Why Should Foreign Languages Be Studied?

Some Questions About Foreign Language Study

An old article from 2 cents worth by David Warlick called “Some Questions About Foreign Language Study” proposed the question, what is the most practical language for students to learn? This led to a study conducted that concluded many people thought Spanish had the most benefits. However, only 116 people were involved in the study so the results might have been different if more people were asked. Anyway, some people’s insight was to chose a foreign language based off of the type of profession you wish to pursue. This makes sense, but what if you change your mind? Also, I would think a variety of skills are useful, so why limit yourself to just one? Learning a new language really broadens your horizon and you get to learn about new cultures which makes it easier to relate to the world around and appreciate it. While it’s difficult to determine what language will be the most useful in the future, what matters is that you have exposed yourself to new ideas and your thinking changes as a result. The process of studying foreign languages brings experiences that stretch far beyond the classroom. In the end, that’s what matters most to productive learning; making connections with the outside world and relating to things on a higher level. So, whatever language appeals to you is the key into a world you never knew about.