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The Benefits Of Learning A Foreign LanguageBy:

Languageskillsabroad.comIf you're wondering whether or not it's worth the time to learn a foreignlanguage, read these Top Benefits of Learning A Foreign Language beforeyou decide.#1 Reason for learning a foreign language: More money and better jobopportunities.A recent article in the NY Times quoted New York State Attorney GeneralEliot Spitzer on the subject of a lawsuit filed against the State of NY chargingthat "lack of basic translation services in several New York City hospitals isendangering immigrant patients and violating state and federal law."It's lawsuits like this that underline the importance of employers hiringpeople that can speak a foreign language. As the lawsuit points out, it's nolonger a matter of political correctness to be able to service your customersin their native language. In some instances, such as public health and publicsafety organizations, it can be truly a matter of live or death!Many employers are responding to the need to hire people who speak aforeign language by offering more money to start and higher raisesthroughout their career.In addition to pay scale, being able to speak a foreign can also help open theopportunity to qualify for more exotic and interesting jobs such as foreignservice officer for the CIA or State Department, or foreign language specialistfor the National Security Agency.#2 Reason for learning a foreign language: Increased perception of intelligence.It is a generally accepted notion that people who speak a second or foreignlanguage are perceived as being more intelligent than those who do not haveany foreign language skills. In Europe, where the majority of the populationspeaks their own native language as well as at least English, if not a third oreven fourth foreign language, Americans are perceived as being lessintelligent because we are not bilingual for the most part.#3 Reason for learning a foreign language: More social opportunitiesWhen you speak a foreign language you have the opportunity to associatewith others who either speak the language natively or have learned a foreignlanguage in addition to their own native language. You end up expandingyour circle of social and business contacts and, as a result, you are open tobeing invited to more social and business functions.

#4 Reason for learning a foreign language: More rewarding travelopportunitiesIt's just plain more fun and interesting when you vacation in a country whereyou speak the language. Not only do the locals treat you better, becausethey see that you made an effort to learn their language, but you get betterservice in shops and restaurants because you can read the signs, understandthe menu, and converse better with the staff. Being able to speak the nativeforeign language can be a lifesaver if you have a medical emergency andhave to communicate your symptoms to medical staff who may not speakEnglish as well as you would hope they could

Personal Benefits of Foreign Language Study. ERICDigest.

For a long time Americans tended to think that knowing English was sufficient for alltheir needs. As a result, Americans developed an image as the people who cannot sayeven the most rudimentary phrase in any other language. Fortunately, however, many business, political, and educational leaders are belatedly realizing that the whole worlddoes not speak English, and that even many of those who have learned English as asecond language prefer to converse, to do business, and to negotiate in their nativetongue. Not long ago learning a foreign language was considered to be merely a part of a liberaleducation or an intellectual exercise through the study of grammar and literature. It wasautomatically assumed that anyone studying foreign language as a major field was goingto be either a teacher, an interpreter, or a translator and had no other career options. Thereis still a need for people in those professions. There is also a growing need for individualswho possess advanced skills in foreign languages and are trained in various technicalareas. This is a result of increased activity in international business, the inflow of largeamounts of foreign capital to the Unitied States, increased internationalization, and anexpanded awareness of the need to conduct not only business but also diplomaticrelations in the language of the host country.A second language is now becoming a vital part of the basic preparation for an increasingnumber of careers. Even in those cases where the knowledge of a second language doesnot help graduates obtain a first job, many report that their foreign language skills oftenenhance their mobility and improve their chances for promotion.In addition to any technical skills that foreign language students choose to develop, theyalso have further tangible advantages in the job market. In a recent study that sought toascertain which college courses had been most valuable for people who were employedin the business world, graduates pointed not only to career-oriented courses such as business management, but also to people-oriented subjects like psychology, and toclasses that had helped them to develop communication skills. Foreign language students,whose courses focus heavily on this aspect of learning, often possess outstanding

communication skills, both written and oral. Furthermore, recent trends in the jobmarketplace indicate a revived recognition of the value of liberal arts training in generalin an employee's career preparation.WHAT ABOUT FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND TRAVEL ABROAD?It is a very common and growing desire of Americans, perhaps especially among young people, to travel abroad. Only a generation or two ago people rarely ventured beyondtheir home states, but now, as the planet shrinks at an unprecedented pace, large numbersof people travel to other North and South American countries, to Europe, and even toAsia and Africa with increasing frequency for both work and pleasure.Certainly it is possible to travel in foreign lands without knowing the language. In fact, asmuch as our generation travels, for many it would be impossible to learn the languagespoken in every country that they might visit. Nevertheless, the traveler who knows thelanguage of the country not only has an easier time solving everyday problems associatedwith travel, but also has a more pleasant experience and greater understanding both of the people of the foreign country and of their culture. Therefore, every language Americansmaster will enhance their enjoyment and reduce their frustration and isolation as theytravel around the world.HOW CAN FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY HELP IMPROVE CULTURALUNDERSTANDING AND MUTUAL COMMUNICATIONS?As the globe has shrunk, international business opportunities have multiplied and travelhas grown apace. Mutual understanding and meaningful communication between nations,which have always been difficult to achieve, have now gained increased urgency. As aresult, significant numbers of people in the United States have begun to call for better international understanding, and many of them have been urging more foreign languagestudy as an important means to attaining this goal. Such exhortations are eminently well-founded, because the study of another language provides the most effective tool for penetrating the barrier of a single language and a single culture. Furthermore, experiencewith another culture enables people to achieve a significantly more profoundunderstanding of their own.Knowledge of a foreign language is not guaranteed to create empathy with andunderstanding for the native speakers of the language. However, the development of these qualities in individuals with a desire to understand and empathize is greatlyfacilitated by language study. Furthermore, foreign language study tends to help dissolvemisconceptions and often helps to create feelings of sympathy for native speakers of thelanguage, especially if the study is begun early and pursued for a long period of time.DOES FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY HELP TO DEVELOP MENTAL ABILITYOR IMPROVE GRADES?

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