Sunday, December 11, 2011

Benefits of learning a foreign language

A student may decide to study a foreign language to serve international purpose of having deep contacts with the rest of the world. With the progress of science, man has conquered time and distance. No nation can survive in isolation. Learning a foreign language at elementary and middle schools exposes young people to new cultures and new horizons and helps them understand their own mother langue better.

In developing countries, a student has to study a foreign language because his own national language is yet under-developed for the teaching of modern science. Moreover, religion could also be another purpose of learning a foreign language. For examples, Muslims learn Arabic and Persian to study their religion and cultural heritage. Further, studying a foreign language at school enables them to attain expertise at higher level studies in the particular foreign language that they have learnt.

Briefly speaking, benefits of learning a foreign language at school are as under:-

1. Modern research shows that the objection of causing extra strain or burden on the mind of the student is wrong. A child has the capacity of learning more than one language at school without feeling any burden on his mind. Rather the studies show that the students who learn foreign language at school are more flexible and creative.

2. A language gives true picture of the ways of living habits, traditions, manners, history, geography and knowledge of different cultures by learning their languages. It destroys petty prejudices and creates feelings of love and sympathy for the students who learn a foreign language at school.

3. The study of a foreign language gives an opportunity to the students to look in to its culture. The study of a well advanced language like English, French, Chinese, Arabic etc. gives one a chance to study what is best known and taught in the world.

4. By studying a foreign language at school may enable a student to become an expert translator at a later stage. By translating what is best known and thought in the world of science and literature, the students can enrich their own language and can add to the treasure of their own literature.

5. If we do not study another major language, we become self-conceited and our sphere of knowledge remains narrow, but through another language a student can broaden his outlook and can very easily drop off his false price and egotism.

6. Palmer suggests that learning of a second language does not hinder the progress of the first or the national language.

7. In the developing countries where the national languages are not sufficiently developed to cope with the needs of modern science and technology the study of a foreign major language is very essential. In other words, second major language is a must for developing countries.

8. The study of a foreign language is necessary for developing the highest cultural qualities of mind and spirit. It has no bad effect on the mind of the student if it is taught by play methods. So it must be given the right place in every system of education.

9. Learning a foreign language at a school may enhance the academic capabilities of students by increasing their abilities in reading, writing, and mathematics. Bilingual children grasp linguistic faster and earlier than their monolingual counterparts.

10. By learning a foreign language at school, a student has better chance to win friendship of the children of that particular country by using internet.

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