Comments on: Should American children learn foreign languages?

By: Keayn

Keayn — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:25:56 +0000

“Euro-nostalgics who want their children to learn French or German aren’t harming their children, even if these languages don’t have the same practical value.” Le Francais? Inutile? Deutsch auch? Since when? hrrrmmm…. We’ll see about that.

By: JM

JM — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:00:59 +0000

Excellent point, Zoey. You’re not going to have a deep, meaningful exchange with someone if all you can manage is “Hello”, “What is your name?” and “Do you like ice cream?”. I had deeper, more life-changing conversations in those countries where I actually learned the language to the point of fluency.

By: Zoey

Zoey — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:24:29 +0000

As a native English speaker and linguist I can truly see both sides of the argument here. There are few places in the world that I have traveled to where English has been unrecognised, and many places where, not knowing the local dialect, I have been gratefully been able to get by only because of locals having some knowledge of English. That said, I have also benefitted hugely from my knowledge of French and Spanish, in terms or travel opportunities, career opportunities, and general confidence. I feel that herein lies the benefit of learning a language which is so often overlooked. It is the fact that, whilst, as an English speaker, it may not be vital to know a second language, to discount other languages can inadvertently lead to one discounting the culture, peoples, and traditions of that language. Exposure to a language has an impact far more profound than knowing how to order a drink in a foreign country, it teaches about us to different ways of life, ideals other than our own and and give us a greater perspective on our place in the world. This is the most valuable aspect of learning a language and should not be forgotten in the current debate.