3 REASONS WHY FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES ARE NECESSARY?

Those who travel or who come from a diversified background can easily see the value of learning foreign languages. However, what if I were to tell you that there are many benefits to learning a foreign language even if you do not have an immediate need for it? Most would no doubt wonder about the validity of that. However, there are at least 3 reasons why foreign language studies are vital for all.

It helps you to understand your native tongue

The famous poet Johan Wolfgang von Goethe said “Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.” Learning the definitions and origins of words from another language teaches you so much about the words we use on a regular basis.

Notice an example: the English word for “righteous” when translated into Spanish would be any of the following: justo, honrado, virtuoso, justificado. Are any of those Spanish words similar to what you already know? They most likely remind you of justice, honor, and virtue. All of those things make up the meaning of the English word “righteous”.  Now we have a deeper meaning, and one you won’t forget easily.  

 Well rounded education

If English is your native language, then you already know so many foreign words. This is because our vocabulary is made up largely of “borrowed” or loanwords words – words that come from other languages. Examples of this are: cafeteria, canoe, salary, hurricane, and ranch - just to name a few. Connecting an English loanword to its origins can help you to learn about culture, customs, history and more.

An example of this is seen in the word “salary”. This word comes from the base word “sal” (Latin salarium) which means “salt” in many Latin based languages. What is the connection? During the time of language development salt was used as a form of payment in these cultures. Interesting right? Well why was salt used for payment? If you were to find the answer to that question, then not only will you have a fun fact to share with others, but you just learned about history and customs in a way that you won’t forget.

Provides cultural awareness 

Human nature is to realize and contemplate what we see or are personally experiencing. This can be limiting. Ludwig Wittgenstein once said: “The limits of my language are the limits of my world.” Some may be satisfied with living in a small bubble. However, as human we also have the need to be social and compassionate. We learn and are inspired by other people. These needs can be met to a degree by learning foreign language as it can lead to learning about the current culture and experiences of the people who speak it.

This was just a brief discussion of the benefits of learning a foreign language. There are many more. However, the points in this article are important reasons to put the effort into studying other languages. With as little as 15 minutes of learning a day, our lives can be improved.