a shared
language, they naturally learn more about one another.
The more they learn, the less they see one another as
"others." Being able to exchange cultural information as
simple as a recipe or the traditions behind seasonal or
religious celebrations goes a long way towards forming
meaningful bonds between communities.
13. One of the most overlooked benefits of learning a second
language is the underlying linguistic knowledge that is
acquired. Since the acquisition of native languages is such an
involuntary process, many of the rules of language form and
structure are not consciously understood as much as they are
naturally accepted. When an individual is faced with the
challenge of learning a language later in life, the process is
much a much more conscious, academic, and theoretical one.
Rules, structures, and forms are identified and committed to
memory while the learners work to incorporate those new
structures into their linguistic repertoires. The act of
identifying structures and forms in a new language goes a
long way towards being able to recognize similar aspects in
the learner's native language. Often, the process of learning a
new language actually improves the learner's understanding
of their native language as well.
14. Learning a new language develops your oral and written skills -
even in your native language. These are among the first skills at
which employers look.
Increased activity in international business, government and
tourism has created a need for improved understanding and
communication.
The number of careers that require a major in a foreign language
is increasing. Insight into a particular culture and capacity to
learn languages will interest employers in a variety of fields
including education, social work, health
services, business, banking, insurance, advertising, travel, publis
hing and public service.
Starting salaries for students graduating with proficiency in one
or more foreign languages are at least 20 percent higher than for
students who speak English only.
15. •Training in foreign languages is essential for
jobs with multinational companies, in the
U.S. Foreign Service and numerous other
governmental agencies.
•With a minor in TEFL (Teaching English as a
Foreign Language), you'll be prepared to
teach English as a foreign language
overseas.
16.
17.
18. Once you have decided to learn a
language, you may not be quite sure which
language to choose. To some extent, your
choice depends on your reasons for learning
a language. For example, if you'd like to
communicate with as many people as
possible, learning such languages as Mandarin
Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian or Arabic
would enable you to do so.
19. There's a wide range of materials
and tools available to help you
with your language studies,
including language courses,
dictionaries, grammar books,
phrasebooks, online lessons,
mp3 players and electronic
translators.
20. Finding time to learn a language
can be quite a challenge. You
may think that you don't really
have enough of it, but it's
surprising how many spare
moments you have during a
typical day, and how they can
add up to a useful amount of
study time.
21. After choosing a language, you can start
thinking about how you're going to study it.
For popular languages like French and
Spanish, there's a wealth of materials
available. For lesser-studied languages, the
choice can be more limited. If courses are
available in your area, it might help you to
attend them, or you may prefer to study on
your own, or to have individual lessons.
