When many students think of taking a foreign language class, few feel more than dread for the piles of flashcards and the seemingly obscure grammar rules to come. Others do not understand why a foreign language is necessary at all. However, there are many good things about studying a different language besides eventually earning an advanced diploma.
Learning another language is a great way to learn how to keep organized, both with papers and supplies, and in one's mind. Flashcards and worksheets are only one of the many ways a student may choose to study. Students can find a favorite technique or learn to develop new ones. Mr. Elliott, the French teacher, says that a great way to study a language is to immerse yourself and to “spend as much time in the language out of class” as possible. This can mean watching movies, listening to music, and reading books in the target language. This can help find vocabulary or topics students are interested in, ultimately making the class more meaningful.
Another pro to taking a foreign language is that it can make learning other languages easier. This can be due to the student’s mind being prepared for what is necessary to learn the language. This can also be because many languages are similar to others since they have a shared root language, such as Spanish and Italian with their roots in Latin, also known as Romance languages. German and English are similar to each other, as both are Germanic languages.
Languages with shared origins generally share root words, understanding harder English words becomes significantly easier, reducing the need to run to a dictionary when a student comes across a word that has never been seen before. Learning another language also requires students to gain a better understanding of the grammar of both English and of the target language. As for high school curriculum, students generally learn more about the mechanics of the English language from another language class than from the first few years of English classes.
If a student is interested in other languages, there are many important career choices they could take, from teaching in schools to working for the government. Especially with the terrorist events occurring in the world today, analysts are needed by the CIA and FBI, especially in Africa and the Middle East, where Arabic and French are commonly spoken.
According to Mr. Elliott, learning another language helps students to “see the world better” and gain a better perspective and appreciation for other people and cultures around the world. The high school offers many foreign languages, such as Spanish, French, Latin, German, and Mandarin Chinese, so there are several selections to choose from.