Knowing other languages brings opportunities
Extend your reach!
Know another culture!
Get a better job!
The world is full
of languages
How far do you have to go from your front door to know that this is true?
Think about how many more people and places you could really get to know,
newspapers and books you could read, movies and TV programs you could
understand, Web sites you could visit with another language!
Give yourself a
competitive edge
Did you know that studying a second language can improve your skills and
grades in math and English and can improve entrance exam scores -- SATs,
ACTs, GREs, MCATs, and LSATs? Research has shown that math and verbal SAT
scores climb higher with each additional year of foreign language study,
which means that the longer you study a foreign language, the stronger your
skills become to succeed in school. Studying a foreign language can improve
your analytic and interpretive capacities. And three years of language study
on your record will catch the eye of anyone reading your job or college
application.
If you've already learned a language other than English at
home, expanding your knowledge of its vocabulary, grammar, culture, and
literature -- at the same time you are learning English -- will also improve
your chances for success in school and in your career.
The job advantage
in a global economy
More and more businesses work closely with companies in other countries.
They need many different kinds of workers who can communicate in different
languages and understand other cultures. No matter what career you choose,
if you've learned a second language, you'll have a real advantage. A
technician who knows Russian or German, the head of a company who knows
Japanese or Spanish, or a salesperson who knows French or Chinese can work
successfully with many more people and in many more places than someone who
knows only one language.
There are lots of Americans who speak languages other than
English. Nurses, doctors, or police officers may need to speak more than one
language to do their jobs well. Hotel managers or journalists who know
English and Spanish or English and Korean may look much better at promotion
time than people who know only English.
Professionals who know other languages are called on to
travel and exchange information with people in the United States and other
countries throughout their careers. Knowing more than one language enhances
opportunities in government, business, law, medicine and health care,
teaching, technology, the military, communications, industry, social
service, and marketing. An employer will see you as a bridge to new clients
or customers if you know a second language. You are also more likely to win
the trust and friendship of people whose languages you know -- even if you
know them just a little.
Learning other
cultures; your world and beyond
Discover new worlds! Get an insider's view of another culture and a new view
of your own. Studying a new language, reading other people's stories, and
connecting with people in their own language can be a source of pleasure and
surprise. Connect with other cultures. Learning about other cultures will
help you expand your personal horizons and become a responsible citizen.
Your ability to talk to others and gain knowledge beyond the world of
English can contribute to your community and your country.
Go for the
excitement; new ways of language learning
What can you expect? You will learn a second language in exciting
new ways, using technology and focusing on communication. Learning a
language is not just learning grammar and vocabulary; it is learning new
sounds, expressions, and ways of seeing things; it is learning how to act in
another culture, how to know a new community from the inside. When should
you start and how much can you learn? You are never too young and it is
never too late to begin. Depending on how long you study, you can gain
different levels of fluency. You will probably not sound like a native
speaker who has spoken the language at home as a child. Don't worry; you're
not expected to. To a greater or lesser degree you will, however, make
yourself understood, read magazines or books for pleasure or
information, and meet and talk with new groups of people. Of course, it
doesn't happen overnight. Like learning math, history, or playing the piano,
language learning takes time. And it adds to who you are.
Should you continue language study after high school? Yes!
Don't waste your investment of time and effort; whatever you have learned is
a foundation for further study. Stick with it. Use your second language on
the job; seek out opportunities to use it in your community; in college,
take more courses, study abroad at intersession or for a summer, a semester,
or a year. Some programs teach languages in conjunction with engineering,
business, nursing, or journalism. And you might decide to start yet another
language. When you study a language, you learn about how to learn a
language, so learning the next one is easier.
Which language
should you learn?
There's no one answer. Here at WSU we offer courses in Arabic, Chinese,
French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Nez Perce, Russian, and
Spanish. Whatever language you choose, learning it will make a difference in
how you see the world, and in how the world sees you.
10. You won’t have to read the subtitles at foreign films.
9. You will increase the number of brain cells you have.
8. You will impress your date at a fancy restaurant by ordering dishes like Boeuf Bourguignon, using correct
pronunciation.
7. You can drop names like Ibsen, Confucius, Nietzsche, Camus, Cicero, Dostoevsky, and Cervantes at cocktail parties after
having read them, in the original !
6. You will know what words like déjà vu, Perestroika,Tiananmen, smorgasbord, Zeitgeist, and macho REALLY
mean.
5. You can get on track early with foreign language classes to prepare for study or internships abroad for a year,
a semester, or a summer.
4. When you travel abroad you will be able to talk to people in their language, thus experience ‘up close and
personal’ the local culture.
3. You will understand the English language and American culture better through exposure to another language and
culture.
2. You will acquire a highly marketable supporting area of study enhancing any major from Anthropology to Zoology,
and thus get a job that will make your friends envious and your parents relieved.
1. You will become a more well-rounded WORLD CITIZEN.
MORE…»
