Some people feel that learning a foreign language is an essential component of a child’s education. Others feel that learning a foreign language is often a waste of time that can be better spent on learning about technology and other more vocational subjects. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Throughout the history of education, learning a foreign
language
has been a constant component. Of course, many people
feel that this
is really an unnecessary part of education for everyone, but this
is not a point of view that I share.
The opponents to learning a foreign language
might argue that most people
do not travel that often outside their own country. In addition
to this
, out of all the countries of the world, comparatively not many share the same language
. Therefore
, learning a foreign language
will only be useful for the very limited time
spent in the country where it is used. For example
, for some people
, the language
might never be used in their entire lives. When thinking about how much time
and money are spent training language
teachers, buying resources, going on trips and delivering lessons for such
a negligible benefit, this
would seem to be a very inefficient allocation of resources.
However
, the benefits of learning a foreign language
go further
than just the ability to use it from time
to time
on a holiday or business trip. To illustrate this
, through learning one language
, one gains an understanding to some extent of how all languages work. Thus
, no matter where people
might end up around the world, the knowledge of language
can be of use. Secondly
, with the study of a foreign language
, one also
opens oneself up to other cultures. This
allows in turn an appreciation for different points of view and belief systems. With an ever-shrinking world due to globalisation, the ability to empathise and understand people
from other countries is vital to reducing conflict and creating a more tolerant society. Finally
, quite simply learning languages is excellent for the improvement of general cognitive skills.
In conclusion, it seems to me that learning a foreign language
, therefore
, is more than just gaining the ability to speak a few words of a foreign tongue. It is part of intellectual and social development and needs to be continued for everyone in today’s schools.Submitted by walter.sena on
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